Photoelectric Sensors in Medical Grade Wearable Devices

Millions of people use smartwatches to measure heart rate and detect sleep. Innovative optoelectronic sensors are now improving the performance of smartwatches, giving them the ability to monitor diseases and detect potential health problems at an early stage or even before they develop.

With a new generation of sensors and algorithms, device manufacturers can take health monitoring technology to new heights. Smartwatches can measure pulse and blood pressure and many other important signs, such as heart rate, body temperature, and blood oxygen saturation. The ultimate goal is to enable these wearable devices to quickly identify sudden illnesses, thereby acting as a preventative measure rather than a post-onset cure.

Global Industry Analysts Inc. estimates that sales of mobile medical devices will grow from $18.1 billion in 2021 to $38.9 billion in 2026. Currently, ams-OSRAM supports various companies entering this market and developing new digital health applications. ams-OSRAM offers a wide range of innovative combinatorial solutions in photoemission and optical sensing technologies and has worked itself to create a complete optical system that allows all individual devices to fit perfectly.

Whether it is wearable devices, skin patches, or digital exceptional fundamentally transforming the health sector, as an example, patients can find out earlier whether their sugar intake is too high and whether they should change their diet; heart patients can also more easily monitor the effectiveness of treatment in their daily lives; intelligent algorithms can alert us whether some indicators reach critical values, but also use millions of data to monitor viral outbreaks before an epidemic occurs. With these devices, millions of people are expected to avoid serious diseases. Not only that, but the health care system could save billions of dollars and extend the life span of every person.

Accurate micro-sensors have significant value.

The challenge of developing new sensors for the next generation of wearable devices is no small feat. Whereas pedometers and sleep monitoring devices were once part of the health category, these devices are now tied to health diagnostics and will enter the medical-grade wearables space. This requires these devices to be more accurate, meet the requirements of medical devices, and be officially licensed by the relevant authorities.

The use of electrical signals that can measure ECG or conduct electrical skin conduction and specific wavelengths of light that can measure heart rate variability and blood oxygenation.

Greenlight enters the skin by conduction, where it is scattered and partially absorbed by the blood. A small portion of the emitted light is scattered back to the photodiode and detected via a complex integrated circuit. The blood volume varies with the heart rate, and thus.

By measuring the PPG signals of red and infrared light, it is possible to obtain blood oxygenation value.

Developers believe that can obtain a lot of information from the data. Blood pressure values can be derived from the PPG signal and analyzed skillfully. High blood pressure is prone to strokes and heart attacks, but it can rarely be monitored accurately for long periods now. Typically, patients must strap a blood pressure monitor cuff to their arm, which is uncomfortable for many people and can also lead to inaccurate results due to mood swings during measurement. These problems can be avoided by wearing a smartwatch with an optical sensor that allows the user to take measures around the clock.

The ams-OSRAM believes that LED and optical sensor technology can provide the necessary support for a healthier life. Their team developed more efficient LEDs, more sensitive photodiodes, and high-performance AFEs (analog front ends) to improve signal quality and help users detect PPG, PTT, blood pressure, SpO2, and other physical signs information. These devices consume less power and meet the needs of high-frequency measurements without shortening battery life.

Small size, big possibilities

Light interacts with the skin in different ways, especially with specific molecules. Based on this principle, more exciting and straightforward methods exist to solve the problem. Still, they have only been used in the laboratory and medical practice in the past, and there are technical challenges to overcome if they are to become widespread. The developers of ams-OSRAM are working to achieve such a goal.

The vision of ams-OSRAM is to become the undisputed leader in optical solutions through bold investments in disruptive innovation and continuous transformation to achieve the highest benefits and growth in clinical diagnostics, vital sign monitoring, and temperature monitoring.

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