Electrode for Attention Training Techniques

• US 20150164362A1
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lana Morrow
• Original Assignee: Fondamenta, LLC
• Inventors: Morrow, Lana
• Granted Patent: US 10,646,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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;

a first electrode disposed in the headband to contact a head of the subject at a first position; and

a second electrode disposed in the headband to contact the head of the subject at a different second position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode extends perpendicular to the headband.

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 the first position corresponds about to a Cz location on the subject according to the 10-20 electrode placement system of the International Federation of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second position corresponds about to a mastoid location on the subject.

6. 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 headset and without abrasion or application of a gel or a liquid.

7. 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, data that indicates the analog signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein to transmit the digital data further comprises to transmit the digital data over a short distance using BLUETOOTH™

protocol.

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

10. The apparatus of claim 7, 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, comprising alpha brain waves, beta brain waves, delta brain waves and theta brain waves.

11. A system comprising:

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;

a first electrode disposed in the headband to contact a head of the subject at a first position;

a second electrode disposed in the headband to contact the head of the subject at a different second position; and

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, data that indicates the analog signal; and

a signal analyzing unit comprising;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the signal analyzing unit to perform at least the following;

receive wirelessly the digital data;

determine, based on the digital data, at least a first frequency band and a different second frequency band selected from a group comprising an alpha brain wave band, a beta brain wave band, a delta brain wave band and a theta brain wave band,

determine a score based on a strength or peak frequency of the first frequency band and a strength or peak frequency of the second frequency band, and

cause a stimulus to be presented to the subject based at least in part on the score.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the signal analyzing unit to cause data that indicates the subject and the score to be made available to a client host.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a client host, wherein the client host comprises:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the signal analyzing unit to perform at least the following;

transmit a request message for data corresponding to the subject;

in response to transmitting the request, receiving first data that indicates the subject and the score; and

presenting, to a human user, second data that indicates the subject and the score.

14. A method comprising:

determining a first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace at an active electrode in contact with a first position on a subject;

determining a second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace at a reference electrode in contact with a different second position on the subject, wherein each of the active electrode and reference electrode is disposed in a corresponding position on a headband;

determining, in a chip set disposed in the headband, 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.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the digital data further comprises transmitting the digital data over a short distance using BLUETOOTH™

protocol.

16. The method of claim 14, 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 at least about four (4) Hertz to at least about twenty (20) Hertz, comprising beta brain waves and theta brain waves.

17. The method of claim 14, 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 at least about forty (40) Hertz, comprising alpha brain waves, beta brain waves, delta brain waves and theta brain waves.

18. A method comprising:

receiving wirelessly data that indicates an analog signal temporal trace based on a first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace of a subject and a different second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace of the subject;

determining, based on the data, at least a first frequency band and a different second frequency band selected from a group comprising an alpha brain wave band, a beta brain wave band, a delta brain wave band and a theta brain wave band;

determining a score based on a strength or peak frequency of the first frequency band and a strength or peak frequency of the second frequency band; and

causing a stimulus to be presented to the subject based at least in part on the score.

19. The method of claim 20, further comprising causing the signal analyzing unit to cause data that indicates the subject and the score to be made available to a client host.