Bio-stimulating and bio-signal measuring circuit

• US 10,390,756 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Youm, WooSub, Lee, Sung Q, Hwang, Gunn
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlen, Tammie K
• Application Number:
  US15/424,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• 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 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/20 continuous direct currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36031 using physiological parameters for adjustment

Abstract

The circuit may include bio-stimulating signal generating circuit which generates a bio-stimulating signal in a bio-stimulating mode, a bio-signal electrode which delivers the bio-stimulating signal generated in the bio-stimulating mode and receives a bio-signal in a bio-signal measuring mode, a switch block which is turned on when a voltage of the bio-stimulating signal is greater than a first reference voltage which is greater than a second reference voltage or lower than the second reference voltage, first and second resistors, and a bio-signal measuring circuit which measures voltage signals divided by the first and second resistors or measures a signal of the bio-signal electrode according to whether the switch block is turned on. The first and second resistors may be serially connected between the bio-signal electrode and the switch block, and divide a voltage of a signal of the bio-signal electrode when the switch block is turned on.

Claims

1. A circuit for measuring a bio-stimulating signal and a bio-signal, the circuit comprising:

a bio-stimulating signal generating circuit configured to generate the bio-stimulating signal and deliver the bio-stimulating signal to a first node when the circuit is in a bio-stimulating mode;

a bio-signal electrode coupled to the first node to;

receive the bio-stimulating signal from the first node when the circuit is in the bio-stimulating mode, and

provide the bio-signal to the first node when the circuit is in a bio-signal measuring mode;

a first resistor coupled between the first node and a second node;

a second resistor coupled between the second node and a switch block;

the switch block coupled between a ground and the second resistor and configured to turn on when a voltage of the bio-stimulating signal is greater than a first reference voltage or lower than a second reference voltage and to turn off when the voltage of the bio-stimulating signal is less than the first reference voltage and greater than the second reference voltage,

wherein the first and second resistors operate to divide a voltage of the first node to produce a voltage of the second node when the switch block is turned on; and

a bio-signal measuring circuit configured to measure the voltage of the second node,

wherein the first reference voltage is greater than the second reference voltage.

2. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit configured to receive feedback on a result of measurement from the bio-signal measuring circuit to adjust an intensity of the bio-stimulating signal.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch block comprises:

a first switch circuit configured to turn on when the bio-stimulating signal is greater than the first reference voltage; and

a second switch circuit connected in parallel to the first switch circuit, and configured to turn on when the bio-stimulating signal is lower than the second reference voltage.

4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the first switch circuit comprises an NMOS transistor and the second switch circuit comprises a PMOS transistor, wherein a threshold voltage of the NMOS transistor is the first reference voltage, and a threshold voltage of the PMOS transistor is the second reference voltage.

5. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a first comparator configured to determine whether the bio-stimulating signal is greater than the first reference voltage and generate a first turn-on voltage when the bio-stimulating signal is greater than the first reference voltage; and

a second comparator configured to determine whether the bio-stimulating signal is lower than the second reference voltage and generate a second turn-on voltage when the bio-stimulating signal is lower than the second reference voltage,

wherein the switch block comprises;

a first switch circuit configured to be turned on by the first turn-on voltage; and

a second switch circuit connected in parallel to the first switch circuit, and configured to be turned on by the second turn-on voltage.

6. The circuit of claim 5, further comprising a control circuit configured to receive feedback on a result of measurement from the bio-signal measuring circuit to adjust an intensity of the bio-stimulating signal.

7. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the bio-stimulating signal comprises a transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), a transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), or a transcranial Random-Noise Stimulation (tRNS).

8. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the bio-signal comprises an electroencephalogram (EEG), an electrocardiogram (ECG), an electromyogram (EMG), or an electrooculography (EOG).