Mobile Wearable Electromagnetic Brain Activity Monitor

• US 20150313496A1
• Filed: 01/18/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Inventors: Connor, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,814,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• 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 5/4205 Evaluating swallowing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection

Abstract

This invention is a mobile wearable electromagnetic brain activity monitor comprising a frame worn on a person'"'"'s head, electromagnetic energy sensors which collect data concerning the person'"'"'s electromagnetic brain activity, and a control unit. The electromagnetic energy sensors can be electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes. In an example, the frame can be circular. In an example, the frame can loop around the person'"'"'s head from one ear to the other ear. In an example, the frame can be an eyewear frame which also includes light-transmitting optical members.

Claims

1. A mobile wearable electromagnetic brain activity monitor comprising:

a wearable frame which is configured to be worn on a person'"'"'s head, wherein this wearable frame is configured to completely encircle a portion of the person'"'"'s head, wherein this wearable frame has a central circular axis which is configured at an anterior acute angle in the range of 0 to 45 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane when the person'"'"'s head is upright;

a plurality of electromagnetic energy sensors which are configured to be held in electromagnetic communication with the person'"'"'s brain by the wearable frame, wherein these sensors collect data concerning the person'"'"'s electromagnetic brain activity; and

a control unit with one or more components selected from the group consisting of power source and/or power-transducing component, data transmission and data reception component, data memory component, and data processor.

2. The monitor in claim 1 wherein the shape of the wearable frame has sinusoidal variation around its central circular axis.

3. The monitor in claim 1 wherein the shape of the wearable frame is configured to have an arcuate wave above an ear.

4. The monitor in claim 1 wherein the wearable frame is configured to be supported by the person'"'"'s ears.

5. The monitor in claim 1 wherein the monitor further comprises at least one optical lens or other light-transmitting member.

6. The monitor in claim 1 wherein data from the electromagnetic energy sensors is used to adjust and/or control the light absorption, light reflection, light refraction, light spectrum transformation, focal direction, focal distance, light polarization, and/or parallax view of the at least one optical lens or other light-transmitting member.

7. The monitor in claim 1 wherein the wearable frame has a sensor-holding upward arcuate member which is configured to span a portion of the person'"'"'s temple.

8. The monitor in claim 1 wherein the wearable frame has a sensor-holding member which can be moved relative to the rest of the frame, wherein this sensor-holding member can be moved from a first configuration in which it does not span a portion of the person'"'"'s temple to a second configuration in which it does span a portion of the person'"'"'s temple.

9. The monitor in claim 1 wherein the wearable frame has a sensor-holding upward arcuate member which is configured to span a portion of the person'"'"'s forehead.

10. The monitor in claim 1 wherein the wearable frame has a sensor-holding member which can be moved relative to the rest of the frame, wherein this sensor-holding member can be moved from a first configuration in which it does not span a portion of the person'"'"'s forehead to a second configuration in which it does span a portion of the person'"'"'s forehead.

11. The monitor in claim 1 wherein this monitor further comprises one or more other sensors selected from the group consisting of:

accelerometer, inclinometer, gyroscope, strain gauge, or other motion or position sensor;

microphone or other sound sensor;

thermometer or other temperature sensor;

camera or other imaging sensor;

optical sensor or optoelectronic sensor;

blood pressure sensor;

ECG/EKG sensor, heart rate monitor, and/or heart rate sensor;

EMG sensor or other muscle activity sensor;

GPS sensor, other location sensor, magnetometer, or compass;

spectroscopy sensor or other spectral analysis sensor;

electrochemical sensor;

blood oximetry sensor;

piezoelectric sensor;

chewing sensor or swallowing sensor;

respiration sensor;

pressure sensor;

galvanic skin response sensor; and

taste or odor sensor.

12. The monitor in claim 1 wherein this monitor further comprises one or more interface components selected from the group consisting of:

a computer-to-human interface such as a display screen, one or more lights, one or more speakers, and/or one or more tactile actuators;

a human-to-computer interface such as a touch screen, one or more touch-activated buttons, microphone and speech-recognition capability, and/or gesture recognition capability;

one or more accelerometers;

one or more cameras; and

a GPS component.

13. A mobile wearable electromagnetic brain activity monitor comprising:

a wearable frame which is configured to be worn on a person'"'"'s head, wherein this wearable frame is configured to span from one ear to the other ear across the front of the person'"'"'s head;

a plurality of electromagnetic energy sensors which are configured to be held in electromagnetic communication with the person'"'"'s brain by the wearable frame, wherein these sensors collect data concerning the person'"'"'s electromagnetic brain activity; and

a control unit with one or more components selected from the group consisting of power source and/or power-transducing component, data transmission and data reception component, data memory component, and data processor.

14. The monitor in claim 13 wherein the monitor further comprises at least one optical lens or other light-transmitting member.

15. The monitor in claim 13 wherein data from the electromagnetic energy sensors is used to adjust and/or control the light absorption, light reflection, light refraction, light spectrum transformation, focal direction, focal distance, light polarization, and/or parallax view of the at least one optical lens or other light-transmitting member.

16. The monitor in claim 13 wherein the wearable frame has a sensor-holding upward arcuate member which is configured to span a portion of the person'"'"'s temple.

17. The monitor in claim 13 wherein the wearable frame has a sensor-holding member which can be moved relative to the rest of the frame, wherein this sensor-holding member can be moved from a first configuration in which it does not span a portion of the person'"'"'s temple to a second configuration in which it does span a portion of the person'"'"'s temple.

18. The monitor in claim 13 wherein the wearable frame has a sensor-holding upward arcuate member which is configured to span a portion of the person'"'"'s forehead.

19. The monitor in claim 13 wherein the wearable frame has a sensor-holding member which can be moved relative to the rest of the frame, wherein this sensor-holding member can be moved from a first configuration in which it does not span a portion of the person'"'"'s forehead to a second configuration in which it does span a portion of the person'"'"'s forehead.

20. A mobile wearable electromagnetic brain activity monitor comprising:

a wearable frame which is configured to be worn on a person'"'"'s head, wherein this wearable frame is configured to span from one ear to the other ear around the rear of the person'"'"'s head;

a plurality of electromagnetic energy sensors which are configured to be held in electromagnetic communication with the person'"'"'s brain by the wearable frame, wherein these sensors collect data concerning the person'"'"'s electromagnetic brain activity; and

a control unit with one or more components selected from the group consisting of power source and/or power-transducing component, data transmission and data reception component, data memory component, and data processor.