Wearable apparatus for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices, such as earpiece modules. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed.

An earpiece monitor configured to be worn by a subject includes a battery, an earpiece fitting configured to be inserted within an ear canal of an ear of the subject, a reflective pulse oximeter configured to measure pulse rate and pulse intensity of the subject, a motion sensor configured to monitor footsteps and head motion of the subject, a digital memory for storing at least one algorithm, and a processor configured to process signals from the reflective pulse oximeter and the motion sensor using the at least one algorithm to generate as assessment of a health state of the subject. The earpiece fitting is configured to transmit sound to the inner ear or eardrum of the subject. The assessment of the health state of the subject may include an assessment of subject physiological stress and/or an assessment of overall subject health.

A monitoring device configured to be attached to a subject includes a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor configured to detect/measure physiological information from the subject, and a processor configured to process the physiological information to detect subject stress, and to determine an origin of the subject stress. The processor can determine the origin of the subject stress by increasing a sampling rate of the PPG sensor to collect higher acuity physiological information. The processor also can determine the origin of the subject stress by processing data from the PPG sensor to determine whether the subject is likely to have atrial fibrillation. In response to determining that the subject is likely to have atrial fibrillation, the processor can increase a frequency of pulsing of an optical emitter of the PPG sensor and/or increase a sampling rate of the PPG sensor to collect higher acuity data for diagnosing that atrial fibrillation is truly occurring.

In one embodiment, a hydration sensor or sensing element is configured to measure the hydration level of a user. The sensing element can include a water-permeable material positioned in between two water-impermeable material. The sensing element can be coupled to a bottle of fluid, or a carrier with a timer. The sensing element can be incorporated into a handheld device. The sensing element can be a disposable element, an element applicable for more than one-time use, or a re-usable element. The sensing element or sensor can be calibrated for a specific user or a group of users. One or more additional sensors that do not measure hydration level of the user can be coupled to a hydration sensing element to determine the amount of fluid consumption for the user in different conditions.

Real-time head and spine alignment, position and other physiological parameters are detected to measure human being health and wellness status. A wearer is reminded to actively correct spinal curvatures and the system may further interfere if head and spinal mal-position or other injury or disease parameters are detected by the system's sensor devices. The system includes wearable universal sensor modules that are attached and detached easily from receiver units having different formats for different body locations depending on their physiological functions. The system is designed to analyze, by artificial intelligence, data from each universal sensor module and provide accurate feedback that can be used by health professionals to monitor remote individual health status and notify a wearer to prevent and correct mal-position or injury or disease status.

A gas valve system adapted for controlling the flow of a gas for a user is disclosed. The gas valve system comprises a housing, at least one sensor, one or more electronic and/or mechanical components for controlling the gas flow, and a manifold comprising one or more channels for guiding the gas between an input and an output of the gas valve system and to which the at least one sensor and one or more electronic and/or mechanical components can be coupled.

An electronic device includes a support body, a wiring substrate, a light emitting element, and a light receiving element. The support body includes first and second planar portions facing each other, a connecting portion connecting basal ends of the planar portions, and a receptacle. The wiring substrate is attached along an outer peripheral surface of the support body, folded at a distal end of each planar portion, and attached along an inner peripheral surface of the planar portion. The light emitting element is mounted on a first surface of the wiring substrate at a portion attached along the inner peripheral surface of the first planar portion. The light receiving element is mounted on the first surface of the wiring substrate at a portion attached along the inner peripheral surface of the second planar portion so that the light receiving element faces the light emitting element.

Systems and methods of using an animal wellness notification system to determine the wellness of an animal, the systems and methods comprising: attaching an animal wellness notification system component to an animal, monitoring the temperature of the animal to determine if the animal's temperature remains outside a selected temperature range for a selected time duration, and providing notice if the animal's temperature remained outside the selected temperature range for the selected time duration.

An earpiece module includes a physiological sensor, an external energy sensor, a transceiver, a communication module, a data storage component, and a power source. The communication module includes a microphone, a speaker, and a signal processor. The signal processor processes audio information received from a remote source via the transceiver and communicates the processed audio information to a subject via the speaker. The signal processor processes information in real time from the physiological sensor and the external energy sensor, and the signal processor provides biofeedback to the subject based on signals produced by the physiological sensor. The data storage component includes a plurality of algorithms. At least one algorithm focuses processing resources on extracting physiological information from the physiological sensor, at least one algorithm is configured to be modified or uploaded wirelessly via the transceiver, and at least one algorithm is a compression/decompression (CODEC) algorithm.

A method or device for assaying physiological gas levels in a human, comprising: repeatedly measuring a gas in samples of breath or blood, or continuously measuring the gas through the skin or fingernail, while he or she holds his or her breath for a specified time interval (BHt) before each measurement, wherein these time intervals are selected from the group consisting of BHt=0, 4-6, 20-25 and 35-40 seconds, and recording the results to form a series of values including at least one measurement at BHt=35-40 which is treated as representing the average gas level in all the tissues of the body (T) at that time, to determine if the individual is net inhaling, net exhaling or in equilibrium with the gas.