Active dry sensor module for measurement of bioelectricity

• US 8,290,563 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neurosky Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Neurosky Incorporated
• Inventors: Jin, Kyung-Soo, Lim, Jong-Jin, Byeon, Jong-Gil, Kim, Eun-Tae, Park, Jin-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANTISKAY, BRIAN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/585,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20090156925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,031 Days
• Field of Search: 600/372, 600382-390, 600/395, 600/509, 600/544, 600/547, 330/85
• US Class Current: 600/383
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0215 Silver or silver chloride containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]

Abstract

An active dry sensor module for measurement of bioelectricity is disclosed. The active dry sensor module of the present invention excludes the use of a conductive gel, thereby not supplying unpleasantness and discomfort to a reagent and preventing the interference of the signal due to a noise component. Further, the active dry sensor module of the present invention amplifies the biomedical signal to a desired level, thereby precisely and easily measuring the biomedical signal.

Claims

1. An active dry sensor module comprising:

a hollow main body having an upper surface with an insertion hole formed through the upper surface;

a holder fixably inserted into the insertion hole of the hollow main body, the holder including holder screw threads and screw hollows;

a cap with a hole and a lower part with cap screw threads and screw hollows, the cap inserted into the holder and interlocking with the holder by the holder screw threads and screw hollows mating with the cap screw threads and screw hollows;

an active electrode inserted into the hole of the cap so that the active electrode is slidable relative to the cap, the active electrode having a contactable upper surface and a latching protrusion protruded from a lower part of the active electrode that is capable of being latched onto a lower end of the cap, wherein the active electrode having the contactable upper surface is slidable relative to the cap for directly contacting a portion of a scalp of a user that is using the active dry sensor module, wherein the active electrode has a cap shape that is capable of contacting a skin surface of a user, and wherein a height of the active electrode protruding from the cap is adjusted by rotating the cap inserted in the holder;

a resilient member with a first end contacting the lower part of the active electrode, installed in the main body, and electrically connected to the main body; and

an amplification circuit, installed in the main body and coupled to a second end of the resilient member, that is capable of receiving and processing a biomedical signal passed through the resilient member from the active electrode.

2. The active dry sensor module as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a headset inserted between the cap and the holder so that the main body is attached to and detached from the headset.

3. The active dry sensor module as set forth in claim 1, wherein the amplification circuit further comprises:

an instrumentation amplifier for amplifying the biomedical signal with a high common mode rejection ratio and a signal pass band, wherein the instrumentation amplifier includes three amplifiers that provide a differential amplifier and two amplifiers to form a feedback loop thereby having band pass characteristics and an amplification function;

a band-pass filter for filtering the output signal from the instrumentation amplifier;

a notch filter for eliminating a noise component of 60 Hz contained in the output signal from the instrumentation amplifier;

and an amplifier.

4. The active dry sensor module as set forth in claim 1, wherein the active electrode and the resilient member are plated with gold or silver.

5. The active dry sensor module as set forth in claim 1, wherein the active electrode has a curved upper surface capable of contacting a skin surface.

6. The active dry sensor module as set forth in claim 1, wherein the active electrode has an uneven surface capable of contacting a skin surface.

7. The active dry sensor module of claim 1, wherein the resilient member further comprises a spring.

8. The active dry sensor module of claim 1, wherein the resilient member biases the active electrode against a surface of a user that is using the active dry sensor module.