Aspects of the disclosure relate to mobile devices, and more particularly, a system and method for obtaining at least one bodily function measurement of a user operating a mobile device.
It is often desirable for a user to be aware his/her bodily function measurements, which may provide physiological measures of stress, measures of hydration, and other measures of general health. Physiological measures of stress may be used to communicate to a user instructions to alter his/her behavior, e.g., taking a break, taking deep breaths, etc. Measures of hydration may be used by athletes or generally active individuals to ensure that they stay hydrated to maintain physical performance. Additionally, this information may be useful for individuals who work in hot or dry environments and must maintain proper hydration. Further, this information may be useful for elderly individuals whose sense of hydration is decreased and are more prone to becoming dehydrated. Thus, important bodily function measurements may include measurements of a user's blood pressure and/or hydration state.
A user's blood pressure may be measured using a pulse-measuring device. Typical pulse-measuring devices use either photoplethysmography (PPG) or electrocardiography (ECG) to measure a user's pulse. A user's systolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure may be determined using a combination of the PPG and ECG using a technique known as pulse transit time (PTT). The systolic blood pressure, along with other inputs such as pulse rate variability (PRV) and galvanic skin response (GSR) may be useful in determining the user's physiological measures of stress. However, existing mobile device solutions for obtaining PPG measurements and ECG measurements can only obtain measurements for one or the other. That is, existing mobile device solutions can only obtain a PPG measurement or an ECG measurement, but not both.
A user's hydration state may be determined by measuring a total body water amount using a bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). BIA measurements are typically accurate and may fall within 200 ml of the actual value when performed properly. Typically, existing solutions to measure BIA require professional equipment in a clinical setting. Additionally, the few devices that exist to measure BIA outside of a clinical setting are not very mobile, e.g., they may not fit within a user's pocket or be integrated into another device that the user typically always has with them.
Accordingly, a need exists for a mobile solution to obtain both PPG and ECG measurements used for determining a user's blood pressure and to obtain a body water content measurement used for determining a user's hydration state.