System for providing biofeedback

• US 10,016,574 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Jaeger, Mark Christoph, Denissen, Adrianus Johannes Maria, Gillies, Murray Fulton
• Primary Examiner(s): MARMOR II, CHARLES ALAN
• Assistant Examiner(s): McBride, Shannon
• Application Number:
  US13/991,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,400 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/374 Detecting the frequency distribution of signals, e.g. detecting delta, theta, alpha, beta or gamma waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6844 Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (102) for providing biofeedback to a person (104). The system (102) comprises a source (106) for generating a source signal (108) and a transducer (110) for generating a measurement signal (112) in response to a physiological parameter (114) indicative for mental relaxation of the person (104). The system (102) furthermore comprises a filter (116) for variably filtering the source signal via modifying a cut-off frequency in response to the measurement signal (112) and an interface (118) for providing a biofeedback signal (119) to the person on the basis of the source signal as variably filtered by the filter (116).

Claims

1. A system for providing biofeedback to a person comprising:

a source configured to generate a source signal,

a transducer configured to generate a measurement signal in response to a physiological parameter indicative of mental relaxation of the person,

a processor for computing a spectral power of the measurement signal,

a filter configured to variably filter the source signal via modifying a lowest cut-off frequency in response to the spectral power, and

an interface configured to provide a biofeedback signal to the person based on the source signal as variably filtered by the filter in response to the spectral power.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the interface is arranged to provide a biofeedback signal comprising an audible component.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the transducer is configured for generating the measurement signal in response to a physiological parameter which monotonically increases with mental relaxation of the person, wherein the filter is arranged for modifying the lowest cut-off frequency in response to the spectral power according to a relation via which said lowest cut-off frequency monotonically decreases with said spectral power.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the filter is arranged for maintaining the cut-off frequency at a minimum frequency if the spectral power is smaller than a lower boundary of spectral power.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the minimum frequency is in a range of 0 Hz to 3 Hz.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein the filter is arranged for maintaining the lowest cut-off frequency at a maximum frequency if the spectral power is larger than an upper boundary of spectral power.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the maximum frequency is in a range of 1500 Hz to 2500 Hz.

8. The system according to claim 3, wherein the system is arranged for generating a cumulative probability distribution on a basis of the spectral power associated with samples of the measurement signal, and wherein the system is arranged for computing a lower boundary of spectral power and an upper boundary of spectral power by equating the cumulative probability distribution to a lower level and an upper level, respectively.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the transducer is configured for generating the measurement signal in response to a physiological parameter which monotonically decreases with mental relaxation of the person, wherein the filter is arranged for modifying the lowest cut-off frequency in response to the spectral power according to a relation via which said lowest cut-off frequency monotonically increases with said spectral power.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transducer is arranged to generate the measurement signal in response to brain activity in a frequency range of 7 to 13 Hz.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a pair of headphones in which the transducer is integrated.

12. A computer program product for use in the system according to claim 1, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code embodied therein which, when executed by a computer or a processor, is configured for causing the computer or processor to embody a filter for variably filtering the biofeedback signal via modifying the lowest cut-off frequency in response to the spectral power.

13. A method for providing biofeedback to a person comprising the steps of:

generating a source signal via a source,

generating a measurement signal via a transducer in response to a physiological parameter indicative of mental relaxation of the person,

computing a spectral power of the measurement signal via a processor,

modifying a lowest cut-off frequency of a frequency filter automatically in response to the spectral power,

filtering the source signal by said frequency filter, and

providing a biofeedback signal to the person via an interface, based on the filtered source signal.