EARPIECE WITH IN-EAR ELECTRODES

• US 20180116514A1
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Turner, Jake Berry
• Granted Patent: US 10,617,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/276 Protection against electrode failure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/374 Detecting the frequency distribution of signals, e.g. detecting delta, theta, alpha, beta or gamma waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

In some embodiments, an electronic device for monitoring EEG data, may include one or more of the following features: (a) a housing, (b) a processor disposed within the housing, (c) at least one sensor operatively connected to the processor, (d) at least two EEG electrodes operatively connected to the processor and positioned on the housing for receiving EEG signals from an ear surface, and (e) a plurality of EEG electrodes, wherein the processor measures the impedance of the plurality of EEG electrodes.

Claims

1. A wireless earpiece for monitoring EEG data comprising:

a housing;

a processor disposed within the housing;

at least one sensor operatively connected to the processor;

at least two EEG electrodes operatively connected to the processor and positioned on the housing for receiving EEG signals from an ear surface; and

a plurality of EEG electrodes, wherein the processor measures the impedance of the plurality of EEG electrodes.

2. The wireless earpiece for monitoring EEG data of claim 1, wherein a first EEG electrode is positioned to contact an outer surface of an ear and a second EEG electrode is positioned to contact an inner surface of an ear canal.

3. The wireless earpiece for monitoring EEG data of claim 1, wherein the processor will not accept any inputs from the plurality of EEG electrodes if their impedance is above a predetermined amount.

4. The wireless earpiece for monitoring EEG data of claim 3, wherein the processor accepts an input from the at least one sensor and refuses input from any of the plurality of EEG electrodes is the EEG data is compromised by noise detected by the at least one sensor.

5. The wireless earpiece for monitoring EEG data of claim 4, wherein the processor accepts inputs from the plurality of EEG electrodes, which have not been rejected due to impedance or sensor data and processes the EEG electrode inputs to create a reliable EEG signal.

6. A method of receiving an EEG signal from an ear surface comprising the steps of:

transmitting a current to a plurality of EEG electrodes;

receiving at least one sensor reading from a sensor operatively connected to the processor;

communicating, a voltage drop associated with of the plurality of EEG electrodes to the processor;

determining an impedance of each of the plurality of EEG electrodes;

determining which of the impedances are below a programmed threshold for each of the plurality of EEG electrodes;

transmitting an activation signal to the plurality of EEG electrodes which have an impedance below the programmed threshold;

receiving an EEG signal from the plurality of EEG electrodes which have an impedance below the programed threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of determining which of the plurality of electrodes do not have a reliable EEG signal based upon the at least one sensor reading.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of receiving a sensor reading from a plurality of sensors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the processor is housed within a wireless earpiece.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of providing a reliable EEG signal based upon the EEG signal taken from the plurality of EEG electrodes which have an impedance below the programmed threshold and have the reliable EEG signal based upon the at least one sensor reading.

11. A system comprising:

a first earpiece having a housing;

a processor disposed within the housing;

at least one sensor disposed within the housing and operatively connected to the processor, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense user data and communicate the user data to the processor; and

a plurality of EEG electrodes operatively connected to the processor and positioned on the housing for receiving EEG signals from an ear surface;

wherein the processor transmits a current to each of the plurality of EEG electrodes to determine an impedance from each of the plurality of EEG electrodes and subsequently communicates an activation signal to selected EEG electrodes if the impedance associated with the EEG electrode is below a programmed threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor communicates an activation signal to the selected EEG electrodes if the impedance associated with the EEG electrode is below a programmed threshold and the sensed user data does not indicate the electrode is unreliable.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the selected EEG electrodes provide an EEG signal to the processor

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor processes the EEG signal from the selected EEG electrodes and creates a combined EEG signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the combined EEG signal is shared with a second earpiece via a transmitter within the first earpiece.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a modality of the first or the second earpiece is changed based upon the combined EEG signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the modality of the first and second earpiece is changed based upon the combined EEG signal and the sensed user data.