Described herein is an optical device that is arranged to emit electromagnetic radiation and a method of forming an optical device. In one embodiment, the optical device comprises an optical fibre that is arranged to transmit electromagnetic radiation between a source of electromagnetic radiation and an area of interest of a sample material. The optical device also comprises an optical element coupled to an end portion of the optical fibre. The optical element comprises a graphene lens that is arranged to focus the electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the optical fibre to a focal region within the area of interest of the sample material.

Physiologic sensors and methods of application are described. These sensors function by detecting recently discovered variations in the spectral optical density at two or more wavelengths of light diffused through the skin. These variations in spectral optical density have been found to consistently and uniquely relate to changes in the availability of oxygen in the skin tissue, relative to the skin tissue's current need for oxygen, which we have termed Physiology Index (PI). Current use of blood gas analysis and pulse oximetry provides physiologic insight only to blood oxygen content and cannot detect the status of energy conversion metabolism at the tissue level. By contrast, the PI signal uniquely portrays when the skin tissue is receiving ‘less than enough oxygen,’ ‘just the right amount of oxygen,’ or ‘more than enough oxygen’ to enable aerobic energy conversion metabolism. The PI sensor detects one pattern of photonic response to insufficient skin tissue oxygen, or tissue hypoxia, (producing negative PI values) and a directly opposite photonic response to excess tissue oxygen, or tissue hyperoxia, (producing positive PI values), with a neutral zone in between (centered at PI zero). Additionally, unique patterns of PI signal response have been observed relative to the level of physical exertion, typically with a secondary positive-going response trend in the PI values that appears to correspond with increasing fatigue. The PI sensor illuminates the skin with alternating pulses of selected wavelengths of red and infrared LED light, then detects the respective amount of light that has diffused through the skin to an aperture located a lateral distance from the light source aperture. Additional structural features include means of internally excluding light from directly traveling from the light emitters to the photodetector within the sensor. This physiology sensor and methods of use offer continuous, previously unavailable information relating to tissue-level energy conversion metabolism. Several alternative embodiments are described, including those that would be useful in medical care, athletics, and personal health maintenance applications.

An electronic device, according to various example embodiments of the disclosure, may comprise: a display; a processor operatively connected to the display; a cover facing the display and comprising a light transmitting material; a flexible printed circuit board having a first side facing the cover, and a second side corresponding to the opposite side of the first side; a wireless charging coil disposed to surround the flexible printed circuit board; a first bio-signal sensing unit comprising bio-signal sensing circuitry including a light-emitting unit including light-emitting circuitry and a light-receiving unit including light-receiving circuitry mounted on the first side of the flexible printed circuit board; a second bio-signal sensing unit including an internal electrode formed inside the cover, which is a portion facing the flexible printed circuit board, and an external electrode electrically connected to the internal electrode and formed outside the cover; a contact having one end mounted on the first side of the flexible printed circuit board and extending to the cover such that the opposite end thereof is connected to the internal electrode of the second bio-signal sensing unit; and a signal processing unit mounted on the second side of the flexible printed circuit board comprising circuitry configured to process a first bio-signal sensed by the first bio-signal sensing unit and a second bio-signal sensed by the second bio-signal sensing unit.

A physiological parameter sensor system includes a housing with a first cell and a plurality of second cells. A first sensor system element (either an emitter or a detector) resides in the first cell. Second sensor system elements reside in at least some of the second cells. If the first sensor system element is an emitter, each second sensor system element is a detector, and vice versa. The housing is conformable to the contours of a patient to ensure that the sensor system elements are closely coupled to the patient's skin. The system identifies the emitter which yields the best quality signal at the detector (or the detector which receives the best quality signal from the emitter). The system then uses only the identified emitter/detector pair. The system is compact, places only modest demands on battery power, and tolerates being positioned at a nonoptimal locations on the patient's body.

A photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor configured to be worn on a user's body, the PPG sensor comprising: a sensing portion comprising an optical emitter configured to emit an emitted light toward the user's body, and an optical detector for detecting a detector light reflected or scattered from the tissue, such as to provide a PPG signal; and an interfacing portion comprised between the sensing portion and the user's body, the interfacing portion comprising a transparent interface element through which the emitted light is transmitted when travelling from the optical emitter toward the body, and through which the detector light is transmitted when travelling from the body to the optical detector, wherein the transparent interface element has an interface transmittance; the transparent interface element comprising an antireflective interface being configured such that an antireflective interface transmittance of the transparent interface element comprising the antireflective interface is larger than the interface transmittance by at least 4%.

An ambient light signal adjustment method, a chip and electronic equipment. The method includes: receiving a first ambient light signal which is an ambient light signal acquired by a photo plethysmor graph (PPG) sensor; then determining, according to an intensity of the first ambient light signal automatically, whether to turn on an ambient light cancellation circuit which is configured to adjust the first ambient light signal according to the intensity of the first ambient light signal; and if it is determined to turn on the ambient light cancellation circuit, then adjusting a cancellation signal intensity of the ambient light cancellation circuit automatically to enable an intensity of the adjusted first ambient light signal to be within a preset range. Adjustment of the ambient light signal acquired by the PPG sensor is realized, thereby ensuring accuracy of a wearable device to detect a physiological characteristic of a user.

A patient monitoring sensor having a communication interface, through which the patient monitoring sensor can communicate with a monitor is provided. The patient monitoring sensor includes a light-emitting diode (LED) communicatively coupled to the communication interface and a detector, communicatively coupled to the communication interface, capable of detecting light. The patient monitoring sensor includes an optically absorptive material at least partially between the LED and the detector to reduce or prevent shunting of light to the detector.

An optical sensing device includes a device casing and an optical sensor on the device casing. In an embodiment, the optical sensing device further includes an image-capturing device on the device casing. The sensing direction of the optical sensor and the capturing direction of the image-capturing device point in the same direction. The image-capturing device can capture an image of an object to be sensed by the optical sensor. In another embodiment, the optical sensing device further includes a flexible shielding cover on the device casing and enclosing the optical sensor for shielding the optical sensor from external light.

A compact optical sensor is used to determine heart rate, hemoglobin, hydration, peptides, or oxygen saturation using a light source and a single photodiode. The single photodiode has a first filter and a second filter. The first filter is closer to the light source and is transparent to green light and blocks red light. The second filter is farther from the light source and is transparent to red light and blocks green light. This arrangement of the filters facilitates acquisition of backscattered light from desired depths of measurement within the body of a user. At a first time, the light source emits red light and first output from the photodiode is determined. At a second time, the light source emits green light and second output from the photodiode is determined. The optical sensor determines oxygen saturation using the first output and heart rate using the second output.

A wearable device is described. The wearable device includes a housing having a back cover, and an optical mask on first portions of the back cover. The back cover includes a set of windows, with a first subset of windows in the set of windows being defined by an absence of the optical mask on second portions of the back cover, and a second subset of windows in the set of windows being inset in a set of openings in the back cover. An optical barrier surrounds each window in the second subset of windows. A set of light emitters is configured to emit light through at least some of the windows in the set of windows. A set of light detectors is configured to receive light through at least some of the windows in the set of windows.