Abstract: A wearable audio device includes a housing configured to be positioned at an ear of a subject, a speaker and a chipset within the housing. The chipset includes a plurality of sensor elements, at least one signal processor, at least one digital bus, power regulating circuitry, and at least one wireless transmitter. The sensor elements include at least one optical emitter, at least one optical detector, and at least one noise source. The chipset is positioned within the housing such that the at least one optical emitter and at least one optical detector are in optical communication with the ear via a window in the housing. The at least one signal processor includes sensor signal conditioning algorithms configured to process signals from the sensor elements to generate physiological assessment information about the subject. The at least one wireless transmitter is configured to communicate the physiological assessment information to a remote device.

Abstract: A headset includes a housing defining an audio cavity, a speaker located within the audio cavity, and first and second sensor modules within the housing in spaced-apart, angled relationship to each other. The housing includes an aperture through which sound from the speaker can pass, and the first and second sensor modules are on opposing sides of a direction from the speaker to the aperture. The first sensor module is configured to direct electromagnetic radiation at a first target region of an ear of a person wearing the headset and to detect a first energy response signal therefrom that is associated with one or more physiological metrics of the subject, and the second sensor module is configured to direct electromagnetic radiation at a second target region of the ear and to detect a second energy response signal therefrom that is associated with the one or more physiological metrics.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for qualifying and quantifying excitation-dependent physiological information extracted from wearable sensors in the midst of interference from unwanted sources are provided. An organism is interrogated with at least one excitation energy, energy response signals from two or more distinct physiological regions are sensed, and these signals are processed to generate an extracted signal. The extracted signal is compared with a physiological model to qualify and/or quantify a physiological property. Additionally, important physiological information can be qualified and quantified by comparing the excitation wavelength-dependent response, measured via wearable sensors, with a physiological model.

Abstract: A monitoring apparatus includes a housing that is configured to be attached to a body of a subject. The housing includes a sensor region that is configured to contact a selected area of the body of the subject when the housing is attached to the body of the subject. The sensor region is contoured to matingly engage the selected body area. The apparatus includes at least one physiological sensor that is associated with the sensor region and that detects and/or measures physiological information from the subject and/or at least one environmental sensor associated with the sensor region that is configured to detect and/or measure environmental information. The sensor region contour stabilizes the physiological and/or environmental sensor(s) relative to the selected body area such that subject motion does not impact detection and/or measurement efforts of the sensor(s).

Abstract: A wearable device includes a housing with a window and an electronic module supported by the housing. The electronic module includes a photoplethysmography sensor, a motion sensor, and a signal processor that processes signals from the motion sensor and signals from the photoplethysmography sensor. The signal processor is configured to remove frequency bands from the photoplethysmography sensor signals that are outside of a range of interest using a band-pass filter to produce pre-conditioned signals, and to further process the pre-conditioned signals using the motion sensor signals to reduce motion artifacts from footsteps during subject running. The device includes non-air light transmissive material in optical communication with the photoplethysmography sensor and the window that serves as a light guide for the photoplethysmography sensor. The window optically exposes the photoplethysmography sensor to a body of a subject wearing the device via the non-air light transmissive material.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for facilitating the extraction of cleaner biometric signals from biometric monitors. A motion reference signal is generated independently from a biometric signal and then the motion reference signal is used to remove motion artifacts from the biometric signal.

Abstract: A light-guiding earpiece configured to be worn by a subject includes a base comprising a speaker and at least one optical detector, a housing extending outwardly from the base that is configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject, and a flexible optical emitter configured to be conformable to at least a portion of the earpiece. The housing encloses the speaker and comprises at least one aperture through which sound from the speaker can pass. The flexible optical emitter may be integrally formed within the housing, and the housing may include translucent material that forms a light-guiding region through which light from the flexible optical emitter can pass. The optical detector may be a flexible optical detector.

Abstract: A wearable device includes a pair of earbuds, each earbud configured to be positioned within a respective ear of a subject, a band connecting the pair of earbuds, and a plurality of sensor elements located at respective locations on the band, wherein each of the plurality of sensor elements are configured to obtain physiological information from a respective different region of a body of the subject when the earbuds are positioned within the ears of the subject.

Abstract: A cover is configured to be removably attached to and at least partially cover a hearing aid earpiece. The removable cover includes light transmissive material in at least one portion thereof that is configured to guide light from at least one optical emitter associated with the hearing aid earpiece to a region of a body of a subject wearing the hearing aid earpiece and/or guide light from the body of the subject to at least one optical detector associated with the hearing aid earpiece. The removable cover may include at least one alignment member that facilitates stability of the hearing aid earpiece when inserted within an ear of the subject. The removable cover may include at least one lens region, at least one light diffusion region, and/or at least one luminescence region in optical communication with the light transmissive material.

Abstract: A hearing aid includes a speaker driver, an optical source secured directly to the speaker driver, an optical detector secured directly to the speaker driver, a first light guide extending outwardly from the optical source and in optical communication with the optical source, and a second light guide extending outwardly from the optical detector and in optical communication with the optical detector. The first light guide is configured to deliver light from the optical source into an ear region of the subject via a distal end thereof, and the second light guide is configured to collect light from the ear region via a distal end thereof and deliver collected light to the optical detector. The hearing aid may include at least one signal processor configured to process signals produced by the optical detector, and at least one of the following: an accelerometer, a humidity sensor, an altimeter, a temperature sensor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are presented for removing motion artifacts from physiological signals produced by a physiological sensor of a wearable device, wherein the physiological sensor includes at least one optical emitter and at least one optical detector. Light emitted by the at least one optical emitter that is scattered by a body of a subject wearing the device is detected, and a physiological information signal therefrom is produced via the at least one optical detector. Light emitted by the at least one optical emitter that is scattered by a light regulating region of the wearable device is detected, and a motion noise information signal is produced via the at least one optical detector. The physiological information signal and the motion noise information signal are processed via at least one processor associated with the wearable device to at least partially remove unwanted motion artifacts from the physiological information signal.

Abstract: A monitoring device includes a housing configured to be attached to a body of a subject. An optical emitter, optical detector, and sensor for measuring motion noise are located within the housing. Light transmissive material is in optical communication with the optical emitter and detector and is configured to deliver light from the optical emitter to one or more locations of the body of the subject and to collect light external to the housing and deliver the collected light to the detector. A signal processor is configured to receive and process signals produced by the optical detector and the motion noise sensor, and to remove noise from the signals produced by the optical detector. The signal processor may generate physiological parameters for the subject such as heart rate, blood flow, blood pressure, VO2max, heart rate variability, respiration rate, and blood gas/analyte level.

Abstract: A monitoring device includes a sensor band configured to be secured around an appendage of a subject, and a sensing element movably secured to the sensor band via a biasing element. The sensor band has a first mass, and the sensing element has a second mass that is less than the first mass. The biasing element is configured to urge the sensing element into contact with a portion of the appendage, and the biasing element decouples motion of the band from the sensing element. A monitoring device includes a band that is configured to be secured around an appendage of a subject. One or more biasing elements extend outwardly from the band inner surface and are configured to contact the appendage. A sensing element is secured to the band inner surface. The one or more biasing elements decouples motion of the band from the sensing element.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a subject includes detecting subject head motion information via a microelectromechanical systems sensor associated with an earpiece worn by the subject, processing, via a processor associated with the earpiece, the head motion information to determine subject head displacement relative to an origin and to determine if the subject has fallen down and/or is not moving, and transmitting the processed head motion information to a remote device. The method further includes communicating corrective action to the subject from the remote device and/or communicating corrective action for the subject from the remote device to a third party. The earpiece may include an audio headset, a hearing aid, or an earpiece fitting.

Abstract: A wearable monitoring device configured to be attached to a subject includes at least one physiological sensor configured to identify the subject and to detect and/or measure physiological information from the subject, at least one motion sensor, at least one battery, digital memory storage, at least one processor, and at least one transceiver. The at least one transmitter communicates sensor data from the at least one physiological sensor and the at least one motion sensor with at least one remote device and receives targeted advertisement information from the at least one remote device. The targeted advertisement information is generated by processing the sensor data from the at least one physiological sensor and the at least one motion sensor.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A wearable device for detecting and/or measuring physiological information from a subject includes a housing, at least one optical emitter supported by the housing, at least one optical detector supported by the housing, a first light guide supported by the housing, a second light guide supported by the housing, a motion sensor supported by the housing, and a processor supported by the housing. The processor is configured to calculate footsteps, distinguish footsteps from heart beats, and to remove footstep motion artifacts from signals produced by the at least one optical detector. Also, the processor is configured to process signals produced by the at least one optical detector to determine subject heart rate and to produce integrity data about the subject heart rate. The process is further configured to generate a multiplexed output serial data string comprising the subject heart rate and the integrity data.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An apparatus adapted to be worn at or near at least one ear of a subject includes a battery, a reflective pulse oximeter, a motion sensor, an analog-to-digital convertor configured to convert analog signals from the reflective pulse oximeter and the motion sensor into digitized information, a speaker, a digital memory device configured to store at least one algorithm for signal processing, a transceiver, and a signal processor. The signal processor is configured to process data from the reflective pulse oximeter to monitor cardiopulmonary functioning of the subject, process data from the motion sensor to monitor head and body motion, execute the at least one algorithm for assessing a health state of a subject, poll the reflective pulse oximeter and the motion sensor at certain time intervals to extend life of the battery, and process digital audio information into analog sounds to be presented to the subject via the speaker.

Abstract: 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.