Wearable tMRO2 Sensor Using Slit Aperture Detector and VCSELs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developing a sensor for continuous monitoring of tissue metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (tMRO2) that is inexpensive, noninvasive, and wearable has been challenging due to existing technologies being prohibitively expensive and bulky, or limited by physiological assumptions and susceptibility to motion artifacts.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a detector with an aperture and multiple light sources, including LEDs and VCSELs, configured for rapid wavelength switching, enabling noninvasive and wearable monitoring of tMRO2, blood flow, and oxygenation, with real-time processing capabilities for diagnosing and monitoring various pathologies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If optical techniques using diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) and diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging (DOSI) are used to estimate tMRO2, then measurement capability is improved, but device cost and size become prohibitively expensive and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a camera to capture optical images of tissue, creating a simplified copy of the complex optical measurement process. Instead of using expensive DCS and DOSI systems, the invention captures optical information through standard imaging, processing the images to extract tMRO2 data. This copying approach maintains measurement capability while dramatically reducing device complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical optical systems (DCS and DOSI hardware) with computational image processing methods. By substituting physical measurement complexity with algorithmic processing of standard camera images, the invention achieves tMRO2 measurement capability without requiring bulky or expensive optical equipment.
2Ease of operation
If wide field optical technique using coherent spatial frequency domain imaging (cSFDI) is used for noncontact monitoring of tMRO2, then noninvasive monitoring capability is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to motion artifact and physiological assumptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies motion correction algorithms and physiological constraint models before final tMRO2 calculation. By performing preliminary processing to correct for motion artifacts and apply physiological assumptions in a controlled manner, the invention maintains noninvasive monitoring capability while improving reliability of the measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses real-time image processing and analysis to detect and correct for motion artifacts during acquisition. By implementing feedback mechanisms that monitor image quality and physiological plausibility, the system can identify and correct motion-related errors, thereby improving measurement reliability while maintaining ease of noninvasive operation.
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
The device provides compact, time-efficient, and accurate measurements of tMRO2 and other clinical markers, overcoming the limitations of existing technologies by being cost-effective, noninvasive, and capable of real-time processing, enhancing the diagnosis and monitoring of peripheral arterial disease, cancer, and cardiovascular health.
Implementation Method 1
The light sources may comprise one or more coherent light sources or a combination of multiple light sources (including, but not limited to LEDs and VCSELs)
Implementation Method 2
The light sources may comprise one or more coherent light sources or a combination of multiple light sources (including, but not limited to LEDs and VCSELs)
Implementation Method 3
The detector may include an aperture for point estimation of optical properties for the device in the front of the detector
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are devices and related methods that may be used for a physiological examination. In one embodiment, a device that may be used for physiological examination comprising a detector with a slit aperture and a light source, so that the detector comprises a lens that enables a wider field of view but does not require an image to be in focus, in one embodiment, a method of diagnosing a disease in a subject through physiological examination using a device comprising a detector with a slit aperture and a plurality of light sources, including different wavelength LEDs and/or vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs).