Apparatus for transmission of information by electrocutaneous stimuli

• US 4,254,776 A
• Filed: 01/29/1979
• Issued: 03/10/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science & Technology (Government of Japan), Ministry of International Trade & Industry (Government of Malaysia)
• Original Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science & Technology (Government of Japan), Ministry of International Trade & Industry (Government of Malaysia)
• Inventors: Tachi, Susumu, Tanie, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US06/007,425
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 128/419 PG, 128/421 R, 128/422, 128/423 R, 128/783, 128/908
• US Class Current: 607/63
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36034 specified by the stimulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/908 Patient protection from electric shock

Abstract

An apparatus for use in a system for transmitting information in the form of electric stimuli to a subject through the medium of a multiplicity of electrodes attached to the subject, which apparatus comprises analogue switches provided one each for the electrodes at their respective input sides and a decoder adapted to effect the "ON-OFF" control of these analogue switches. The pulse signals generated by a stimulator to represent a given piece of information are transmitted to the analogue switches, and then the pulse signals are applied to the subject only through the electrodes which are in their "ON" state at the time of the reception of the signals, giving required electric stimuli to the subject.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the transmission of information to a human subject by the medium of electric stimuli selectively presented to the subject'"'"'s skin by the application of closely spaced-apart signals to electrodes attached to the subject'"'"'s skin, which comprises:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a stimulator coupled to the central processing unit for issuing pulse signals having the parameters of the information to be transmitted;

a plurality of electrodes for generating electrocutaneous stimuli to the subject in response to said pulse signals, wherein each of said electrodes includes an input for receiving the pulse signals;

an analog switch connected to each of said electrode inputs;

a first single isolator having its input connected to said stimulator and its output connected to the input of each analog switch of said electrodes.

a decoder having its input coupled to the CPU for sequentially controlling the "ON-OFF" operation of the respective analog switches; and

second isolators connecting said analog switches with said decoder so that the electric stimuli are selectively turned on and off by the CPU coupled to the decoder in pulsed intervals, whereby said analog switches are turned selectively.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said first single isolator is an analog isolator having a low-voltage power source.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said second isolators are photocouplers.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the analog switches are sequentially controlled in less than 15 ms.