Wearable Sensor Dome Formation for Equal Contact Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable devices with varying dome-shaped protrusion heights result in unequal contact pressure and lower quality physiological measurements due to size variations in sensor cavities, leading to inconsistent data collection.
Innovation Solution
A method is employed to form dome-shaped protrusions via a channel connecting sensor cavities, ensuring equal height by dispensing optically transparent material under atmospheric pressure and surface tension, maintaining uniform contact pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dome-shaped protrusions are formed over light-emitting and light-receiving components, then physiological data collection is enabled, but varying dome heights result in unequal contact pressure and lower measurement quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies equipotentiality by ensuring that all dome-shaped protrusions reach the same height above the housing surface, creating equal contact pressure with the user's skin. This is achieved through a common cavity volume design and controlled material dispensing, making all domes equivalent in their interaction with the tissue, thereby resolving the measurement precision issue caused by height variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of dome height from variable to fixed by controlling the cavity volume and material dispensing process. By standardizing these parameters across all sensor components, the invention ensures consistent dome heights that provide uniform contact pressure, directly addressing the manufacturing precision problem while maintaining measurement quality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cavity volumes vary due to sensor size tolerances, then sensor placement flexibility is improved, but dome heights become unequal leading to inconsistent contact pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing each cavity to have its own volume characteristics based on sensor requirements, while the dispensing process locally adapts to fill each cavity appropriately. The material is dispensed through individual apertures into each cavity, and surface tension ensures each dome reaches the correct height locally, maintaining both adaptability and pressure uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback through the surface tension mechanism that automatically regulates dome height during material dispensing. As material is dispensed into each cavity, surface tension provides negative feedback that prevents overfilling, ensuring all domes reach the same height regardless of initial cavity volume differences, thus maintaining consistent contact pressure.
3Ease of manufacture
If optically transparent material is dispensed into cavities, then dome-shaped protrusions are formed for physiological sensing, but unequal dome heights result in variable contact pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by utilizing the inherent surface tension properties of the optically transparent material to automatically regulate dome height during dispensing. The material itself provides the control mechanism needed, eliminating the requirement for complex external height-control systems, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles by using atmospheric pressure to dispense the optically transparent material into the cavities. The pressure-driven dispensing combined with surface tension control ensures consistent dome heights across all components, resolving the manufacturing precision issue while keeping the process simple and easy to manufacture.
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
This approach ensures consistent and higher quality physiological data collection by equalizing dome heights, enhancing measurement accuracy and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The dome-shaped protrusions may accordingly have a same height (e.g., due to an equal atmospheric pressure exerted on each of the domes and a surface tension of the optically transparent material).
Implementation Method 2
The dome-shaped protrusions may accordingly have a same height (e.g., due to an equal atmospheric pressure exerted on each of the domes and a surface tension of the optically transparent material).
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for manufacturing a wearable device are described. Techniques described herein may enable a method for forming one or more dome-shaped protrusions over apertures of a wearable device usable to collect physiological data from a user. For example, a manufacturing process may include forming the dome-shaped protrusions via a channel that connects a first cavity housing a first sensor and a second cavity housing a second sensor. For example, the optically transparent material may be dispensed through a first aperture into the first cavity, may flow via the channel into the second cavity, and may therefore form dome-shaped protrusions through both of the first aperture and a second aperture of the second cavity. The dome-shaped protrusions may accordingly have a same height above a surface of the wearable device.