Systems and methods for detecting and analyzing biosignals

• US 10,335,083 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Courtland Keith Keteyian, Jinyong Kim
• Original Assignee: Courtland Keith Keteyian, Jinyong Kim
• Inventors: Keteyian, Courtland Keith, Kim, Jinyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavert, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US15/216,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20170020454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0215 Silver or silver chloride containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0217 Electrolyte containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/245 specially adapted for magnetoencephalographic [MEG] signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 : Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/443 : Evaluating skin constituents, e.g. elastin, melanin, water
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4803 : Speech analysis specially adapted for diagnostic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 : Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 : Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 : Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 : Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

A system for monitoring biosignals of a user includes a first end region, positionable proximate a first ear of a user and including a first sensor array; a second end region, positionable proximate a second ear of the user and including a second sensor array; an intermediate region, positionable on a neck region of the user; a coupling element configured to couple the first and second end regions to the intermediate region; and a first attachment element and a second attachment element. The first attachment element couples the first end region to a head-mounted accessory and the second attachment element couples the second end region to the head-mounted accessory. The first end region includes a first electrode and the second end region includes a second electrode, such that there is a fixed distance between the first and second electrodes.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring biosignals of a user, the system comprising:

a first end region, positionable on one of an area posterior and an area superior to a first ear of a user, comprising a first sensor array;

a second end region, positionable on one of an area posterior and an area superior to a second ear of the user, comprising a second sensor array;

an intermediate region, positionable on a back of a neck region of the user, wherein the intermediate region comprises an analog to digital converter for receiving and digitizing biosignals acquired by the first and second sensor arrays, a processor configured to perform an analysis and translation of the digitized biosignals into physiological measurement data, a transmission module configured to perform signal transmission, and a power module configured to supply power to the system;

a coupling element configured to couple the first and second end regions to the intermediate region; and

a first attachment element and a second attachment element, wherein the first attachment element couples the first end region to a head-mounted accessory and the second attachment element couples the second end region to the head-mounted accessory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each attachment element comprises a sleeve defining an aperture configured to slidably receive a temple or temple end of the head-mounted accessory.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a diameter of the aperture defined by the sleeve is adjustable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the coupling element electrically and physically couples the first and second end regions to the intermediate region.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor array and the second sensor array are configured to cooperatively detect an impedance of an applied current along a distance separating the first sensor array and the second sensor array, thereby providing a measurement of ionic fluid content within the user.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising the head-mounted accessory, wherein the head-mounted accessory is one of:

eyeglasses, sunglasses, goggles, and bifocals.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second sensor arrays are integrated into the head-mounted accessory.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium having non-transitory, processor-executable instructions stored thereon.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is integrated into one of the first end region, the second end region, and the intermediate region.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein execution of the instructions of the computer-readable medium causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

acquiring a first biosignal from a first body region of the user using the first sensor array,

acquiring a second biosignal from a second body region of the user using the second sensor array,

extracting a first feature from the first biosignal and a second feature from the second biosignal, and

analyzing the first and second features to determine a health condition of the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises:

monitoring the health condition over time using one or more of the first and second sensor arrays; and

identifying a change in the health condition over time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second biosignals include one or more of:

bioimpedance signals, temperature signals, pulse oximetry signals, blood flow, blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, electrocardiography, electromyography, electroencephalography signals, galvanic skin response, magnetoencephalography impedance signals, acoustic signals, respiration signals, positional signals, and caloric intake signals.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second features include one or more of:

a blood volume, a blood pressure, a skin water content, cardiac output, an average temperature, an instantaneous temperature, an oxygen saturation level, a heart rate, a heart rate variability, a heart electrical activity, a brain electrical activity, a muscle electrical activity, a stress level, a neuronal activity level, a depth of breadth, a respiration rate, thoracic variations, inspiratory flow characteristics, expiratory flow characteristics, vocal sounds, a location of the user, and a calorie intake amount.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the method performed by the processor further includes:

transmitting, using an antenna, one or more of the first and second features to a healthcare provider.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first body region is contralateral the first sensor array and the second body region is contralateral the second sensor array.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first body region is ipsilateral the first sensor array and the second body region is ipsilateral the second sensor array.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first body region is the same as the second body region.

5. A system for monitoring biosignals of a user accurately, reliably, and reproducibly, the system comprising:

a first end region, positionable on one of an area posterior and an area superior to a first ear of a user, comprising a first sensor array;

a second end region, positionable on one of an area posterior and an area superior to a second ear of the user, comprising a second sensor array, wherein there is a fixed linear distance between the first sensor array and the second sensor array;

an intermediate region, positionable on a back of a neck region of the user;

a coupling element configured to couple the first and second end regions to the intermediate region;

a first attachment element and a second attachment element, wherein the first attachment element couples the first end region to a head-mounted accessory and the second attachment element couples the second end region to the head-mounted accessory; and

a processor and a computer-readable medium having non-transitory, processor-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to perform a method comprising;

generating a current through the fixed linear distance of a body of the user,

sensing an impedance of the current through the fixed linear distance,

storing the impedance measurement in the computer-readable medium,

repeating over time the steps of generating, sensing, and storing, and

generating a consistent, comparative metric between sequential impedance measurements stored within the computer-readable medium.

20. The system of claim 5, wherein the fixed linear distance is a distance between two ears of the user that measures less than one foot.

19. A system for monitoring biosignals of a user, the system comprising:

a first end region, positionable on one of an area posterior and an area superior to a first ear of a user, comprising a first sensor array;

a second end region, positionable on one of an area posterior and an area superior to a second ear of the user, comprising a second sensor array;

an intermediate region, positionable on a back of a neck region of the user, wherein the intermediate region comprises a processor configured to perform an analysis of the biosignals, a power module configured to supply power to the system, and a third sensor array;

a coupling element configured to couple the first and second end regions to the intermediate region; and

a first attachment element and a second attachment element, wherein the first attachment element couples the first end region to a head-mounted accessory and the second attachment element couples the second end region to the head-mounted accessory.