BIOSIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS AND BIOSIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20160058381A1
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Joonhyung, KIM, Sangkyu, CHO, Seongho
• Granted Patent: US 10,335,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided are a biosignal processing apparatus and a biosignal processing method. The biosignal processing apparatus includes: a first measurement module configured to detect a biosignal of a subject in a non-invasive manner in response to the biosignal processing apparatus being in contact with the subject; a second measurement module configured to measure a contact state with respect to the subject; and a controller configured to determine whether the contact state is equal to or greater than a reference value.

Claims

1. A biosignal processing apparatus comprising:

a first measurement module configured to detect a biosignal of a subject in a non-invasive manner in response to the biosignal processing apparatus being in contact with the subject;

a second measurement module configured to measure a contact state of the biosignal processing apparatus with respect to the subject; and

a controller configured to determine whether the contact state is equal to or greater than a reference value.

2. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 1, the controller is further configured to generate an indicator indicating information about the contact state in response to the contact state being less than the reference value.

3. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an output module configured to output the indicator.

4. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the output module comprises at least one selected from a display that displays the indicator and a sound output unit that outputs the indicator as an audible sound.

5. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the contact state is equal to or greater than the reference value, the controller is further configured to control the first measurement module to detect the biosignal of the subject in response to the contact state being equal to or greater than the reference value.

6. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second measurement module comprises at least one selected from an optical sensor, a touch sensor, and a pressure sensor.

7. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first measurement module comprises an attenuated total reflection (ATR) prism that is contactable with the subject and attenuates a light beam incident thereon.

8. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein a contact surface of the second measurement module with respect to the subject is disposed on a same plane as a contact surface of the ATR prism with respect to the subject.

9. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second measurement module is disposed at an edge of the ATR prism.

10. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first measurement module comprises:

a light source that radiates a light beam to the subject through the ATR prism; and

a detector that detects a light beam reflected or scattered from the subject through the ATR prism.

11. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first measurement module comprises one or more electrode pairs that are contactable with the subject.

12. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein a contact surface of the second measurement module with respect to the subject is disposed on a same plane as a contact surface of the electrode pairs with respect to the subject.

13. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first measurement module comprises:

one or more electrode pairs;

a current supplier that supplies a current to the one or more electrode pairs; and

a detector that detects a change in the current, which is caused by the subject, from the electrode pairs.

14. A biosignal processing method of a biosignal processing apparatus comprising:

measuring a contact state of the biosignal processing apparatus with respect to a subject; and

measuring a biosignal of the subject in a non-invasive manner in response to the contact state being equal to or greater than a reference value.

15. The biosignal processing method of claim 14, further comprising:

outputting an indicator indicating information about the contact state in response the contact state being less than the reference value.

16. The biosignal processing method of claim 15, wherein the outputting the indicator comprises at least one selected from:

displaying the indicator in a form of a text or an image; and

outputting the indicator as an audible sound.

17. The biosignal processing method of claim 14, wherein the contact state is a contact state of an ATR prism that attenuates a light beam incident thereon.

18. The biosignal processing method of claim 17, wherein the measuring the contact state comprises measuring a contact state of a sensor with respect to the substrate, which is disposed on a same plane as a contact surface of the ATR prism with respect to the subject.

19. The biosignal processing method of claim 18, wherein the sensor comprises at least one selected from an optical sensor, a touch sensor, and a pressure sensor.

20. The biosignal processing method of claim 18, wherein the sensor is disposed at an edge of the ATR prism.