Breathing biofeedback eyeglasses

• US 10,080,861 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facense Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Facense Ltd.
• Inventors: Tzvieli, Arie, Thieberger, Gil, Frank, Ari M
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOOSALIS, FANI POLYZOS
• Application Number:
  US15/832,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20180104439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0088 modulated by a simulated respiratory frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/507 Head Mounted Displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/42 Rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/50 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 : Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/65 : Impedance, e.g. conductivity, capacity

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for providing a breathing biofeedback session utilizing thermal measurements. In one embodiment, a system includes at least one inward-facing head-mounted thermal camera (CAM) that takes thermal measurements of a region below the nostrils (TH_ROI) of a user. TH_ROI are indicative of the exhale stream. Optionally, each CAM is located less than 15 cm from the user'"'"'s face and above the user'"'"'s upper lip, and does not occlude any of the user'"'"'s mouth and nostrils. Optionally, TH_ROI include thermal measurements of at least first and second regions below right and left nostrils of the user. The system also includes a user interface configured to provide feedback, calculated based on TH_ROI, as part of a breathing biofeedback session for the user. Optionally, the system includes a computer that calculates the feedback.

Claims

1. A system configured to provide a breathing biofeedback session, comprising:

at least one inward-facing head-mounted thermal camera (CAM) configured to take thermal measurements of a region below the nostrils (TH_ROI) of a user;

wherein TH_ROI are indicative of an exhale stream; and

a user interface configured to provide feedback, calculated based on TH_ROI, as part of a breathing biofeedback session for the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each CAM is located less than 15 cm from the user'"'"'s face and above the user'"'"'s upper lip, and does not occlude any of the user'"'"'s mouth and nostrils;

and wherein TH_ROI comprises thermal measurements of at least first and second regions below right and left nostrils of the user.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a frame configured to be worn on the user'"'"'s head;

wherein TH_ROI comprises thermal measurements of first and second regions below right and left nostrils (TH_ROI1 and TH_ROI2, respectively) of the user, and the at least one CAM comprises first and second thermal cameras (CAM1 and CAM2, respectively) configured to take TH_ROI1 and TH_ROI2, respectively;

wherein the frame is configured to hold CAM1 and CAM2 less than 15 cm from the user'"'"'s face and above the nostrils; and

wherein CAM1 is physically coupled to the right half of the frame and captures the exhale stream from the right nostril better than it captures the exhale stream from the left nostril, and CAM2 is physically coupled to the left half of the frame and captures the exhale stream from the left nostril better than it captures the exhale stream from the right nostril.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein TH_ROI comprises thermal measurements of first, second and third regions, which are indicative of exhale streams from the right nostril, the left nostril, and the mouth, respectively;

the first and second regions are below the right and left nostrils, respectively; and

the third region comprises at least one of the following;

a region on the mouth, and a volume protruding out of the mouth.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to calculate the feedback;

wherein the feedback is indicative of similarity between current smoothness of the exhale stream (current smoothness) and target smoothness of the exhale stream (target smoothness);

wherein the current smoothness is calculated in real-time based on TH_ROI, and the target smoothness is calculated based on previous TH_ROI of the user taken while the user was in a state considered better than the user'"'"'s state while starting the breathing biofeedback session.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to calculate in real-time smoothness of the exhale stream based on TH_ROI, and the feedback is indicative of at least one of the following:

whether the smoothness is above or below a predetermined threshold, and whether the smoothness has increased or decreased since a previous feedback indicative of the smoothness of the exhale stream.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the smoothness is calculated at frequency≥

4 Hz, and the delay from detecting a change in the smoothness to updating the feedback provided to the user is ≤

0.5 seconds.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the feedback is indicative of whether the smoothness is above or below the predetermined threshold, and the user interface is configured to update the feedback provided to the user at a rate≥

2 Hz.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to calculate the feedback;

wherein the feedback is indicative of similarity between a current shape of the exhale stream (current SHAPE) and a target shape of the exhale stream (target SHAPE);

wherein the current SHAPE is calculated in real-time based on TH_ROI, and the target SHAPE is calculated based on at least one of the following;

(i) previous TH_ROI of the user taken while the user was in a state considered better than the user'"'"'s state while starting the breathing biofeedback session, and (ii) TH_ROI of other users taken while the other users were in a state considered better than the user'"'"'s state while starting the breathing biofeedback session.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to calculate the feedback;

wherein the feedback is indicative of similarity between current breathing rate variability (current BRV) and target breathing rate variability (target BRV);

wherein BRV is indicative of variations between consecutive breathes, the current BRV is calculated in real-time based on TH_ROI, and the target BRV is calculated based on previous TH_ROI of the user taken while the user was in a state considered better than the user'"'"'s state while starting the breathing biofeedback session.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to calculate the feedback;

wherein breathing rate variability (BRV) is indicative of variations between consecutive breathes, and is calculated in real-time based on TH_ROI; and

wherein the feedback is indicative of at least one of the following;

whether the BRV is above or below a predetermined threshold, and whether a predetermined component of the BRV has increased or decreased since a previous feedback that was indicative of the BRV.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to:

calculate a value indicative of similarity between a current TH_ROI pattern of the user and a previous TH_ROI pattern of the user taken while the user was in a target state, and generate the feedback based on the similarity;

wherein a TH_ROI pattern refers to at least one of;

a spatial pattern, a pattern in the time domain, and a pattern in the frequency domain.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein while the user was in the target state, one or more of the following were true:

the user was healthier compared to the state of the user while the current TH_ROI were taken (the present state), the user was more relaxed compared to the present state, a stress level of the user was below a threshold, and the user was more concentrated compared to the present state.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer is further configured to receive an indication of a period during which the user was in the target state based on at least one of the following:

a report made by the user, measurements of the user with a sensor other than CAM, semantic analysis of text written by the user, and analysis of the user'"'"'s speech; and

wherein the previous TH_ROI pattern is based on TH_ROI taken during the period.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to:

calculate a value indicative of similarity between current TH_ROI and previous TH_ROI of the user taken while the user was in a target state, and generate the feedback based on the similarity;

wherein the similarity is calculated by comparing (i) a current value of a characteristic of the user'"'"'s breathing, calculated based on TH_ROI, to (ii) a target value of the characteristic of the user'"'"'s breathing, calculated based on the previous TH_ROI.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to calculate the feedback, wherein the feedback is designed to guide the user to breathe at his/her resonant frequency, which maximizes the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia and is in the range of 4.5 to 7.0 breaths/min.

17. A method for conducting a breathing biofeedback session, comprising:

taking, using at least one an inward-facing head-mounted thermal camera (CAM), thermal measurements of a region below the nostrils (TH_ROI) of a user;

wherein TH_ROI are indicative of an exhale stream;

taking target TH_ROI (TARGET) when the user is in a desired state;

taking current TH_ROI (CURRENT) of the user; and

providing the user with real-time feedback indicative of similarity between TARGET and CURRENT.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising calculating target smoothness of the exhale stream (target smoothness) based on TARGET and calculating current smoothness of the exhale stream (current smoothness) based on CURRENT;

wherein the feedback is indicative of similarity between the target smoothness and the current smoothness.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising calculating target shape of the exhale stream (target SHAPE) based on TARGET and calculating current shape of the exhale stream (current SHAPE) based on CURRENT;

wherein the feedback is indicative of similarity between the current SHAPE and the target SHAPE.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising calculating target breathing rate variability (target BRV) based on TARGET, and calculating current breathing rate variability (current BRV) based on CURRENT;

wherein BRV is indicative of variations between consecutive breathes, and the feedback is indicative of similarity between the current BRV and the target BRV.