METHODS AND DEVICES FOR BRAIN ACTIVITY MONITORING SUPPORTING MENTAL STATE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING

• US 20140316230A1
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Personal Neuro Devices Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Personal Neuro Devices Incorporated
• Inventors: Denison, Steve, Faulkner, Andrew Stephen, Gaitatzis, Tony, Moore, Arwen, Sawatsky, Robert, Veinotte, Chad, Daoust, Bruno, Loh, Elliott Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 9,532,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/383
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/168 Evaluating attention deficit, hyperactivity
• 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 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4088 Diagnosing of monitoring cognitive diseases, e.g. Alzheimer, prion diseases or dementia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• 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 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

With explosive penetration of portable electronic devices (PEDs) recent focus into consumer EEG devices has been to bring advantages including localized wireless interfacing, portability, and a low-cost high-performance electronics platform to host the processing algorithms to bear. However, most development continues to focus on brain-controlled video games which are nearly identical to those created for earlier, more stationary consumer EEG devices and personal EEG is treated as of a novelty or toy. According to embodiments of the invention the inventors have established new technologies and solutions that address these limitations within the prior art and provide benefits including, but not limited to, global acquisition and storage of acquired EEG data and processed EEG data, development interfaces for expansion and re-analysis of acquired EEG data, integration to other non-EEG derived user data, and long-term user wearability.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving electroencephalography (EEG) data relating to a user;

generating processed EEG data by applying a first processing algorithm to the obtained EEG data; and

transferring the processed EEG data to a remote storage device together with at least a unique identity of the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving and applying are performed by a portable electronic device associated with the user, wherein

receiving the EEG data comprises receiving via a communications link EEG data transmitted by at least an EEG sensor associated with the user;

and

applying the first processing algorithm comprises applying at least one of a signal processing algorithm and a classification algorithm upon the EEG data.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising;

at least one of;

generating a determination of a state of the user in dependence upon at least the generated processed EEG data and an indicator relating to the determined state;

presenting to the user with a portable electronic device performing at least the step of applying the first processing algorithm indications of the at least one of determined state and indicator relating to the determined state;

and

applying a second processing algorithm to the stored processed EEG data to determine whether an indication of a condition relating to the user is at least one of present and has occurred; and

establishing at least one of a likelihood and a severity indication associated with the determined indication of a condition.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least one of:

the condition is selected from the group comprising a seizure, a prodromal stage of a seizure, a stroke, a migraine, an impending migraine, a panic attack, and an impending attack;

the second processing algorithm processes the stored processed EEG data in dependence upon at least one of an EEG footprint of a plurality of EEG footprints, a biomarker of a plurality of biomarkers, and statistical data relating to a demographic associated with the user; and

the state for which a determination is made is selected from the group comprising stress, relaxation, concentration, meditation, an emotion, a mood, anxiety, drowsiness, and sleep, and the indicator relating to the determined state is associated with at least one of a valence of the state, intensity of state, dominance of the state, and cognitive functioning of the user.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein

the at least one EEG footprint relates to a disorder selected from the group comprising depression, bipolar disorder, an anxiety disorder, Alzheimer'"'"'s, Schizophrenia, a sleep disorder, a panic disorder, an attention deficit disorder, Autism, and Asperger'"'"'s.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein

at least one of the first processing algorithm and the second processing algorithm are selected from a plurality of processing algorithms by a medical enterprise in dependence upon at least a characteristic of the user.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein,

the processed EEG data stored upon the remote storage is accessed by a medical enterprise in order to apply a second processing algorithm to the stored processed EEG data to determine whether an indication of a condition relating to the user is at least one of present and has occurred.

8. A system comprising;

a first interface operating according to a predetermined standard for receiving electroencephalography (EEG) data relating to a user from a portable electronic device associated with the user;

a storage device for storing the received EEG data;

a microprocessor for executing a software application applying at least a first processing algorithm to a predetermined portion of the stored EEG data to generate processed EEG data and establishing an outcome in dependence upon at least the processed EEG data;

a second interface for communicating the outcome to the portable electronic device for presentation to the user.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of:

at least one of the outcome, the processed EEG data, and the predetermined portion of the stored EEG data are transmitted to a remote storage device associated with a medical enterprise associated with the user; and

the software application generates as the outcome a determination of a state of the user in dependence upon at least the generated processed EEG data and an indicator relating to the determined state; and

the second interface communicates to the portable electronic device at least one of the determined state and the indicator relating to the determined state.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein

the state for which a determination is made is selected from the group comprising stress, relaxation, concentration, meditation, an emotion, a mood, anxiety, drowsiness, and sleep;

and

the indicator relating to the determined state is associated with at least one of a valence of the state, intensity of state, dominance of the state, and cognitive functioning of the user.

11. The system according to claim 8, further comprising;

applying a second processing algorithm to a second predetermined portion of the stored EEG data to determine whether an indication of a condition relating to the user is at least one of present and has occurred; and

establishing at least one of a likelihood and a severity indication associated with the determined indication of a condition.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein at least one of:

the condition is selected from the group comprising a seizure, a prodromal stage of a seizure, a stroke, a migraine, an impending migraine, a panic attack, and an impending attack; and

the second processing algorithm processes the second predetermined portion of the stored EEG data in dependence upon at least one of an EEG footprint of a plurality of EEG footprints, a biomarker of a plurality of biomarkers, and statistical data relating to a demographic associated with the user.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein,

the at least one EEG footprint relates to a disorder selected from the group comprising depression, bipolar disorder, an anxiety disorder, Alzheimer'"'"'s, Schizophrenia, a sleep disorder, a panic disorder, an attention deficit disorder, Autism, and Asperger'"'"'s.

14. The system according to claim 11 wherein,

at least one of the first processing algorithm and the second processing algorithm are selected from a plurality of processing algorithms by a medical enterprise in dependence upon at least a characteristic of the user.

15. The system according to claim 11 further comprising,

communicating with the second interface to the portable electronic device for presentation to the user data additional outcome data by applying at least the first processing algorithm to other predetermined portions of the stored EEG data to generate other processed EEG data and establishing other outcomes in dependence upon at least the processed EEG data, wherein each other predetermined portion of the stored EEG data relates to received EEG data at previous predetermined points in time.

16. A device comprising:

a headband to fit around the back of a user'"'"'s head;

a pair of arms connected to the headband projecting forward to fit along the sides of the user'"'"'s head and for supporting the front of the device by the user'"'"'s ears;

a pair of support guides, each coupled to an arm;

a pair of first electroencephalography (EEG) sensors, each first EEG sensor disposed upon a support guide;

a pair of second EEG sensors disposed within the headband.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein

each of the first EEG sensors is positioned proximate the user'"'"'s temples when the device is placed upon the user'"'"'s head;

and

each of the second EEG sensors is positioned proximate a portion of the occipital lobe of the user when the device is placed upon the user'"'"'s head.

18. The device according to claim 16, further comprising;

a wireless transmitter operating according to a predetermined standard to transmit EEG data from the pairs of first and second EEG sensors to another device.

19. The device according to claim 16, further comprising;

a wireless receiver operating according to a first predetermined standard to receive EEG data from an EEG sensor forming part of a head mounted display which may be worn in conjunction with the device; and

a wireless transmitter operating according to a second predetermined standard to transmit EEG data to another device.