PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORS AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME IN TREATMENT OF DISEASE

• US 3,575,162 A
• Filed: 12/23/1968
• Issued: 04/20/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth R. Gaarder
• Original Assignee: Kenneth R. Gaarder
• Inventors: Gaarder, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US04/785,908
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• US Class Current: 600/479
• 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 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/905 Feedback to patient of biological signal other than brain electric signal

Abstract

Psychotherapeutic treatment of a subject is facilitated by providing the subject with meaningful feedback information derived with the aid of a self-monitoring machine which measures a physiological or psychophysiological variable not ordinarily sensed by the subject. Depending on the nature of the relationship between the variable and the unwanted condition being treated or investigated, the subject learns to gain control over or to account for adverse or unwanted changes in the variable, thereby aiding in the treatment of the unwanted condition or the recognition of the unwanted condition. A specific embodiment of a self-monitor comprises a detector for generating an electrical signal at each heart pulse, a circuit for modifying and compensating the signal to eliminate normal changes in pulse rate and visual signal lights for indicating only significant pulse rate changes to the subject.

Claims

1. A method of treating a subject for a disability comprising continuously measuring a psychophysiological function which fluctuates in response to a characteristic of the disability being treated and generating an electrical signal which varies with changes in the function, electrically processing the signal to obtain a signal which is related to the difference between the instantaneous value of the fluctuating signal and the recent values of the fluctuating signal whereby the effects of slow changes in the variable being measured are eliminated and whereby the last-named signal is indicative of a change relative to the subject'"'"''"'"'s own recent performance, and transmitting the last-named signal to stimulate one of the patient'"'"''"'"'s senses whereby the patient can learn to exercise control over the disability by reacting to said last-named signal.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said electrical processing step includes the step of modifying the signal in accordance with the mean value of the psychological function being measured over a preceding short time period.

3. In the psychotherapeutic treatment of a subject the method which comprises:

measuring over a period of time the instantaneous value of a physiological function of the subject which varies upon the subject'"'"''"'"'s undergoing a physiopsychological change and converting said measurement into a first electrical signal which varies nearly instantaneously with changes in the function being measured;

generating a second electrical signal from said measurement the instantaneous value of which corresponds to the mean value of the function during a preceding short time period;

electrically comparing said first and second signals and generating one of two subject-stimulating signals, one of which is responsive only to a predetermined increase of said first signal with respect to said second signal; and

the other of which is responsive only to a predetermined decrease of said first signal with respect to said second signal; and

exposing the subject to said stimulating signal during said treatment.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein the physiological function which is measured is the subject'"'"''"'"'s heartbeat and wherein said first and second electrical signals are pulse rate signals.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein the heartbeat is measured by continuously detecting the intensity of light reflected from a small portion of the subject'"'"''"'"'s skin.

6. Apparatus for use as an aid in treating a subject for a disability during a period when the subject undergoes a change which produces a change in a physiological function, which is not ordinarily sensed by the subject, said apparatus comprising a transducer adapted to be operably associated with the subject and responsive to changes in the physiological function of the subject for producing an electrical signal which varies with said changes;

circuit means associated with said transducer for deriving from said signal another signal which is free of normally occurring slow variations not significantly associated with the disability to be treated and which is so simplified as to allow the patient to be able to continue functioning in other concomitant spheres of mental activity;

said circuit means includes means for comparing the electrical signal with a signal which is representative of the mean value of the function being measured over a preceding short time period; and

transmitter means for transmitting said other signal in a mode to stimulate one of the senses of the subject.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said circuit means includes means for generating from said first-mentioned signal a second electrical signal the approximate instantaneous value of which corresponds to the mean value of the physiological function during a preceding long time period, means for comparing said second signal with the nearly instantaneous value of the physiological function as represented by the first-mentioned signal, and means for generating one of two patient-stimulating signals, one of which is responsive only to a predetermined increase of said first signal with respect to said second signal and the other of which is responsive only to a predetermined decrease of said first signal with respect to said second signal.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said transducer produces a signal at each heartbeat of the subject and wherein said circuit means derives and compares signals which are proportioned to the short term average heart rate and to a longer term average heart rate.

9. Apparatus for use as an aid in teaching a subject to gain control over a physiological variable which is not ordinarily sensed, said apparatus comprising a transducer adapted to be operably associated with the subject and responsive to changes in the physiological function for producing a raw electrical signal which varies with said changes;

electronic circuit means associated with said transducer for deriving from said signal a continuous voltage signal which is proportional to the average value of said raw signal over a predetermined time period;

electronic comparing means for comparing said proportional signal with a constant signal and for generating a subject-stimulating signal whenever the difference between the proportion signal with a constant signal and for generation a subject-stimulating signal whenever the difference between the proportion signal and the constant signal is greater than a predetermined amount.

10. Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said transducer is responsive to the intensity of light reflected from a portion of the subject'"'"''"'"'s skin so as to generate the pulsing raw signal, and wherein said circuit means derives said continuous voltage signal in proportion to the average rate of the pulses over said predetermined time period.