Active dry sensor module for measurement of bioelectricity

• US 8,548,555 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• 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:
  US13/619,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20130066183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 600/372, 600382-390, 600/395, 600/509, 600/544, 600/547
• 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 cap, interlocked with the insertion hole, having a uniform central internal cross section and an upper fringe protruded from the upper surface;

an active electrode inserted into 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, and wherein the active electrode has an uneven surface capable of contacting a skin surface, the uneven surface including a plurality of circular protuberances;

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;

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

a holder fixedly inserted into the insertion hole, wherein the cap is inserted into the holder,

wherein the active electrode has a cap shape that is capable of contacting a skin surface of a user;

wherein a height of the active electrode protruding from the cap is adjusted by rotating the cap which is inserted in the holder;

wherein the cap includes screw threads and screw hollows;

wherein the holder includes screw threads and screw hollows; and

wherein the cap is capable of being fixed to the holder by engaging the screw threads and the screw hollows of the cap with the screw threads and the screw hollows of the holder.

2. The active dry sensor module of 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 of claim 1, wherein the amplification circuit further comprises:

an instrumentation amplifier for amplifying the biomedical signal and adjusting a common mode rejection ratio and a pass band to generate an output signal, 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;

a notch filter for eliminating a noise component contained in the output signal; and

an amplifier.

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

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

6. 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.

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

8. The active dry sensor module of claim 1, wherein the holder is located inside and latched onto the hollow main body by stoppers fixed to the hollow main body,

wherein the holder protrudes from the upper surface of the hollow main body;

and wherein the holder guides the cap.