Systems and methods to gather and analyze electroencephalographic data

• US 8,989,835 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Badower, Yakob, Gurumoorthy, Ramachandran, Pradeep, Anantha K., Knight, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S
• Application Number:
  US13/728,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20140051961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 600/383, 600/544
• US Class Current: 600/383
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0209 Special features of electrodes classified in A61B5/24, A61B5/25, A61B5/283, A61B5/291, A61B5/296, A61B5/053
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0215 Silver or silver chloride containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/026 for the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/307 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/31 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/347 Detecting the frequency distribution of signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/37 Intracranial electroencephalography [IC-EEG], e.g. electrocorticography [ECoG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/372 Analysis of electroencephalograms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/374 Detecting the frequency distribution of signals, e.g. detecting delta, theta, alpha, beta or gamma waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68 : Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 : specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 : Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 : Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6813 : Specially adapted to be attached to a specific body part A61B5/6802 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 : Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 : Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 : for noise prevention, reduction or removal

Abstract

Example devices are disclosed herein that include a central body portion and a plurality of extensions extending from the central body portion, each extension having an end coupled to an electrode. The example device also includes an adjustment band disposed along a longitudinal axis of the central body to adjust a position of the extensions.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a central body portion;

a plurality of extensions extending from the central body portion, respective ones of the extensions having corresponding ends carrying an electrode; and

an adjustment band slidably disposed along a longitudinal axis of the central body portion to adjust respective positions of the extensions.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjustment band is elastic.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjustment band has a circular cross section.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjustment band has a rectangular cross section.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the extensions is curved in a direction away from the central body portion.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein each of the extensions is curved in the same direction.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes comprise at least a portion of a ring.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising an array of electrodes disposed on one side of the central body portion.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein a tightening of the adjustment band causes the electrodes to apply a force to a head of a subject wearing the device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the force is about the same at each electrode.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the central body portion and the extensions are flexible but not elastic and the adjustment band is flexible and elastic.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are removable.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein a first extension is located across the central body portion from a second extension.

14. The device of claim 1 further comprising a cover partially surrounding an electrode so that a first portion of the cover is disposed on a first side of the electrode, a second portion of the cover is disposed on a second side of the electrode, and an end of the electrode to contact a tissue of a subject extends from the cover.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the electrode has a cross section of less than about 0.5 millimeter, a first outer end of the first portion of the cover and a second outer end of the second portion of the cover are separated by a distance of less than about 1 millimeter, and the end of the electrode to contact the tissues extends less than about 0.2 millimeter from the cover.

16. A device comprising:

a central body portion comprising a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a recess between the first protrusion and the second protrusion;

a plurality of extensions extending from the central body portion, respective ones of the extensions having an end carrying an electrode; and

an adjustment band disposed in the recess along a longitudinal axis of the central body portion to adjust respective positions of the extensions.

17. A device comprising:

a central body portion;

a plurality of extensions extending from the central body portion, corresponding ones of the extensions having a respective end carrying an electrode, the electrodes comprising a first set of electrodes to read an electrical signal from a tissue of a subject, and a second set of electrodes carried by the central body portion, the second set of electrodes to read the electrical signal, the first set of electrodes comprising a first type of electrodes and the second set of electrodes comprising a second type of electrodes, different than the first type; and

an adjustment band disposed along a longitudinal axis of the central body portion to adjust respective positions of the extensions.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the first type of electrodes comprises individually mounted electrodes and the second type of electrodes includes an array of electrodes.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein two or more of the electrodes in the array can be electrically shorted to form one electrode with an increased surface area.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the first type of electrodes comprises ring-shaped or partially ring-shaped electrodes.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the first type of electrodes comprises electrodes having a ball point.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the first type of electrodes comprises electrodes having a hook.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of extensions are disposed along a first outer side and a second outer side of the central body portion, and the second set of electrodes is disposed along the longitudinal axis.