PPG Wellness Estimation Using Pulse Harmonics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wellness monitoring systems using PPG signals provide limited accuracy and require user education for interpreting health parameters over long periods, lacking a holistic perspective on wellness.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) to analyze PPG signals, calculating fundamental frequency and harmonics, and determining key distinguishing features to generate wellness metrics representing user health conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional PPG signal processing approaches like HRV estimation are used, then specific health parameters can be measured, but a holistic perspective of wellness is not provided and user education is required for interpretation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual health parameters (heart rate, HRV, SPO2, pulse wave characteristics) into a single integrated wellness score. This merging of multiple measurements into one comprehensive metric eliminates the need for users to interpret individual parameters separately, while maintaining the precision of each underlying measurement through spectral analysis of PPG signal harmonics.
2Loss of information
If multiple PPG signal processing methods are used to measure different health parameters, then comprehensive health data is obtained, but the system complexity increases and data interpretation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts specific harmonics (2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th harmonics) from the PPG signal spectrum that are most indicative of wellness status. By focusing on these specific frequency components rather than analyzing the entire spectrum or multiple separate parameters, the system reduces processing complexity while maintaining comprehensive health information through the integrated wellness score calculation.
3Measurement precision
If detailed spectral analysis with multiple harmonics is performed, then wellness estimation accuracy is improved, but computational requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs spectral analysis on a limited set of specific harmonics (2nd through 5th harmonics) rather than analyzing the complete frequency spectrum. This partial action approach focuses computational resources on the most diagnostically relevant frequency components, achieving high wellness estimation accuracy without the excessive processing time that would result from analyzing all possible spectral components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides a comprehensive wellness metric that accurately reflects health conditions and improvements due to physical activities, offering a more holistic view of user wellness.
Implementation Method 1
Photophlethysmogram (PPG) is an optically obtained phlethysmogram that can be used to detect blood volume changes in microvascular bed of tissue
Data Source
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AI summary
Wellness estimation allows tracking of various health parameters and estimating health condition(s) of the user being monitored. Photophlethysmogram (PPG) based health monitoring systems exist. This disclosure relates generally to PPG based wellness monitoring, and more specifically to a pulse harmonics based wellness estimation. The system collects PPG signals from a user being monitored, as input. The system calculates 12 pulse harmonics from a fundamental frequency of the PPG signal. From the pulse harmonics, further a plurality of key features are extracted, and in turn a wellness metric and a wellness index are calculated, which represents health of the user.