Electrode array and method of placement

• US 9,282,930 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainscope SPV LLC
• Original Assignee: Brainscope Company Inc.
• Inventors: Machon, Lukasz W., Rothman, Neil S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S
• Application Number:
  US14/627,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20150157266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 600/383
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6819 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/684 Indicating the position of the sensor on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6841 by using templates
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6844 Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue

Abstract

A headset for detecting brain electrical activity may include a flexible substrate having first and second ends each configured to engage an ear of a subject and dimensioned to fit across the forehead of a subject. The headset may also include a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate and configured to contact the subject when the headset is positioned on the subject. First and second electrodes may contact top center and lower center regions of the forehead, respectively, third and fourth electrodes may contact front right and front left regions of the forehead, respectively, fifth and sixth electrodes may contact right side and left side regions of the forehead, respectively, and electrodes included within the securing devices may contact the ear regions. The third and fourth electrodes may be moveable in at least a vertical direction relative to the other electrodes.

Claims

1. A headset for detecting brain electrical activity of a human subject comprising:

a flexible substrate dimensioned to fit a forehead of the subject;

a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate so that the electrodes contact the subject when the headset is positioned on the subject;

wherein a first electrode is configured to contact a lower center region of the forehead, a second electrode is configured to contact an upper center region of the forehead, a third electrode is configured to contact a front right region of the forehead, a fourth electrode is configured to contact a front left region of the forehead, a fifth electrode is configured to contact a right side region of the forehead, and a sixth electrode is configured to contact a left side region of the forehead;

a nasion point, wherein the nasion point extends a consistent, predetermined distance from the first electrode and is dimensioned so that when the nasion point is aligned with an anatomical region of the subject, the first electrode is positioned the consistent, predetermined distance away from the anatomical region on the lower center region of the forehead; and

flexible circuitry associated with the substrate and operably coupled to each of the plurality of electrodes.

2. The headset of claim 1, wherein the nasion point includes a tab.

3. The headset of claim 1, wherein the anatomical region is a nasion of the subject.

4. The headset of claim 1, wherein the headset is dimensioned so that when the nasion point is aligned with the anatomical region, the plurality of electrodes are oriented on the forehead below a hairline of the subject.

5. The headset of claim 1, wherein the nasion point includes at least one visual indicia indicator.

6. The headset of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrodes is a grounded electrode.

7. A headset for detecting brain electrical activity of a human subject comprising:

a flexible substrate dimensioned to fit a forehead of the subject;

a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate so that the electrodes contact the subject when the headset is positioned on the subject;

a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the first electrode is configured to contact a lower center region of the forehead; and

a nasion point extending a consistent, predetermined distance from the first electrode, wherein the headset is dimensioned so that when positioned on the forehead, the nasion point aligns with an anatomical region of the subject and the first electrode is positioned on the forehead the consistent, predetermined distance away from the anatomical region.

8. The headset of claim 7, wherein the anatomical region is a nasion of the subject.

9. The headset of claim 7, wherein the nasion point is configured to locate the headset on the forehead of the subject by positioning the first electrode at the lower center region of the forehead when the nasion point is aligned with a nasion of the subject.

10. The headset of claim 7, wherein the nasion point includes a tab.

11. The headset of claim 7, wherein the nasion point includes at least one visual indicia indicator.

12. The headset of claim 7, further comprising a second electrode configured to contact a front right region of the forehead and a third electrode configured to contact a front left region of the forehead.

13. The headset of claim 12, wherein the second electrode and the third electrode are movable in at least a vertical direction relative to other of the plurality of electrodes.

14. The headset of claim 12, wherein the second electrode includes a first distance indication gauge and the third electrode includes a second distance indication gauge, and the first distance indication gauge and the second distance indication gauge each include a tab.

15. The headset of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and the second distance indication gauges includes a visual indicia indicator.

16. The headset of claim 14, wherein the first distance indication gauge is configured to locate the second electrode on a front right region of the forehead relative to an eyebrow and the second distance indication gauge is configured to locate the third electrode on a front left region of the forehead relative to an eyebrow.

17. The headset of claim 7, wherein the headset includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end each includes a securing device configured to engage an ear of the subject to retain the substrate across the forehead of the subject.

18. The headset of claim 7, wherein the plurality of electrodes further includes a second electrode configured to contact an upper center region of the forehead, a third electrode configured to contact a front right region of the forehead, a fourth electrode configured to contact a front left region of the forehead, a fifth electrode configured to contact a right side region of the forehead, and a sixth electrode configured to contact a left side region of the forehead.

19. A method of placing a headset having a plurality of electrode for detecting brain electrical activity of a human subject on a forehead of the subject below a hairline of the subject, the method comprising:

aligning a nasion point that extends a consistent, predetermined distance from a first electrode of the headset with a nasion of the subject, wherein aligning the nasion point positions the first electrode at a lower center region of the forehead of the subject a consistent, predetermined distance from the first electrode of the headset and positions a second electrode at an upper center region of the subject;

attaching the first electrode to the lower center region of the forehead;

attaching the second electrode to the upper center region of the forehead below the hairline of the subject;

attaching a third electrode of the headset to a front right region of the forehead above a right eyebrow of the subject;

attaching a fourth electrode of the headset to a front left region of the forehead above a left eyebrow of the subject;

attaching a fifth electrode of the headset to a right side region of the forehead; and

attaching a sixth electrode of the headset to a left side region of the forehead.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further includes engaging at least one ear loop with an ear of the subject to position the headset across the forehead of the subject.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein attaching at least one of the third or the fourth electrode includes moving at least one of the third or the fourth electrode in a vertical direction relative to other of the plurality of electrodes before affixing at least one of the third or the fourth electrode to the forehead.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein attaching the third and the fourth electrodes includes aligning a first distance indication gauge with the right eyebrow of the subject and aligning a second distance indication gauge with the left eyebrow of the subject.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising connecting the headset to a processor.