Management of physiological and psychological state of an individual using biophilic images

• US 6,527,700 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2000
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CareStream Health Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Manico, Joseph A., Matraszek, Tomasz A., Prabhu, Girish V.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROLLINS, ROSILAND STACIE
• Application Number:
  US09/712,745
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 600/26, 600/27, 600/544, 600/545, 600/301, 434/236, 434/237, 434/238
• US Class Current: 600/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/08 Other bio-electrical signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/10 Electroencephalographic signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/18 Rapid eye-movements [REM]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

An apparatus for managing the physiological and/or psychological state of an individual comprising a source of biophilic images; a device for sensing at least one physiological parameter of an individual; and a display, linked to said source and said device, for displaying biophilic images from said source as a function of the sensed physiological parameter in order to manage a physiological or psychological state of the individual.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing the physiological and/or psychological state of an individual comprising;

a source of biophilic images;

a device for sensing at least one physiological parameter of an individual; and

a display, linked to said source and said device, for displaying biophilic images from said source as a function of the sensed physiological parameter in order to manage a physiological or psychological state of the individual wherein said device and said displayed biophilic images are selected and controlled by the individual to manage the individual'"'"'s physiological and psychological state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said source is a source of at least one of the following types of biophilic images;

flowers budding and blooming;

flowers budding, blooming and dying;

the surface of a body of water progressing from rippled to still;

waves dissipating until a body of water becomes still;

rain falling on a body of water decreases in intensity until the water becomes still;

a contained fire with increasing or decreasing intensity;

clouds dissipating or forming in the sky.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said source is a source of digital biophilic images and said display is an electronic display linked to said source.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said display is an electronic display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said display is a screen for receiving projected images from a film projector or an electronic image projector.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said device for sensing senses one or more of the following physiological parameters:

body temperature (peripheral, core), heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance response, brain waves, electromyography, eye saccades, etc.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said biophilic images are displayed on said display in a time lapse mode.

8. A method for an individual to manage physiological and/or psychological state of said individual comprising:

first selecting by an individual one or more physiology monitoring devices;

determining whether the individual'"'"'s operating characteristic curve (OCC) is available for each selected physiology monitoring, and, if it is not, measuring and recording the individual'"'"'s OCC for the selected device(s);

second selecting, by said individual, a sequence of biophilic images to be displayed to said individuals;

calibrating the selected image sequence to said individual'"'"'s OCC for each said device;

displaying said selected sequence of biophilic images to said individual;

determining whether said individual'"'"'s physiological condition as measured by said monitoring device(s) is changing toward a desired goal, physiological condition; and

when the desired goal physiological condition is reached, concluding display of said images.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said physiology monitoring devices include devices for monitoring one or more of the following physiological parameters;

body temperature (peripheral, core), heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance response, brain waves, electromyography, eye saccades, etc.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said sequence of biophilic images include at least one of the following types of biophilic images:

flowers budding and blooming;

flowers budding, blooming, dying;

the surface of a body of water progressing from ripples to still;

rain falling on a body of water decreases in intensity until the water becomes still;

a contained fire with increasing or decreasing intensity;

clouds dissipating or forming in the sky.

11. The method of claim 8 including;

third selecting by said individual of optional audio/visual verbal coaching, sounds, visual status indicators before said displaying said selected sequence of biophilic images.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein if, in said determining, said individual'"'"'s physiological condition is not changing toward said desired goal physiological condition, the rate of image sequence progression remains fixed and an image motion loop is initiated.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein if said individual'"'"'s physiological condition is changing toward said desired goal physiological condition, the rate of image sequence progression is changed relative to the rate of measured physiological change.