Electrode for attention training techniques

• US 10,646,132 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lana Morrow
• Original Assignee: Lana Morrow
• Inventors: Morrow, Lana
• Primary Examiner(s): Yip, Jack
• Application Number:
  US14/626,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20150164362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 434236
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• 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 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 9/00 Alloys based on copper
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

An electrode includes a core of beryllium copper alloy and a safe metal coating. In some embodiments, the beryllium copper alloy comprises more than three percent beryllium, less than three percent other metals and a remaining percent copper. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a headband, and a first and second safe metal coated copper-beryllium alloy electrode. The headband is configured to fit snugly to a head of a subject in an orientation from behind a first ear, across a crown of the subject, to a position behind a second ear. The first electrode and second electrode are disposed in the headband to contact a head of the subject at a first position and a different second position, respectively, without gels. In various embodiments, the headband includes a chip to determine an analog signal and transmit data; and, a system includes the headband and a signal analyzing unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a headband configured to fit snugly to a head of a subject in an orientation from behind a first ear of the subject, across a top of a crown of the subject, to a position behind a second ear of the subject, wherein the headband has a width of about four centimeters or less and a thickness of about one centimeter or less;

wherein the headband has at least three active electrodes, a first active electrode disposed in the headband, a second reference electrode disposed in the headband, and a third ground electrode disposed in the headband;

wherein

the first active electrode including a first hemispherical metal coated core having a radius of about three millimeters or less extending perpendicular to the headband by a distance about equal to the radius of the first hemispherical metal coated core, the first hemispherical metal coated core positioned to contact the head of the subject at a first position, the first position corresponding to about a Cz location on the subject according to a 10-20 electrode placement system of the International Federation of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology;

the second electrode including a second hemispherical metal coated core having a radius of about three millimeters or less extending perpendicular to the headband by a distance about equal to the radius of the second hemispherical metal coated core, the second hemispherical metal coated core positioned to contact the head of the subject at a second position, the second position corresponding to about a first mastoid location on the subject;

the third electrode is positioned at a third position, the third position corresponding to about a second mastoid location on a side of the head of the subject opposite the first mastoid location; and

wherein the contact of the first hemispherical metal coated core and the second hemispherical metal coated core with the head of the subject is a non-liquid contact, a non-gel contact, and a non-abrasion contact, providing a sensitive electrical contact for preprocessing and wireless transmission of data, the sensitive electrical contact provided in a presence of hair on the head of the subject.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode extends perpendicular to the headband by a distance of about 0.3 centimeters or less.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has a contact area on the headband.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode makes electrical contact with the head of the subject with an electrical impedance of less than about 3 kilo ohms upon simple contact pressure provided by the headband and without abrasion or application of a gel or a liquid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a chip-set disposed on the headband, wherein the chip set is configured to:

determine an analog signal based on a first signal received from the first electrode and a second signal received from the second electrode; and

transmit, wirelessly, digital data that indicates the analog signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein to transmit the digital data further comprises to transmit the digital data over a short distance using a wireless device.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the analog signal indicates a common mode noise reduced difference between the first signal and the second signal in a frequency band from about four (4) Hertz to about twenty (20) Hertz, including beta brain waves, alpha brain waves, and theta brain waves.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the analog signal indicates a common mode noise reduced difference between the first signal and the second signal in a frequency band from about one quarter (0.25) Hertz to about forty (40) Hertz, including alpha brain waves, beta brain waves, delta brain waves and theta brain waves.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode include a base contact area having a diameter of about 0.4 centimeters or less.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode is composed of by:

(1) more than 3 percent by weight of a beryllium;

(2) less than 3 percent by weight of other metals; and

(3) a remaining percent by weight of a copper.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a chip-set, the chip-set including at least one component having a nanometer thick graphene.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed with a beryllium copper core and a metal coating, the metal coating selected from the group consisting of one of copper, gold and silver.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a beryllium copper alloy, having about 4 percent by weight of beryllium, about 93.5 percent by weight copper, about 1 percent by weight an alloy of one half nickel and one half cobalt, about 0.7 percent by weight an alloy containing at least nickel and cobalt, and about 0.8 percent by weight lead.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spherical metal coated core has a tip configured to contact the user and a metal coated base configured to attach to the headband, the metal coated base includes a base contact area on the headband with a diameter of about 0.4 centimeters or less.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance of the first or second electrode extending perpendicular to the headband is configured upon:

(1) a level of an electrical contact with the head of the subject;

(2) the first or second electrode having the nonliquid contact, the non-gel contact and the non-abrasion contact with the head of the subject; and

(3) the first or second electrode having a contact with the head of the subject without breaking the skin of the subject.

16. A method comprising:

determining, using a headband having at least three electrodes, the headband configured to fit snugly to a head of a subject in an orientation from behind a first ear of the subject, across a top of a crown of the subject, to a position behind a second ear of the subject, a first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace from the subject at a first active electrode disposed in the headband, the first active electrode including a first hemispherical metal coated core having a radius of about three millimeters or less extending perpendicular to the headband by a distance about equal to the radius of the first hemispherical metal coated core, the first hemispherical metal coated core positioned in contact with a first position on the subject, the first position corresponding to about a Cz location on the subject according to a 10-20 electrode placement system of the International Federation of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology;

determining, using the headband, a second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace from the subject at a second reference electrode disposed in the headband, the second reference electrode including a second hemispherical metal coated core having a radius of about three millimeters or less extending perpendicular to the headband by a distance about equal to the radius of the second hemispherical metal coated core, the second hemispherical metal coated core positioned in contact with a different second position on the subject, the different second position corresponding to about a first mastoid location on a side of the head of the subject, wherein the contact of the first hemispherical metal coated core and the second hemispherical metal coated core with the head of the subject is a non-liquid contact, a non-gel contact, and a non-abrasion contact, providing a sensitive electrical contact for preprocessing and wireless transmission of data, the sensitive electrical contact provided in a presence of hair on the head of the subject, and wherein each of the active electrode and reference electrode is disposed in a corresponding position on the headband having a width of about four centimeters or less and a thickness of about one centimeter or less;

determining, in a chip set disposed in the headband, wherein the chip set is in electrical communication with a third ground electrode, the third ground electrode positioned in the headband at a second mastoid location on a side of the head of the subject opposite the first mastoid position, an analog signal temporal trace based on the first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace and the second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace; and

transmitting, from the chip set disposed in the headband, digital data that indicates the analog signal temporal trace.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the digital data further comprises transmitting the digital data over a short distance using a wireless device protocol.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the analog signal temporal trace further comprises determining a common mode noise reduced difference between the first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace and the second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace in a frequency band from about four (4) Hertz to about twenty (20) Hertz, including beta brain waves and theta brain waves.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the analog signal temporal trace indicates a common mode noise reduced difference between the first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace and the second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace in a frequency band from about one quarter (0.25) Hertz to about forty (40) Hertz, including alpha brain waves, beta brain waves, delta brain waves and theta brain waves.