APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR PERFORMING A SAFE STIMULATION OF A PERSON

• US 20130218233A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ebs Technologies Gmbh
• Original Assignee: Ebs Technologies Gmbh
• Inventors: Warschewske, Udo, Fiegenbaum, Lars
• Application Number:
  US13/807,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218233A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for stimulating a person, wherein said apparatus comprises: at least one stimulation signal generator which generates a stimulation signal which is applied to said person; at least one detector for detecting a physiological signal derived from said person in response to said stimulation signal; and a monitoring unit which controls a safety switch to terminate automatically the application of said stimulation signal to said person, if a critical state of said person is recognized in response to the detected physiological signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for stimulating a person,

wherein said apparatus comprises:

a) at least one stimulation signal generator which generates a stimulation signal which is applied to said person;

b) at least one detector for detecting at least one physiological signal derived from said person in response to said stimulation signal;

wherein said detector comprises a biofeedback signal detector adapted to detect a physiological signal comprising a blood pressure, a skin resistance or an electrocardiac signal of said person;

c) a monitoring unit which controls a safety switch to terminate automatically the application of said stimulation signal to said person, if a critical state of said person is recognized in response to the detected physiological signal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said stimulation signal generator generates an electrical stimulation signal which is applied via said safety switch to one or several electrodes attachable to a skin of said person.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said stimulation signal generator generates a visual stimulation signal which is applied to said person by means of a video monitor or an electro-visual eye stimulator.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said monitoring unit processes the detected physiological signal of said person in real time and actuates said safety switch in real time if a critical state of said person is recognized.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said monitoring unit evaluates the detected physiological signals of said person in the time and/or frequency domain.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein said monitoring unit measures a power density of the detected physiological signal for a sliding time window within a selectable frequency band.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the safety switch is actuated by said monitoring unit if the measured power density exceeds an adjustable threshold value.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said monitoring unit performs a pattern based and/or statistical evaluation of the detected physiological signal of said person.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said biofeedback signal detector further comprises an EEG signal detector.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said monitoring unit recognizes a critical state of said person if at least one configurable criterium is fulfilled.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein said monitoring unit processes the detected physiological signal within at least one selectable frequency band.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein said frequency band is a Beta frequency band having a frequency in the range of 20-40 HZ.

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

15. A method for performing a safe stimulation of a person,

wherein a stimulation signal applied to said person is terminated automatically if a critical state of said person is recognized in response to a detected physiological signal of said person, wherein the detected physiological signal comprises a blood pressure, a skin resistance or an electro-cardiac signal of said person.