Blink monitor for detecting blink occurrence in a living subject
First Claim
1. A method of determining a patient condition including at least one of drowsiness and ocular disorder, based on at least one blink electromyogram (EMG) signal measured from electrical activity in one or more muscles around at least one eye of the patient, the method comprising:
- receiving at least one blink EMG signal from a sensor capable of detecting electrical activity in one or more muscles in a body of a person, the electrical activity being indicative of a blink occurrences;
determining which data from the blink EMG signal represents a plurality of the blink occurrences; and
evaluating the plurality of blink occurrences represented by the data from the blink EMG signal to determine an onset or actual occurrence of a patient condition, wherein the patient condition includes at least one of drowsiness and an ocular disorder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a blink monitor for detecting blink occurrence in a living subject. For example, a blink sensor comprising a snap or tab electrode is positioned over one or more eye muscles known to assist in closing the eye. The electrode detects the electrical current in the muscle(s) and transmits a signal representative of the electrical current to a signal processing device. The device processes the signal to determine the occurrence of a blink, thereby producing an accurate blink electromyogram (EMG). The device and/or a caregiver may advantageously monitor the blink EMG, before and/or after occurrence processing, to determine the onset or actual occurrence of a patient condition. In an embodiment, the device monitors the blink EMG to determine the onset or occurrence of drowsiness in, for example, a driver, pilot, captain, doctor, soldier, or the like. In an embodiment, a caregiver monitors the blink EMG for one or more muscles in one or both eyes to determine the onset or occurrence of eye disease, such as, for example, strabismus.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of determining a patient condition including at least one of drowsiness and ocular disorder, based on at least one blink electromyogram (EMG) signal measured from electrical activity in one or more muscles around at least one eye of the patient, the method comprising:
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receiving at least one blink EMG signal from a sensor capable of detecting electrical activity in one or more muscles in a body of a person, the electrical activity being indicative of a blink occurrences; determining which data from the blink EMG signal represents a plurality of the blink occurrences; and evaluating the plurality of blink occurrences represented by the data from the blink EMG signal to determine an onset or actual occurrence of a patient condition, wherein the patient condition includes at least one of drowsiness and an ocular disorder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A device for identifying a blink occurrence from at least one blink electromyogram (EMG) signal measured from electrical activity in one or more muscles around at least one eye, the device comprising:
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an electrode pair configured to be positioned with respect to one or more muscles used to blink at least one eye in order to output a blink EMG signal indicative of a changing biopotential associated with the one or more muscles; and a processing device configured to receive the blink EMG signal and identify a plurality of blink occurrences within data from the blink EMG signal and to determine a patient condition using at least a portion of data corresponding to the plurality of identified blink occurrences. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A blink monitoring system for processing a blink electromyogram (EMG) signal measured from electrical activity in one or more muscles around at least one eye, said system comprising:
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a sensor comprising an electrode pair capable of outputting a blink EMG signal indicative of an electrical biopotential from one or more muscles related to blink occurrences, a transmitting device capable of wirelessly transmitting the signal, and a flexible circuit housing the electrode and the transmitting device; and a monitor capable of determining where a plurality of the blink occurrences appear in the blink EMG signal, and using at least a portion of the signal where one or more of the plurality of the blink occurrences appear, determining a patient condition. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A monitor for monitoring the alertness of a person based on processing a blink electromyogram (EMG) signal measured from electrical activity in one or more muscles around at least one eye of a person, the monitor comprising:
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a sensor capable of detecting the blink EMG signal, the blink EMG signal being indicative of a blink occurrences; a receiver configured to receive data from said sensor indicative of the blink EMG signal of the a person responsive to said blink occurrences; a processor configured to determine a plurality of blink occurrences within the blink EMG signal and evaluate from the blink EMG signal where at least some of the plurality of blink occurrences appear to determine an onset or occurrence of diminished alertness; and an alarm signal capable of activating an alarm responsive to the onset or occurrence of the diminished alertness in the person. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A monitoring device for monitoring the alertness of a person from blink electromyogram (EMG) data indicating blink occurrences from electrical activity in one or more muscles around at least eye of the person, said device comprising:
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a sensor configured to detect at least one blink EMG signal from one or more muscles around at least one eye of a person indicating a set of blinks of the at least one eye; and a processor device configured to receive the at least one blink EMG signal from the sensor, identify a plurality of blink occurrences based on a wavelet transform of at least one conditioned signal responsive to said blink EMG signal, identify a pattern of blink-to-blink occurrences based on the transformed blink EMG signal, determine a condition of the person based on the identified pattern of blink-to-blink occurrences, and generate an output signal at least when the condition of the person indicates an onset or occurrence of diminished alertness in the user. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification