Network enabled biofeedback administration

• US 20020107454A1
• Filed: 02/05/2001
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Theresia Mrklas, Thomas F. Collura
• Original Assignee: Theresia Mrklas, Thomas F. Collura
• Inventors: Mrklas, Theresia, Collura, Thomas F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,150,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/377 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/905 Feedback to patient of biological signal other than brain electric signal

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling a biofeedback session. The system utilizes distributed processing that includes localized processing capability allowing a user to initiate a self-controlled biofeedback session and additionally includes remote processing capabilities enabling simultaneous remote analysis and monitoring of the session.

Claims

7. A distributed biofeedback system, comprising:

(a) input means for receiving data from a user;

(b) local computing means for receiving the data and processing the data and producing an output;

(c) feedback means for communicating the output to the user;

(d) a first remote processing means for providing additional control and analysis of the biofeedback session from a remote location, the remote processing means having communications means for communicating with the local computing means;

(e) a second remote processing means for providing additional control and analysis of the biofeedback session from a remote location, the remote processing means utilizing the communications means for communicating with the local computing means;

(f) a remote output means for outputting session data at the second remote location;

(g) a remote input means at the second remote location for allowing adjustment of system parameters.

8. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 7 wherein the local computing means further comprises a local database

9. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 7 wherein the first remote processing means further comprises a remote database.

10. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 7 wherein the second remote processing means further comprises a remote database.

11. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 7 wherein the communications means further comprises the Internet.

12. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 7 wherein the output communicated to the user by the feedback means may be adjusted based on input received by the remote input means.

13. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 12 wherein the local computing means further comprises a local database, the first remote processing means further comprises a first remote database, the second remote processing means further comprises a second remote database, and the communications means further comprises the Internet.

15. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 14, wherein the input of the primary remote loop and the input of the secondary local loop are connected by the Internet;

and the output of the primary remote loop and the output of the secondary local loop are connected by the Internet.

16. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 14, further comprising a secondary remote loop having an input connected to the input of the primary remote loop and an output connected to the output of the primary remote loop.

17. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 16, further comprising remote output means for communicating data to a monitor at a remote location;

remote input means for receiving input from the monitor at the remote location

18. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 17 further comprising a local database for storing and retrieving input and output data from the primary local loop and the secondary local loop;

a remote database for storing and retrieving input and output data from the primary remote loop and the secondary remote loop.

19. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 17 wherein the secondary remote loop is spatially separate from the primary remote loop, the input of the secondary remote loop is connected to the input of the primary remote loop by the Internet, the output of the secondary remote loop is connected to the output of the primary remote loop by the Internet.

20. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 19 further comprising a local database for storing and retrieving input and output data from the primary local loop and the secondary local loop;

a remote database for storing and retrieving input and output data from the primary remote loop;

a mediator database for storing and retrieving input and output data from the secondary remote loop.

14. A distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session, comprising:

(a) an input means for receiving data from a user;

(b) an output means for communicating feedback to a user;

(c) a primary local loop having an input connected to the input means and an output connected to the output means;

(d) a secondary local loop having an input connected to the input of the primary local loop and an output connected to the output of the primary local loop;

(e) a primary remote loop having an input connected to the input of the secondary local loop and an output connected to the, the secondary local loop output.

21. A distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session, comprising:

(a) an input means for receiving data from a user;

(b) an output means for communicating feedback to the user;

(c) an input node connected to the input means for receiving data from the input means;

(d) a first-level data node connected to the input node, receiving and processing data received from the input node;

(e) a remote input node connected to the first-level data node, receiving data from the first remote input node and further processing the data and preparation of the data for remote outputting;

(f) a remote feedback node having remote feedback inputs connected to the remote input means, producing a remote feedback output responsive to the remote feedback inputs;

(g) a first-level feedback node having first-level feedback inputs connected to the first-level input and the remote feedback output, producing a first-level feedback output responsive to the first-level feedback inputs;

a primary feedback node having primary feedback inputs connected to the primary input node and the first-level feedback output, producing a primary feedback output for controlling the output means.

1. A distributed biofeedback system, comprising:

(a) input means for receiving data from a user;

(b) local computing means for receiving the data and processing the data and producing an output;

(c) feedback means for communicating the output to the user;

(d) remote processing means for providing additional control and analysis of the biofeedback session from a remote location, the remote processing means having communications means for communicating with the local computing means;

(e) a remote output means for outputting session information at the remote location;

(f) a remote input means for allowing adjustment of system parameters.

2. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 1 wherein the local computing means further comprises a local database

3. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 1 wherein the remote processing means further comprises a remote database.

4. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 1 wherein the communications means further comprises the Internet.

5. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 1 wherein the output communicated to the user by the feedback means may be adjusted based on input received by the remote input means.

6. The distributed biofeedback system of claim 5 wherein the local computing means further comprises a local database, the remote processing means further comprises a remote database, and the communications means further comprises the Internet.

22. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 21, further comprising a local database for storing and retrieving data from the local node, first-level input node, first-level feedback node, and primary feedback node.

23. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 22, further comprising a remote database for storing and retrieving data from the remote input node and remote feedback node.

24. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 23, further comprising remote output means connected to the remote feedback node for communicating data to a monitor at a remote location;

and remote input means for receiving input from the monitor at the remote location.

25. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 21, further comprising:

(a) a second remote input node connected to the remote input node receiving data from the remote input node and further processing the data and preparation of the data for remote outputting;

(b) remote output means connected to the second remote feedback node for communicating data to a monitor at a remote location;

(c) remote input means for receiving input from the monitor at the remote location

(d) a second remote feedback node having secondary remote feedback inputs connected to the remote input means and second remote input node, producing a second remote feedback output responsive to the secondary remote feedback inputs, the second remote feedback output being connected to one of the inputs of the remote feedback node.

26. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 25, wherein the remote node is connected to the first-level input node by the Internet and the remote feedback output is connected to the first-level feedback node by the Internet.

27. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 26, wherein the second remote node is connected to the remote node by the Internet and the output of the second remote feedback node is connected to the input of the remote feedback node by the Internet.

28. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 27, further comprising

(a) a local database for storage and retrieval of data input into the data node and the first-level data node, and data output from the primary feedback node and the first-level feedback node;

(b) a first remote database for storage and retrieval of data input into the remote data node, and data output from the remote feedback node;

(c) a second remote database for storage and retrieval of data input into the second remote input node, and data output from the second remote node.

29. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 28, further comprising computer readable instructions on a computer readable medium having instructions for selecting and outputting data from the local database to the remote output means;

and computer readable instructions for selecting and outputting data from the first remote database to the remote output means; and

computer readable instructions for selecting and outputting data from the second remote database to the output means.

30. The distributed biofeedback system for managing a biofeedback session as in claim 29, further comprising computer readable instructions for controlling the output of the primary feedback node from the remote input means;

computer readable instructions for controlling the output of the remote feedback node from the remote input means, and;

computer readable instructions for controlling the output of the second remote feedback node from the remote input means.

31. A method for monitoring and controlling a biofeedback session utilizing a distributed biofeedback system, comprising:

(a) receiving data from a user;

(b) processing the data at a local computer, producing a local feedback output;

(c) sending the data to a remote computer at a remote location;

(d) analyzing the data at the remote location;

(e) adjusting the local feedback output from the remote location;

(f) communicating the feedback output to the user.

32. A method for monitoring and controlling a biofeedback session as in claim 31 wherein the adjusting of local feedback output from the remote location is performed by the remote computer.

33. A method for monitoring and controlling a biofeedback session as in claim 31 wherein the analyzing of data at the remote location is performed by a remote provider.

34. A method for monitoring and controlling a biofeedback session as in claim 33 wherein the adjusting of local feedback output from the remote location is performed by the remote provider.

35. The method for monitoring and controlling a biofeedback session as in claim 31, wherein the analyzing of data at the remote location is performed simultaneously by a remote computer and a remote provider.

36. The method for monitoring and controlling a biofeedback session as in claim 35, wherein the adjusting of local feedback output from the remote location is performed simultaneously by the remote computer and the remote provider.

31-1. A method for monitoring and controlling a biofeedback session as in claim 30 wherein the analyzing of data at the remote location is performed by a remote computer.