Method and apparatus for detecting epileptic seizures
First Claim
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1. A method of detecting an epileptic seizure in a person comprising the steps of:
- (a) monitoring the amount of brain activity of said person to produce a brain activity signal and monitoring the amount of motor activity of said person to produce a motor activity signal;
(b) sampling said brain activity signal at a sampling frequency to produce a brain activity signal amplitude and sampling said motor activity signal at said sampling frequency to produce a motor activity signal amplitude;
(c) incrementing a brain activity counter when said brain activity signal amplitude is within a predetermined brain window and decrementing said brain activity counter when said brain activity signal is without said predetermined brain window;
(d) incrementing a motor activity counter when said motor activity signal amplitude is within a predetermined motor window and decrementing said motor activity counter when said motor activity signal is without said predetermined motor window; and
(e) indicating that an epileptic seizure is occurring when said brain activity counter is above a brain threshold and said motor activity counter is above a motor threshold.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for accurately determining the onset or occurrence of an epileptic seizure is disclosed. The system includes an electroencephalograph (EEG) and an electromyograph (EMG) which provide signals to a signal processor. The signal processor operates to generate a digitized envelope waveform of the EEG waveform and the EMG waveform. If the waveforms all have an amplitude within a predetermined threshold, for a predetermined time interval, a CPU provides a signal to an output display indicative of a epileptic seizure.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of detecting an epileptic seizure in a person comprising the steps of:
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(a) monitoring the amount of brain activity of said person to produce a brain activity signal and monitoring the amount of motor activity of said person to produce a motor activity signal; (b) sampling said brain activity signal at a sampling frequency to produce a brain activity signal amplitude and sampling said motor activity signal at said sampling frequency to produce a motor activity signal amplitude; (c) incrementing a brain activity counter when said brain activity signal amplitude is within a predetermined brain window and decrementing said brain activity counter when said brain activity signal is without said predetermined brain window; (d) incrementing a motor activity counter when said motor activity signal amplitude is within a predetermined motor window and decrementing said motor activity counter when said motor activity signal is without said predetermined motor window; and (e) indicating that an epileptic seizure is occurring when said brain activity counter is above a brain threshold and said motor activity counter is above a motor threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of detecting an epileptic seizure in a person comprising the steps of:
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(a) monitoring the amount of brain activity of said person as to produce a brain activity signal and monitoring the amount of motor activity of said person to produce a motor activity signal; (b) determining if the amplitude of said brain activity signal falls within a predetermined brain window for a predetermined brain window period and determining if the amplitude of said motor activity signal falls within a predetermined motor window for a predetermined motor window period; and (c) indicating that an epileptic seizure has occurred when said amplitude of said brain activity signal falls within a predetermined brain window for a predetermined brain window period and the amplitude of said motor activity signal falls within a predetermined motor window for a predetermined motor window period. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of detecting an epileptic seizure in a person comprising the steps of:
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(a) monitoring the amount of brain activity of said person to produce a brain activity signal; (b) sampling said brain activity signal at a sampling frequency to produce a brain activity signal amplitude; (c) incrementing a brain activity counter when said brain activity signal amplitude is within a predetermined brain window and decrementing said brain activity counter when said brain activity signal is without said predetermined brain window; and (e) indicating that an epileptic seizure is occurring when said brain activity counter is above a brain threshold. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method of detecting an epileptic seizure in a person comprising the steps of:
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(a) monitoring the amount of motor activity of said person as a motor activity signal; (b) sampling said motor activity signal at a sampling frequency to produce a motor activity signal amplitude; (c) incrementing a motor activity counter when said motor activity signal amplitude is within a predetermined motor window and decrementing said motor activity counter when said motor activity signal is without said predetermined motor window; and (e) indicating that an epileptic seizure is occurring when said motor activity counter is above a motor threshold. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method of detecting an epileptic seizure in a person comprising the steps of:
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(a) monitoring the amount of brain activity of said person as a brain activity signal; (b) determining if the amplitude of said brain activity signal falls within a predetermined brain window for a predetermined brain window period; and (c) indicating that an epileptic seizure has occurred when said amplitude of said brain activity falls within a predetermined brain window for a predetermined brain window period. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of detecting an epileptic seizure in a person comprising the steps of:
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(a) monitoring the amount of motor activity of said person as a motor activity signal; (b) determining if the amplitude of said motor activity signal falls within a predetermined motor window for a predetermined motor window period; and (c) indicating that an epileptic seizure has occurred when said amplitude of said motor activity signal falls within a predetermined motor window for a predetermined motor window period. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for detecting an epileptic seizure in a person comprising:
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(a) a brain monitor monitoring the amount of brain activity of said person and producing a brain activity signal; (b) a motor monitor monitoring the amount of motor activity of said person and producing a motor activity signal; (c) CPU means for receiving said brain activity signal from said brain monitor and sampling said brain activity signal at a sampling frequency to produce a brain activity signal amplitude and said CPU means for receiving said motor activity signal from said motor monitor and sampling said motor activity signal at said sampling frequency to produce an motor activity signal amplitude, said CPU means also operative to increment a brain activity counter when said brain activity signal amplitude is within said predetermined brain window and decrementing said brain activity counter when said brain activity signal is without said predetermined brain window, said CPU means also operative to increment a motor activity counter when said motor activity signal amplitude is within said predetermined motor window and decrementing said motor activity counter when said motor activity signal is without said predetermined motor window; and (d) output display means, said output display means connected to said CPU means for indicating that an epileptic seizure is occurring when said brain activity counter is above a brain threshold and said motor activity counter is above a motor threshold. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification