Multiple channel phase integrating biofeedback computing method

• US 3,978,847 A
• Filed: 07/29/1974
• Issued: 09/07/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Biofeedback Computers Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Biofeedback Computers Incorporated
• Inventors: Schneider, Joseph R., Fehmi, Lester G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/492,954
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.1 B, 128/2.1 M, 128/2.1 R, 128/2.1 Z
• US Class Current: 600/545
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/276 Protection against electrode failure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback

Abstract

Multiple monopolar electrical contacts are applied to the scalp or body, using other points on the body as reference and ground. The brain muscle or other bioelectric waves conducted from each contact, relative to the reference point, are amplified, filtered, and instantaneously analysed to produce a signal which may be perceived by the person or persons generating the bioelectric waves. This sensory feedback signal simultaneously may communicate to the generating party or parties the ongoing fluctuations in frequency, amplitude, and phase unity among two or more biological rhythms occuring within an individual, couple, or group of persons. The feedback signal may be used as an aid to establish awareness and control over the functions monitored, as an aid to meditation, as an aid to learning to flexibly and easily establish or dissolve the various states of attention and consciousness associated with the signaled characteristics of the monitored brainwaves or muscle potentials and as an aid to communication between neural systems within a person, i.e., lobes of the brain, muscle groups or between other nonverbal biological activities of two or more persons being monitored.

Claims

1. A method of measuring the electroencephalographic activity of at least two lobes of the brain of a human trainee and providing the trainee with a sensory signal in response to a combination of amplitude and the inphase activity of each of the brain lobes comprising the steps of:

attaching electrical contacts to the head of the trainee, said contacts being disposed adjacent to at least two lobes of areas of the brain, and to a neutral area of the trainee'"'"'s head;

obtaining at least two signals from said contacts which correspond to each of said at least two lobes or areas of the brain;

amplifying said at least two signals;

filtering each of the signals to obtain output signals each within a defined frequency range;

summing the in-phase signals of the defined frequency band of the amplified brain wave activity to produce a phase relevant measure of the trainee'"'"'s brain wave activity;

producing an auditory signal and modulating the volume of the auditory signal responsive to the amplitude and phase of the summed brain wave activity; and

presenting to the trainee an audible signal which reflects the degree of phase parity and amplitude of the signals recorded from said at least two lobes or areas of the brain.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein following said step of filtering, the method additionally comprises the step of shifting the phase of the amplified signals with respect to the occurrence of the brain wave activity so that the occurrence of the sensory signal may be adjusted so that its impact on the brain is in phase with the occurrence of subsequent brain wave activity.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein following the step of shifting the phase, the method additionally comprises the step of producing uniform pulses responsive to the phase so that a uniform voltage output is produced for signals having frequencies that are within the band width of the filters.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein following the step of producing uniform pulses, the method comprises digitally filtering said uniform voltage output so as to detect frequency of brain wave activity within the defined frequency range and permitting the passage of filtered brain wave activity through a digital filter gate when the brain wave frequency is within the defined range.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein following the step of permitting the brain wave activity through the digital filter gate, the method comprises counting and integrating pulses generated from brain wave activity to obtain and display the average percent of time that the brain wave activity is present in the band of frequencies selected by the filters, and to obtain and present to the trainee the energy present in the band of frequencies selected by the filters.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein following the steps of permitting the brain wave activity through the digital filter gate, and summing the amplified wave activity from the various lobes or areas of the brain, the method comprises counting and integrating pulses generated from brain wave activity to obtain and the average percent time that the inphase brain wave activity is present in the band of frequencies selected by the filters, and obtaining and displaying the in-phase energy present in the band of frequencies selected by the filters.

7. A method of measuring the bioelectrical activity such as muscle activity of at least two regions of the body of a human trainee and providing the trainee with a sensory signal corresponding to the amplitude and in-phase activity of each of the regions of the body comprising the steps of:

attaching electrical contacts to the body of the subject, said contacts being disposed adjacent to at least two regions of the body, and to a neutral area of the trainee'"'"'s body;

obtaining at least two signals from said contacts which correspond to each of said at least two regions of the body;

amplifying said at least two signals;

filtering the signals to obtain an output signal within a defined frequency range;

summing the amplified signals to produce a phase relevant measure of the trainee'"'"'s bioelectrical activity;

producing an auditory signal and modulating the volume of the auditory signal responsive to the amplitude and phase of the summed bioelectrical activity; and

presenting to the trainee an auditory signal which reflects the degree of phase parity and amplitude of the signals recorded from said at least two body regions.

8. A method of measuring the electroencephalographic activity of at least two lobes of the brain of a human trainee and providing the trainee with a sensory signal in response to a combination of amplitude and the inphase activity of each of the brain lobes comprising the steps of:

attaching electrical contacts to the head of the trainee, said contacts being disposed adjacent to at least two lobes of areas of the brain, and to a neutral area of the trainee'"'"'s head;

obtaining at least two signals from said contacts which correspond to each of said at least two lobes or areas of the brain;

amplifying said at least two signals;

summing the in-phase signals of the amplified brain wave activity to produce a phase relevant measure of the trainee'"'"'s brain wave activity;

filtering the summed signals to obtain an output signal within a defined frequency range;

producing an auditory signal and modulating the volume of the auditory signal responsive to the amplitude and phase of the summed brain wave activity; and

presenting to the trainee an audible signal which reflects the degree of phase parity and amplitude of the signals recorded from said at least two lobes or areas of the brain.

9. A method of measuring the electroencephalographic activity of at least two lobes of the brain of a human trainee and providing the trainee with a sensory signal in response to a combination of amplitude and the in-phase activity of each of the brain lobes comprising the steps of:

attaching electrical contacts to the head of the trainee, said contacts being disposed adjacent to at least two lobes of areas of the brain, and to a neutral area of the trainee'"'"'s head;

obtaining at least two signals from said contacts which correspond to each of said at least two lobes or areas of the brain;

amplifying said at least two signals;

filtering the signals to obtain output signals each within a defined frequency range;

summing the in-phase signals of the defined frequency band of the amplified brain wave activity to produce a phase relevant measure of the trainee'"'"'s brain wave activity;

producing a tactile signal and modulating the magnitude of the tactile signal responsive to the amplitude and phase of the summed brain wave activity; and

presenting to the trainee the tactile signal which reflects the degree of phase parity and amplitude of the signals recorded from said at least two lobes or areas of the brain.

10. A method of measuring the electroencephalographic activity of at least two lobes of the brain of a human trainee and providing the trainee with a sensory signal in response to a combination of amplitude and the in-phase activity of each of the brain lobes comprising the steps of:

attaching electrical contacts to the head of the trainee, said contacts being disposed adjacent to at least two lobes of areas of the brain, and to a neutral area of the trainee'"'"'s head;

obtaining at least two signals from said contacts which correspond to each of said at least two lobes or areas of the brain;

amplifying said at least two signals;

filtering the signals to obtain output signals each within a defined frequency range;

summing the in-phase signals of the defined frequency band of the amplified brain wave activity to produce a phase relevant measure of the trainee'"'"'s brain wave activity;

producing a visual signal and modulating the brightness of the visual signal responsive to the amplitude and phase of the summed brain wave activity; and

presenting to the trainee the visual signal which reflects the degree of phase parity and amplitude of the signals recorded from said at least two lobes or areas of the brain.

11. A method of measuring the electroencephalographic activity of at least two lobes of the brain of a human trainee and providing the trainee with a sensory signal in response to a combination of amplitude and the inphase activity of each of the brain lobes comprising the steps of:

attaching electrical contacts to the head of the trainee, said contacts being disposed adjacent to at least two lobes of areas of the brain, and to a neutral area of the trainee'"'"'s head;

obtaining at least two signals from said contacts which correspond to each of said at least two lobes or areas of the brain;

amplifying said at least two signals;

summing the in-phase signals of the amplified brain wave activity to produce a phase relevant measure of the trainee'"'"'s brain wave activity;

filtering the summed signals to obtain an output signal within a defined frequency range;

producing a tactile signal and modulating the magnitude of the tactile signal responsive to the amplitude and phase of the summed brain wave activity; and

presenting to the trainee the tactile signal which reflects the degree of phase parity and amplitude of the signals recorded from said at least two lobes or areas of the brain.

12. A method of measuring the electroencephalographic activity of at least two lobes of the brain of a human trainee and providing the trainee with a sensory signal in response to a combination of amplitude and the inphase activity of each of the brain lobes comprising the steps of:

attaching electrical contacts to the head of the trainee, said contacts being disposed adjacent to at least two lobes of areas of the brain, and to a neutral area of the trainee'"'"'s head;

obtaining at least two signals from said contacts which correspond to each of said at least two lobes or areas of the brain;

amplifying said at least two signals;

summing the in-phase signals of the amplified brain wave activity to produce a phase relevant measure of the trainee'"'"'s brain wave activity;

filtering the summed signals to obtain an output signal within a defined frequency range;

producing a visual signal and modulating the brightness of the visual signal responsive to the amplitude and phase of the summed brain wave activity; and

presenting to the trainee the visual signal which reflects the degree of phase parity and amplitude of the signals recorded from said at least two lobes or areas of the brain.

13. A method of measuring the bioelectrical activity such as muscle activity of at least two regions of the body of a human trainee and providing the trainee with a sensory signal corresponding to the amplitude and in-phase activity of each of the regions of the body comprising the steps of:

attaching electrical contacts to the body of the subject, said contacts being disposed adjacent to at least two regions of the body, and to a neutral area of the trainee'"'"'s body;

amplifying said at least two signals;

filtering the signals to obtain an output signal within a defined frequency range;

summing the amplified signals to produce a phase relevant measure of the trainee'"'"'s bioelectrical activity;

producing a tactile signal and modulating the magnitude of the tactile signal responsive to the amplitude and phase of the summed bioelectrical activity; and

presenting to the trainee the tactile signal which reflects the degree of phase parity and amplitude of the signals recorded from said at least two body regions.

14. A method of measuring the bioelectrical activity such as muscle activity of at least two regions of the body of a human trainee and providing the trainee with a sensory signal corresponding to the amplitude and in-phase activity of each of the regions of the body comprising the steps of:

attaching electrical contacts to the body of the subject, said contacts being disposed adjacent to at least two regions of the body, and to a neutral area of the trainee'"'"'s body;

obtaining at least two signals from said contacts which correspond to each of said at least two regions of the body;

amplifying said at least two signals;

filtering the signals to obtain an output signal within a defined frequency range;

summing the amplified signals to produce a phase relevant measure of the trainee'"'"'s bioelectrical activity;

producing a visual signal and modulating the brightness of the visual signal responsive to the amplitude and phase of the summed bioelectrical activity; and

presenting to the trainee the visual signal which reflects the degree of phase parity and amplitude of the signals recorded from said at least two body regions.