Brain function scan system

• US 7,471,978 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: New York University
• Original Assignee: New York University
• Inventors: John, Michael Sasha, John, Erwin Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser; Robert L
• Application Number:
  US10/045,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20020091335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,546 Days
• Field of Search: 600544-545
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/372 Analysis of electroencephalograms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/377 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/383 Somatosensory stimuli, e.g. electric stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/407 Evaluating the spinal cord A61B5/4896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms

Abstract

A portable EEG (electroencephalograph) instrument, especially for use in emergencies and brain assessments in physicians'"'"' offices, detects and amplifies brain waves and converts them into digital data for analysis by comparison with data from normal groups. In one embodiment, the EEG electrodes are in a headband which broadcasts the data, by radio or cellular phone, to a local receiver for re-transmission and/or analysis. In another embodiment, the subject is stimulated in two modes, i.e., aural and sensory, at two different frequencies to provide the subject'"'"'s EPs (Evoked Potentials), assessing transmission through the brainstem and thalamus.

Claims

1. A medical system to analyze brain waves of a subject comprising:

(a) an active EEG (electroencephalograph) electrode detecting a subject'"'"'s brain waves;

(b) a stimulus generator providing to the subject concurrent sense stimuli in a plurality of stimulus modes, the stimuli in a first one of the modes being at a frequency F₁ and the stimuli in a second one of the modes being at a frequency F₂;

(c) an amplifier amplifying and digitizing the detected brain waves;

(d) a processor receiving the digitized brain waves from (c) and producing subject brain wave F ratio data as a function of a power of brain responses at each of F₁ and F₂ in the presence and absence of stimulation;

(e) a computer comparing the subject brain wave F ratio data from (d) with one of brain wave F ratio data generated as a function of one of (i) data from a control group of patients and (ii) data generated by the subject in the presence and absence of stimulation;

(f) an output coupled to the computer and producing a warming when the comparison of (e) indicates one of injury to and dysfunction of one of the subject'"'"'s spinal cord, brain stem and brain; and

(g) a modulator modulating a carrier wave and the amplified brain waves to generate an audio signal therefrom.

2. The medical system according to claim 1, wherein a statistical evaluation of computed measures from a subject is determined by computing a Z-score, where Z =(M−

P)/6, wherein M is a mean value of a normative distribution, P is a current measure from the subject and 6 is a standard deviation of a control age- matched population.

3. The medical system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a radio broadcast transmitter; and

a headband situating thereon the electrode, the amplifier and the radio broadcast transmitter.