Method and apparatus for the collection of physiological electrical potentials

• US 20050090727A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivosonic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vivosonic, Inc.
• Inventors: Kurtz, Isaac Z., Sokolov, Yuri
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/31 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• 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 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure

Abstract

An invention is disclosed that provides an apparatus, method and system for the collection of physiological electrical potential signals. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises integrating amplifier and an electrode into a combined unit for attaching or affixing to a subject (e.g., an animal or a human). Resulting from the extremely small or short connection between the conductive portion of the electrode and the amplifier, significantly less noise is introduced into the signal detected by the amplifier. The amplifier thus amplifies a signal with a much higher signal-to-noise ratio as compared with conventional electrode to lead wire to amplifier arrangements.

Claims

1. An electrode module for affixing to a subject to assist in measuring electrical potentials in said subject, said electrode module comprising an amplifier component mounted directly to an electrode.

2. The electrode module of claim 1 wherein said electrode comprises a reference electrode.

3. The electrode module of claim 1 wherein said amplifier component comprises an amplifier adapted to amplify an electrical signal received from one or more signal electrodes.

4. The electrode module of claim 2 wherein said amplifier component is further adapted to transmit an amplified signal to a signal-processing device.

5. The electrode module of claim 2 wherein said amplifier component is further adapted to transmit said an amplified signal to a signal-processing device via a wireless connection.

6. The electrode module of claim 5 wherein said amplifier component further comprises a wireless signal transmitter, said wireless signal transmitter adapted to wirelessly transmit said amplified electrical signal to a signal-processing device.

7. The electrode module of claim 6 wherein said wireless signal transmitter comprises a radio frequency modulator.

8. The electrode module of claim 6 wherein said wireless signal transmitter further comprises filter circuitry for filtering electrical signals received from said one or more signal electrodes.

9. The electrode module of claim 8 wherein said filter circuitry filters said amplified electrical signal.

10. The electrode module of claim 6 wherein said wireless signal transmitter is adapted to transmit a digital representation of said amplified electrical signal to a signal-processing device.

11. The electrode module of claim 9 wherein said wireless signal transmitter transmits said digital representation using a wireless transmission protocol.

12. The electrode module of claim 2 wherein said amplifier comprises a differential signal amplifier adapted to amplify electrical signals received from said one or more signal electrodes.

13. The electrode module of claim 2 wherein said amplifier comprises bipolar transistor inputs.

14. The electrode module of claim 2 wherein said one or more signal electrodes comprises a first signal electrode and a second signal electrode and wherein said amplifier, when one of said first or said second signal electrode is poorly connected to, or detached from, a subject, is further adapted to transmit a signal indicating which of said first or said second signal electrode is poorly connected to, or detached from, said subject.

15. The electrode module of claim 14 wherein said amplifier comprises a bipolar transistor amplifier, said bipolar transistor amplifier introducing a bias current into the signals received from said first and second signal electrodes.

16. The electrode module of claim 15 wherein said bipolar transistor amplifier generates an output proportional to the difference between the impedance presented to said bipolar transistor amplifier by said first and second signal electrodes;

and wherein said signal indicating which of said first or said second signal electrode is poorly connected to, or detached from, said subject comprises a signal based upon said output proportional to the difference in impedance presented to said bipolar transistor amplifier.

17. The electrode module of claim 16 wherein said signal indicating which of said first or said second signal electrode is poorly connected to, or detached from, said subject comprises at least one of a visual signal, an audible signal and a tactile signal, said signal for presentation to an operator by a signal processing device.

18. The electrode module of claim 14 wherein said signal indicating which of said first or said second signal electrode is poorly connected to, or detached from, said subject comprises a sensory signal for presentation to an operator.

19. A method of amplifying electrical potentials in a subject, said method comprising amplifying a differential electrical potential signal received from first and second signal electrodes, said amplifying is performed near or on one of:

said signal electrodes and a reference electrode.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said amplifying is performed by a reference electrode module and said reference electrode module comprises an amplifier mounted and electrically connected to a reference electrode, said reference electrode defining a zero output voltage for said amplifier.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said reference electrode module is affixed to a subject and wherein said first and second signal electrodes are electrically connected to inputs of said amplifier.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising transmitting said amplified differential electrical potential signal to a signal-processing device.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting said amplified differential electrical potential signal to said signal-processing device via a wireless connection.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said transmitting comprises generating a modulated radio frequency signal representative of said amplified differential electrical potential signal.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprises prior to said transmitting generating a digital representation of said amplified differential electrical potential signal.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising, in the event that one of said first and second signal electrodes is poorly affixed to, or detached from, a subject, presenting to an operator a sensory signal indicating which one of said first and second signal electrodes is poorly affixed to, or detached from, said subject.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said sensory signal comprises at least one of:

a visual signal;

an audible signal; and

a tactile signal.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said presenting to an operator at least one of a visual and audible signal comprises generating said at least one of a visual and audible signal responsive to the difference in impedance presented by said first and second signal electrodes to said amplifier.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said generating comprises introducing a bias current into said inputs received from said first and second signal electrodes.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said amplifier comprises a bipolar transistor amplifier.

31. A system for measuring electrical potentials in a subject, said system comprising a pair of electrodes electrically coupled to an amplifier mounted to a reference electrode, said reference electrode comprising a conductive pad electrically connected to said amplifier, said amplifier for amplifying a differential electrical signal detected by said pair of electrodes.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said amplifier comprises a bipolar transistor amplifier.

33. The system of claim 32, in the event that one of said pair of electrodes is poorly affixed to, or detached from a subject, said amplifier adapted to generate a signal indicating which one of said pair of electrodes is poorly affixed to, or detached from, said subject.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said signal indicating which one of said pair of electrodes is poorly affixed to, or detached from, said subject comprises a sensory signal for presentation to an operator, said sensory signal comprising at least one of:

a visual signal;

an audible signal; and

a tactile signal.

35. The system of claim 31 further comprising a connector electrically connecting an output of said amplifier to a signal-processing device.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said connector comprises a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the output of said amplifier to a signal-processing device.

37. The system of claim 31 wherein said wireless transmitter further comprises an analog-to-digital processor for generating a digital representation of the output of said amplifier and wherein said wireless transmitter transmits said digital representation to a signal-processing device.

38. The system of claim 31 further comprises filtering circuitry, said filtering circuitry adapted to filter out noise from said differential electrical signal detected by said electrodes.

39. The system of claim 38 further comprises filtering circuitry, said filtering circuitry adapted to filter out noise from said amplified differential electrical.