Electrode array and method of placement

• US 9,877,664 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• 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:
  US15/014,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20160151018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• 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 right distance indication gauge, wherein the right distance indication gauge extends a consistent, predetermined distance from the third electrode and is dimensioned so that when the right distance indication gauge is aligned with a first anatomical region of the subject, the third electrode is positioned the consistent, predetermined distance away from the first anatomical region on the front right region of the forehead; and

a left distance indication gauge, wherein the left distance indication gauge extends the consistent, predetermined distance from the fourth electrode and is dimensioned so that when the left distance indication gauge is aligned with a second anatomical region of the subject, the fourth electrode is positioned the consistent, predetermined distance away from the second anatomical region on the front left region of the forehead.

2. The headset of claim 1, wherein the right distance indication gauge includes a tab and the left distance indication gauge includes a tab.

3. The headset of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first anatomical region and the second anatomical region is an eyebrow of the subject.

4. The headset of claim 3, wherein the consistent, predetermined distance is in the range of approximately 12 millimeters to 24 millimeters, measured from one of the first and second anatomical regions to a center of the third or the fourth electrode.

5. The headset of claim 3, wherein the consistent, predetermined distance equals approximately 17.7 millimeters, measured from one of the first and second anatomical regions to a center of the third or the fourth electrode.

6. The headset of claim 1, wherein at least one of the right or the left distance indication gauge includes a visual indicia indicator.

7. The headset of claim 1, wherein the third electrode and the fourth electrode are both independently movable in at least a vertical direction relative to other of the plurality of electrodes.

8. The headset of claim 1, further comprising a seventh electrode configured to contact a right ear region of the subject and an eighth electrode configured to contact a left ear region of the subject.

9. The headset of claim 1, further comprising a nasion point, wherein the nasion point extends a second consistent, predetermined distance from the first electrode and is dimensioned so that when the nasion point is aligned with a nasion of the subject, the first electrode is positioned the second consistent, predetermined distance away from the nasion on the lower center region of the forehead.

10. 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 front right region of the forehead;

a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the second electrode is configured to contact a front left region of the forehead;

a right distance indication gauge extending a consistent, predetermined distance from the first electrode, wherein the headset is dimensioned so that when positioned on the forehead, the right distance indication gauge aligns with a first anatomical region of the subject and the first electrode is positioned on the forehead the consistent, predetermined distance away from the first anatomical region; and

a left distance indication gauge extending the consistent, predetermined distance from the second electrode, wherein the headset is dimensioned so that when positioned on the forehead, the left distance indication gauge aligns with a second anatomical region of the subject and the second electrode is positioned on the forehead the consistent, predetermined distance away from the second anatomical region.

11. The headset of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first anatomical region and the second anatomical region is an eyebrow of the subject.

12. The headset of claim 11, wherein the consistent, predetermined distance is in the range of approximately 12 millimeters to 24 millimeters, measured from one of the first and second anatomical regions to a center of the first or the second electrode.

13. The headset of claim 11, wherein the consistent, predetermined distance equals approximately 17.7 millimeters, measured from one of the first and second anatomical regions to a center of the first or the second electrode.

14. The headset of claim 10, wherein the right distance indication gauge is configured to locate the headset on the forehead of the subject by positioning the first electrode at the front right region of the forehead when the right distance indication gauge is aligned with a right eyebrow of the subject, and wherein the left distance indication gauge is configured to locate the headset on the forehead of the subject by positioning the second electrode at the front left region of the forehead when the left distance indication gauge is aligned with a left eyebrow of the subject.

15. The headset of claim 10, wherein the right distance indication gauge includes a tab extending from the first electrode and the left distance indication gauge includes a tab extending from the second electrode.

16. The headset of claim 10, wherein at least one of the right or the left distance indication gauge includes a visual indicia indicator.

17. The headset of claim 10, further comprising a third electrode of the plurality of electrodes configured to contact a lower center region of the forehead.

18. The headset of claim 17, wherein the third electrode includes a nasion point extending from the third electrode a second predetermined distance from the third electrode and dimensioned so that when the nasion point is aligned with a nasion of the subject, the third electrode is positioned the second consistent, predetermined distance away from the nasion on the lower center region of the forehead.

19. The headset of claim 17, wherein the plurality of electrodes further includes a fourth electrode configured to contact an upper center 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.

20. The headset of claim 19, further comprising a seventh electrode of the plurality of electrodes configured to contact a right ear region of the subject and an eighth electrode of the plurality of electrodes configured to contact a left ear region of the subject.

21. The headset of claim 10, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are both independently movable in at least a vertical direction relative to other of the plurality of electrodes.

22. The headset of claim 10, 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.

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

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

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

aligning a right distance indication gauge that extends a consistent, predetermined distance from a third electrode of the headset with a right eyebrow of the subject, wherein aligning the right distance indication gauge positions the third electrode at a front right region of the forehead of the subject the consistent, predetermined distance from the right eyebrow;

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

aligning a left distance indication gauge that extends the consistent, predetermined distance from a fourth electrode of the headset with a left eyebrow of the subject, wherein aligning the left distance indication gauge positions the fourth electrode at a front left region of the forehead of the subject the consistent, predetermined distance from the left eyebrow;

attaching the fourth electrode to the front left region of the forehead above the 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.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising engaging a right ear loop with a right ear of the subject and engaging a left ear loop with a left ear of the subject to position the headset across the forehead of the subject.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising attaching a seventh electrode of the headset to the right ear and attaching an eighth electrode of the headset to the left ear.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein attaching the first electrode includes aligning a nasion point extending from the first electrode with a nasion of the subject.

27. The method of claim 23, 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 electrodes to align at least one of the right or the left distance indication gauge with the right or the left eyebrow before affixing at least one of the third or the fourth electrode to the forehead.

28. The headset of claim 23, wherein the consistent, predetermined distance is in the range of approximately 12 millimeters to 24 millimeters, measured from the right or the left eyebrow to a center of the third or the fourth electrode, respectively.

29. The headset of claim 23, wherein the consistent, predetermined distance equals approximately 17.7 millimeters, measured from the right or the left eyebrow to a center of the third or the fourth electrode, respectively.

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