Hi LLC

Bruno Do Valle

Ryan Field

Jacob Dahle

Rong Jin

Sebastian Sorgenfrei

Husam Katnani

Isai Olvera

Alejandro Ojeda

Alex Borisevich

An illustrative optical measurement system includes a light source configured to emit a light pulse directed at a target. The optical measurement system further includes a plurality of photodetectors configured to operate in accordance with an input bias voltage. The optical measurement system further includes a control circuit configured to identify a photodetector subset included in the plurality of photodetectors and that detects, while the input bias voltage has a first value, photons of the light pulse after the light pulse is scattered by the target. The control circuit is further configured to determine, based on the identifying of the photodetector subset, an overvoltage associated with the photodetector subset. The control circuit is further configured to update, based on the overvoltage, the input bias voltage for the plurality of photodetectors to have a second value.

Maintaining consistent photodetector sensitivity in an optical measurement system

An illustrative system may include a memory storing instructions and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to: cause a signal to be applied to a component within an optical measurement system; generate, based on a response of the component to the signal, characterization data representative of a timing uncertainty associated with the component; and perform, based on the characterization data, an action associated with the component.

Techniques for determining a timing uncertainty of a component of an optical measurement system

An illustrative multimodal measurement system includes a wearable assembly configured to be worn by a user; and a module configured to be removably inserted into the wearable assembly and comprising: a housing, a printed circuit board (PCB) and a light guide assembly configured to emit light directed at a target within the user. The light guide assembly comprises: a lower light guide portion housed within the housing and having a proximal end attached to the PCB, a conductive spring member housed within the housing and comprising a coil positioned around an external surface of the lower light guide portion, and a conductive upper light guide portion connected to the lower light guide portion and configured to protrude from an upper surface of the housing and be in contact with a surface of a body of the user.

Multimodal wearable measurement systems and methods

An illustrative optical measurement system includes a light source configured to emit light directed at a target, an array of photodetectors configured to detect photons of the light after the light is scattered by the target, and a processing unit configured to measure a noise level of a photodetector included in the array of photodetectors, the noise level comprising a dark count rate that measures a dark count divided by a time period, determine that the noise level meets a predetermined threshold comprising a dark count rate threshold, and prevent, based on the determining that the noise level meets the predetermined threshold, an output of the photodetector from being used in generating a histogram based on a temporal distribution of photons detected by the array of photodetectors, the preventing comprising switching the output to a monitoring circuit that monitors a characteristic of the optical measurement system separate from the photodetector.

Photodetector calibration of an optical measurement system

An illustrative system may include a TDC configured to monitor for an occurrence of a photodetector output pulse during a measurement time window that is within and shorter in duration than a light pulse time period, the photodetector output pulse generated by a photodetector when the photodetector detects a photon from a light pulse having a light pulse time period; a PLL circuit for the TDC and having a PLL feedback period defined by a reference clock, the PLL circuit configured to: output a plurality of fine phase signals and output one or more signals representative of a plurality of feedback divider states during the PLL feedback period; and a precision timing circuit configured to adjust, based on one or more of the fine phase signals and/or the feedback divider states, a temporal position of the measurement time window within the light pulse time period.

Phase lock loop circuit based adjustment of a measurement time window in an optical measurement system

An illustrative biopotential measurement system includes a plurality of electrodes each configured to record a different signal included in a plurality of signals representative of electrical activity of a target within a user; a plurality of non-inverting operational amplifier circuits each connected to a different electrode included in the plurality of electrodes and each configured to output a different amplified signal included in a plurality of amplified signals representative of amplified versions of the plurality of signals; and a common-mode feedback circuit configured to measure a common-mode signal between the plurality of amplified signals and provide the common-mode signal to the non-inverting operational amplifier circuits. The non-inverting operational amplifier circuits are configured to use the common-mode signal to generate voltage-divided feedback signals used to generate the plurality of amplified signals.

Systems, circuits, and methods for reducing common-mode noise in biopotential recordings

An illustrative optical measurement system includes a light source configured to emit light directed at a target. The optical measurement system further includes a photodetector configured to detect a photon of the light after the light is scattered by the target. The optical measurement system further includes a control circuit configured to receive a first input voltage that is a temperature-dependent voltage. The control circuit is further configured to receive a second input voltage that is a temperature-invariant voltage. The control circuit is further configured to output, based on a combination of the first input voltage and the second input voltage, a bias voltage for the photodetector, wherein the combination of the first and second input voltages is configured to cause the bias voltage to vary based on temperature.

An exemplary optical measurement system described herein includes a control circuit configured to output a global bias voltage and a module communicatively coupled to the control circuit. The module includes a light source configured to emit light directed at a target. The module further includes a plurality of detectors configured to detect arrival times for photons of the light after the light is scattered by the target. The module further includes a module control circuit configured to receive the global bias voltage and output a plurality of detector bias voltages based on the global bias voltage. The plurality of detector bias voltages include a respective detector bias voltage for each detector of the plurality of detectors.

Bias voltage generation in an optical measurement system

An illustrative optical measurement system includes a light source configured to emit light directed at a target. The optical measurement system further includes a photodetector configured to detect a photon of the light after the light is scattered by the target. The optical measurement system further includes a control circuit configured to arm the photodetector by applying a bias voltage to a first terminal of the photodetector and applying, for a predetermined amount of time using a current source, a current to a second terminal of the photodetector to produce a predetermined voltage difference across the photodetector.

An illustrative optical measurement system includes a light source configured to emit light directed at a target, an array of photodetectors configured to detect photons of the light after the light is scattered by the target, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to measure a noise level of a photodetector included in the array of photodetectors and determine that the noise level meets a predetermined threshold. The processing unit is further configured to prevent, based on the determining that the noise level meets the predetermined threshold, an output of the photodetector from being used in generating a histogram based on a temporal distribution of photons detected by the array of photodetectors.

An illustrative multimodal measurement system includes a wearable assembly configured to be worn by a user and comprising a plurality of light sources each configured to emit light directed at a target within the user, a plurality of detectors configured to detect arrival times for photons of the light after the light is scattered by the target, and a plurality of electrodes configured to be external to the user and detect electrical activity of the target.

An exemplary optical measurement system includes a signal generator configured to generate a signal and a processing unit configured to direct the signal generator to apply the signal to a component within the optical measurement system, generate, based on a response of the component to the signal, characterization data representative of a timing uncertainty associated with the component, and perform, based on the characterization data, an action associated with the component.

An exemplary optical measurement system includes a light source configured to emit light directed at a target. The optical measurement system further includes a photodetector configured to detect a photon of the light after the light is scattered by the target. The optical measurement system further includes a control circuit configured to receive a first input voltage that is a temperature-dependent voltage. The control circuit is further configured to receive a second input voltage that is a temperature-invariant voltage. The control circuit is further configured to output, based on a combination of the first input voltage and the second input voltage, a bias voltage for the photodetector, wherein the combination of the first and second input voltages is configured to cause the bias voltage to vary based on temperature.

An exemplary photodetector system includes a plurality of photodetectors connected in parallel and a processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of photodetectors. The processor is configured to receive an accumulated output from the plurality of photodetectors. The accumulated output represents an accumulation of respective outputs from each of the plurality of photodetectors detecting photons during a predetermined measurement time period that occurs in response to a light pulse being directed toward a target within a body. The processor is further configured to determine, based on the accumulated output, a temporal distribution of photons detected by the plurality of photodetectors, and generate, based on the temporal distribution of photons, a histogram representing a light pulse response of the target within the body.

Photodetector architectures for time-correlated single photon counting

An illustrative system may include a component configured to be worn on a body of a user, the component comprising a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to: receive, during a predetermined event detection time window that commences in response to an application of a light pulse to a target within the body, a signal triggered by an event in which a photodetector detects a photon of the light pulse after the light pulse reflects from the target; and measure, based on the receiving the signal, a time interval between when the event occurred and an end of the predetermined event detection time window. The system may further include a processor configured to determine, based on the time interval and the predetermined event detection time window, an arrival time of the photon at the photodetector.

Photodetector systems with low-power time-to-digital converter architectures to determine an arrival time of photon at a photodetector based on event detection time window

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Brighton, MA, United States of America

Bruno Do Valle