Biofeedback device

• US 4,170,225 A
• Filed: 03/16/1977
• Issued: 10/09/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Somatronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Somatronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Petraki, Lawrence T., Criglar, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US05/777,883
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.1 M, 128/2.1 R, 128/2.1 B, 128/2.1 C, 128/2.1 Z, 35/22 R
• US Class Current: 600/546
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/90 Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

A portable biofeedback device for monitoring electric signals produced by muscle activity is disclosed. Electrodes attached to the skin of the person being monitored couple muscle signals to a preamplifier which amplifies the signal and does preliminary filtering of unwanted frequency components in this signal. Further high and low pass filtering and amplification is then performed such that only signals in a certain frequency range are amplified. Sensitivity control is added to enable the level of detected muscle activity to be selectively set. Both visual and audio feedback is generated from the filtered and amplified signal for use by the person being monitored. The visual feedback includes easy to read visual indicators, including an overrange indicator and underrange indicator, for displaying the varying levels of muscle activity.

Claims

1. A biofeedback device for monitoring the electric signal produced by muscle activity or the like including means for detecting and amplifying said electric signal, filter means for suppressing unwanted components of said detected signal, sensitivity control means for enabling the level of said detected signal to be selectively set, and means for providing visual feedback of the signal output by said filter means, said visual feedback means comprising:

rectifier means for generating a D.C. voltage signal proportional to said signal output by said filter means; and

visual indicia means for providing a visual output representative of said D.C. voltage signal, and including a light array in the form of a plurality of serially positioned lights.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said visual indicia means further comprises a window discriminator operatively connected between said rectifier means and said light array and functioning to turn on said lights such that as said detected signals increase in amplitude, more and more lights are caused to turn on.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said lights are in a range of colors.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said visual indicia means further comprises:

level shift means for shifting the voltage level of said D.C. voltage signal;

voltage controlled oscillator means for generating an output frequency in the audio range proportional to said level shifted D.C. voltage signal; and

a light source operatively connected to said voltage controlled oscillator means for providing a visual output as a function thereof.

5. A biofeedback device for monitoring the electrical signal produced by muscle activity or the like including means for detecting and amplifying said electric signal, filter means for suppressing unwanted components of said detected signal, sensitivity control means for enabling the level of said detected signal to be selectively set, and means for providing visual feedback of the signal output by said filter means, said visual feedback means comprising:

rectifier means for generating a D.C. voltage signal proportional to said signal output by said filter means; and

visual indicia means for providing a visual output representative of said D.C. voltage signal, and including;

oscillator means for generating an output frequency proportional to said D.C. voltage signal;

a light source operatively connected to said oscillator means for providing a visual output as a function thereof;

means for detecting a voltage overrange in said D.C. voltage signal;

means for detecting a voltage underrange in said D.C. voltage signal;

overrange indicator means for visually indicating said detected voltage overrange; and

underrange indicator means for visually indicating said detected voltage underrange.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said sensitivity control means comprises a variable potentiometer juxtaposed to indicator means whereby the position of said variable potentiometer relative to said indicator means gives a visual indication of feedback sensitivity.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said variable potentiometer comprises a linear travel slide potentiometer.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for detecting a voltage overrange in said DC voltage signal comprises:

first comparator means; and

means for generating a first preset voltage reference corresponding to the desired voltage overrange level and for coupling said first voltage reference to said first comparator means, said first comparator means acting in response thereto to change state when the voltage level of said DC voltage signal exceeds said first voltage reference.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for detecting a voltage underrange in said DC voltage signal comprises:

second comparator means; and

means for generating a second preset voltage reference corresponding to the desired voltage underrange level and for coupling said second voltage reference to said second comparator means, said second comparator means acting in response thereto to change state when the voltage level of said DC voltage signal falls below said second voltage reference.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

speaker means operatively connected to said oscillator means, for outputting an audible tone as a function thereof.