US 11,857,297 B1
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for ensuring constant pressure of a physiological sensor against a subject
Josh Williams, American Fork, UT (US); Nicole Winter, Lehi, UT (US); Spencer Talbot, South Jordan, UT (US); Mitchell Slater, Syrcuse, UT (US); Devin Miller, Morgan, UT (US); Ethan Krause, Kaysville, UT (US); Thomas A. Naylor, Provo, UT (US); Paul McMullin, Provo, UT (US); Roger Black, Provo, UT (US); Brian Jensen, Orem, UT (US); and Cameron Hernandez, Orem, UT (US)
Assigned to Tula Health, Inc., Kaysville, UT (US)
Filed by Tula Health, Inc., Kaysville, UT (US)
Filed on Aug. 14, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/994,218.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/022 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/022 (2013.01) [A61B 5/6831 (2013.01); A61B 5/7203 (2013.01); A61B 5/746 (2013.01); A61B 5/7475 (2013.01); A61B 2562/0247 (2013.01); A61B 2562/227 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device, comprising:
a wearable band wearable by a subject, the wearable band comprising:
an inward-facing surface that faces towards or rests against the subject as the subject wears the wearable band;
an outward-facing surface opposite the inward-facing surface, wherein the outward-facing surface faces away from the subject as the subject wears the wearable band; and
a recess on the inward-facing surface and extending into the wearable band towards the outward-facing surface;
an elastic coupling member comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the first end is coupled to the wearable band in the recess wherein
the elastic coupling member is formed as a spring configured to hold an equilibrium form, an expanded form, and a compressed form;
a sensor module coupled to the second end of the elastic coupling member comprising a first physiological sensor that takes a first measurement of a physiological state of the subject; and
as the subject wears the wearable band, the elastic coupling member assumes the compressed form or the expanded form to press the first physiological sensor against the subject and causes constant contact between the first physiological sensor and the subject;
a flexible hermetic or watertight seal, wherein:
the seal is attached to the inward-facing surface of the wearable band and the sensor module to bridge a gap that lies between the inward-facing surface of the wearable band and an inward-facing detection surface of the sensor module;
the seal and the sensor module cover the recess; and
the seal seals off the recess from an ambient environment of the wearable band;
a housing attached to the wearable band;
a processor electronically coupled to the sensor module and disposed in the housing, wherein the processor is configured to generate a measurement value based on the first measurement by the first physiological sensor;
a user interface on or in the housing and electronically coupled to the sensor module or the processor; and
electrical tracing embedded in the wearable band extending from the sensor module to the housing, wherein the electrical tracing electronically couples the first physiological sensor to the processor or the user interface.