EAR-WORN BIOFEEDBACK DEVICE

• US 20100280338A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chang-An Chou
• Original Assignee: Chang-An Chou
• Inventors: Chou, Chang-An
• Application Number:
  US12/810,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280338A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound

Abstract

An ear-worn biofeedback device is provided including an ear-worn structure for mounting on at least an ear of the user, at least a housing attached to the ear-worn structure, at least a sensor/electrode, for acquiring biosignals, and a circuit system accommodated in the housing. The circuit system includes an analog/digital converter for receiving and digitizing biosignals acquired by the sensor/electrode, a processor, a battery, for providing power, and a sound module, disposed around the ear, wherein during the biofeedback process, the digitized biosignals are analyzed, and when a preset condition is matched, the processor notifies the user by driving the sound module to generate audio signals for being received by the ear.

Claims

1. An ear-worn biofeedback device, comprising:

an ear-worn structure, for mounting on at least an ear of the user;

at least a housing, attached to the ear-worn structure;

at least a sensor/electrode, for acquiring biosignals; and

a circuit system, accommodated in the housing, comprising;

an analog/digital converter, for receiving and digitizing biosignals acquired by the sensor/electrode;

a processor;

a battery, for providing power; and

a sound module, disposed around the ear,

wherein

during the biofeedback process, the digitized biosignals are analyzed, and when a preset condition is matched, the processor notifies the user by driving the sound module to generate audio signals for being received by the ear.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio signals are generated continuously or intermittently.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio signals are used to guide the user to change from a current physiological condition to another physiological condition, to drive the user to enter a physiological condition, or to notify the user a physiological condition is achieved.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analysis of the biosignals is performed by the processor.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wireless module for performing wirelessly transmission.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wireless module wirelessly receives biosignals from a biosignal acquisition device for being analyzed by the processor.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the analysis of the received biosignals is implemented together with the biosignals acquired by the sensor/electrode.

8. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the biofeedback device is wirelessly communicated with an external device through the wireless module.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the external device wirelessly receives the biosignals for further analysis, and after analysis, the analysis result is transmitted back to the biofeedback device.

10. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the external device wirelessly receives the biosignals for displaying and/or storage.

11. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the external device is a handheld device or a wrist-worn device.

12. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the external device is a mobile phone, a PDA or a display device.

13. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the external device is a second biofeedback device used by another user.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the biofeedback device and the second biofeedback device have a real-time interaction therebetween.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the real-time interaction is used for achieving a game.

16. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the biofeedback device and the second biofeedback device achieve a wireless communication therebetween by having a compatible pair of wireless modules, by commonly connecting to a computer device, or by further connecting to a network.

17. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the external device is capable of connecting the biofeedback device to a network.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the network is Internet.

19. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the biofeedback device is connected to a remote device through the network.

20. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the remote device is a server.

21. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the remote device is operated by medical personnel.

22. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein based on the wireless module, the biofeedback device is configured and/or the biofeedback device executes the data upload/download.

23. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor/electrode is at least one selected from a group consisting of:

physiological electrode, temperature sensing element, and optical sensing element.

24. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ear-worn structure is a single ear-worn structure, or a dual ear-worn structure.

25. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit system further includes a memory for storing the biosignals and/or the analysis result.

26. The device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the memory is removable memory.