Efficient Estimation of the Human Circadian Phase via Kalman Filtering

Circadian rhythms play a vital role in maintaining a person's well-being but remain difficult to quantify accurately. Numerous approaches exist to measure these rhythms, but they often suffer from performance issues on the individual level. This work implements a Steady-State Kalman Filter as a method for estimating the circadian phase shifts from biometric signals. Our framework can automatically fit the filter's parameters to biometric data obtained for each individual, and we were able to consistently estimate the phase shift within 1 hour of melatonin estimates on 100% of all subjects in this study. The estimation method opens up the possibility of real-time control and assessment of the circadian system, as well as chronotherapeutic intervention.Clinical relevance- This establishes a near real-time alternative to melatonin measurements for the estimation of circadian phase shifts, with potential applications in feedback circadian control and chronotherapeutics.