Patent Issued for Systems and methods for determining biometric parameters using non-invasive techniques (USPTO 11062807)

2021 AUG 03 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Merritt, Sears (Groton, MA, US), Ross, Gareth (Amherst, MA, US), filed on December 16, 2016, was published online on July 13, 2021.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 11062807, is Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (Springfield, Massachusetts, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Many institutions require consumers to undergo medical examinations, which typically involve significant information gathering through a combination of acquiring data from consumers, questions answered during a paramedical exam, several physical measurements and collecting body fluids, and a medical examination by a physician. Traditionally, consumers have been presented an initial questionnaire or phone interviews, which typically ask questions related to lifestyle, health, personal medical history, family medical history, and the like. Usually as a next step in these traditional methods, a medical professional visits the consumer’s home to acquire information by collecting vital statistics, urine sample, blood sample, and/or other invasive procedures to measure one or more bio-analytic parameter of the consumer. However, collecting this data is often a problem for the consumers for a variety of physical and/or psychological reasons, and is often a major barrier to institutions attempting to enroll new customers. More particularly, the consumers often do not want to have blood drawn at home for fear of needles, do not want to undergo medical screening, do not have the time, and many other reasons.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “For the aforementioned reasons, there needs to be a system and method for efficient and effortless collection and calculation of consumer biometric data. According to an embodiment, an analytical engine operates in a system that includes a user interface, external sources, an internal database, client computing devices, a communication network, and wearable devices. It should be understood that the system can include less components, more components, or different components depending on desired analysis goals.

“In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving, by a server, a request for an assessment associated with a user. The method comprises receiving, by the server, a time threshold, wherein the time threshold corresponds to a minimum time associated with collection of health-related data. The method comprises receiving, by the server, from an electronic device a first biometric parameter, wherein the electronic device is in communication with a wearable device associated with the user, wherein the wearable device is configured to collect data associated with at least the first biometric parameter. The method comprises determining, by the server, whether a time period associated with the first biometric parameter satisfies the time threshold. The method comprises, upon the time period associated with the first biometric parameter satisfying the time threshold, calculating, by the sever, a second biometric parameter based at least on one of the first biometric parameter and one or more health attributes associated with the user, wherein the one or more health attributes associated with the user are provided by the user and received by the server. The method comprises determining, by the server, a health score associated with the user, wherein the health score is calculated based on at least one of the first and the second biometric parameters. The method further comprises transmitting, by the server, at least one of the health score and the second biometric parameter to the electronic device to populate one or more input field within a user interface associated with the electronic device.

“In another embodiment a computers system comprises an electronic device in communication with a wearable device associated with a user and a server. The computer system comprises a wearable device configured to collect data associated with the at least a first biometric parameter. The computer system further comprises a server, which is configured to receive a request for an assessment associated with the user. The server is configured to receive a time threshold, wherein the time threshold corresponds to a minimum time associated with collection of health-related data. The server is configured to receive from the electronic device the first biometric parameter. The server is configured to determine whether a time period associated with the first biometric parameter satisfies the time threshold. The server is configured to, upon the time period associated with the first biometric parameter satisfying the time threshold, calculate a second biometric parameter based at least on one of the first biometric parameter and one or more health attributes associated with the user, wherein the one or more health attributes associated with the user are provided by the user and received by the server. The server is configured to determine a health score associated with the user, wherein the health score is calculated based on at least one of the first and the second biometric parameters. The server is further configured to transmit at least one of the health score and the second biometric parameter to the electronic device to populate one or more input field within a user interface associated with the electronic device.

“Numerous other aspects, features and benefits of the present disclosure may be made apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawing figures.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A method comprising: receiving, by a server, a request for an assessment associated with a user; receiving, by the server, a time threshold, wherein the time threshold corresponds to a minimum time associated with collection of data associated with the user; receiving, by the server, from an application executing on from an electronic device of the user a first biometric parameter measuring an aspect of the user’s physical activity level, wherein the electronic device establishes an electronic communication with a wearable device associated with the user and receives the first biometric parameter from the wearable device, wherein the wearable device is configured to collect data associated with at least the first biometric parameter; determining, by the server, whether a time period associated with the first biometric parameter satisfies the time threshold; training, by the server, a machine learning computer model using data pertaining to other users having similar characteristics as the user; upon the time period associated with the first biometric parameter satisfying the time threshold, executing, by the sever, the machine learning computer model to calculate a second biometric parameter based at least on one of the first biometric parameter and one or more health attributes associated with the user, wherein the one or more health attributes associated with the user are provided by the user, wherein the second biometric parameter is the user’s cholesterol level or is derived from the user’s cholesterol level; and determining, by the server, a health score associated with the user, wherein the health score is calculated based on at least one of the first and the second biometric parameters.

“2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the server, at least one of the health score and the second biometric parameter to a web application associated with the user to populate one or more input field within the web application.

“3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first biometric parameter is associated with the user’s sleep.

“4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second biometric parameter is calculated by applying a k-nearest neighbor predictive method.

“5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wearable device associated with the user is a passive sensor.

“6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication between the electronic device and the wearable device associated with the user occurs periodically.

“7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the server, one or more health-related products based at least one of the health score, first biometric parameter, and the second biometric parameter.

“8. A computer system comprising: an electronic device in communication with a wearable device associated with a user and a server; a wearable device configured to collect data associated with the at least a first biometric parameter; and a server configured to: receive a request for an assessment associated with the user; receive a time threshold, wherein the time threshold corresponds to a minimum time associated with collection of health-related data; receive from an application executing on the electronic device the first biometric parameter, wherein the first biometric parameter measures an aspect of the user’s physical activity level, and wherein the electronic device establishes an electronic communication with the wearable device and receives the first biometric parameter from the wearable device; determine whether a time period associated with the first biometric parameter satisfies the time threshold; train a machine learning computer model using data pertaining to other users having similar characteristics as the user; upon the time period associated with the first biometric parameter satisfying the time threshold, execute the machine learning computer model to calculate a second biometric parameter based at least on one of the first biometric parameter and one or more health attributes associated with the user, wherein the one or more health attributes associated with the user are provided by the user and received by the server, wherein the second biometric parameter is the user’s cholesterol level or is derived from the user’s cholesterol level; and determine a health score associated with the user, wherein the health score is calculated based on at least one of the first and the second biometric parameters.

“9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the server is further configured to: transmit at least one of the health score and the second biometric parameter to a web application associated with the user to populate one or more input field within the web application.

“10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the first biometric parameter is associated with the user’s sleep.

“11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the second biometric parameter is calculated by applying a k-nearest neighbor predictive method.

“12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the wearable device associated with the user is a passive sensor.

“13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the communication between the electronic device and the wearable device associated with the user occurs periodically.

“14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the one or more health attributes correspond to the user’s family health history.”

For more information, see this patent: Merritt, Sears. Systems and methods for determining biometric parameters using non-invasive techniques. U.S. Patent Number 11062807, filed December 16, 2016, and published online on July 13, 2021. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=11062807.PN.&OS=PN/11062807RS=PN/11062807

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