WO2000056211A1 - Real-time brain wave measuring apparatus using headband and brain wave transmission method - Google Patents

Real-time brain wave measuring apparatus using headband and brain wave transmission method Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2000056211A1
WO2000056211A1 PCT/KR2000/000073 KR0000073W WO0056211A1 WO 2000056211 A1 WO2000056211 A1 WO 2000056211A1 KR 0000073 W KR0000073 W KR 0000073W WO 0056211 A1 WO0056211 A1 WO 0056211A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
brain wave
wave signals
serial port
multiple channels
electrode
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/KR2000/000073
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Pyong Woon Park
Youn Ho Shin
Sang Ku Yoo
Hyeong Seok Kim
Original Assignee
Korea Research Institute Of Jungshin Science
Changse Co., Ltd.
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Korea Research Institute Of Jungshin Science, Changse Co., Ltd. filed Critical Korea Research Institute Of Jungshin Science
Priority to AU24634/00A priority Critical patent/AU2463400A/en
Publication of WO2000056211A1 publication Critical patent/WO2000056211A1/en

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
    • A61B5/30—Input circuits therefor
    • A61B5/307—Input circuits therefor specially adapted for particular uses
    • A61B5/31—Input circuits therefor specially adapted for particular uses for electroencephalography [EEG]
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
    • A61B5/316—Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
    • A61B5/369—Electroencephalography [EEG]
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
    • A61B5/25—Bioelectric electrodes therefor
    • A61B5/251—Means for maintaining electrode contact with the body
    • A61B5/256—Wearable electrodes, e.g. having straps or bands
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
    • A61B5/25—Bioelectric electrodes therefor
    • A61B5/271—Arrangements of electrodes with cords, cables or leads, e.g. single leads or patient cord assemblies
    • A61B5/273—Connection of cords, cables or leads to electrodes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
    • A61B5/25—Bioelectric electrodes therefor
    • A61B5/279—Bioelectric electrodes therefor specially adapted for particular uses
    • A61B5/291—Bioelectric electrodes therefor specially adapted for particular uses for electroencephalography [EEG]
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/68—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
    • A61B5/6801—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
    • A61B5/6802—Sensor mounted on worn items
    • A61B5/6803—Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/72—Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes
    • A61B5/7225—Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/72—Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes
    • A61B5/7235—Details of waveform analysis
    • A61B5/7253—Details of waveform analysis characterised by using transforms
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B2562/00—Details of sensors; Constructional details of sensor housings or probes; Accessories for sensors
    • A61B2562/02—Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
    • A61B2562/0209—Special features of electrodes classified in A61B5/24, A61B5/25, A61B5/283, A61B5/291, A61B5/296, A61B5/053
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B2562/00—Details of sensors; Constructional details of sensor housings or probes; Accessories for sensors
    • A61B2562/22—Arrangements of medical sensors with cables or leads; Connectors or couplings specifically adapted for medical sensors
    • A61B2562/221—Arrangements of sensors with cables or leads, e.g. cable harnesses
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
    • A61B5/25—Bioelectric electrodes therefor
    • A61B5/279—Bioelectric electrodes therefor specially adapted for particular uses
    • A61B5/28—Bioelectric electrodes therefor specially adapted for particular uses for electrocardiography [ECG]
    • A61B5/282—Holders for multiple electrodes

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring brain waves, and more particularly, to a real-time brain wave measuring apparatus and method for measuring the brain waves of a subject and transmitting the measured brain wave via a serial port to a brain wave analyzing computer in real time
  • a brain wave which is measured at the scalp is a wave having a potential difference of dozens of micro volts and a frequency of 30 Hz or less
  • the brain wave is a physical value reflecting the state of human consciousness
  • the brain wave is divided into an alpha wave, a beta wave a theta wave and a delta wave
  • the beta wave has a frequency of at least 13 Hz and is related to usual action in which the five senses are functioning
  • the alpha wave has a frequency of 8-13 Hz and is related to a relaxed creative state
  • the theta wave has a frequency of 4-8 Hz and is often detected in adolescents having a learning disorder
  • the delta wave has a frequency of 0 5-4 Hz and typically appears in a normal sleep state
  • Reading of brain waves in a time domain requires much experience and skill and it is very difficult to differentiate between slight differences
  • it is desirable to process a measured signal such that the state of a subject can be easily read in real time
  • a conventional brain wave measuring apparatus uses cup electrodes employing paste which are attached to the scalp of a subject
  • a computer for analyzing brain waves must also be equipped with a special embedded card to receive and analyze the measured brain wave signals of multiple channels
  • a brain wave measuring apparatus for measuring a brain wave at the scalp of a subject and transmitting the measured brain wave to a single serial port which is provided in a computer for analyzing brain waves
  • the apparatus includes a brain wave sensor for sensing brain wave signals of multiple channels at predetermined portions of the subject's scalp using a plurality of electrodes, an interface and a serial port connector connected to the interface via a cable and connected to the serial port
  • the interface includes an amplifier for amplifying the amplitudes of the brain wave signals of multiple channels, the brain wave signals which are sensed by the brain wave sensor, an analog-to- digital converter for sampling and digitizing the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels, an encoder for coding a digital value calculated by the analog-to-digital converter of each channel in real time and a computer interface for transmitting the brain wave signals which are coded by the encoder to the serial port
  • a method for measuring a brain wave at the scalp of a subject and transmitting the measured brain wave to a single serial port which is provided in a computer for analyzing brain waves
  • the method includes the steps of amplifying the amplitudes of the measured brain wave signals of multiple channels, digitizing the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels by channel, coding the digital value of each channel together with the identifier of each channel in real time, and transmitting coded brain wave signals to the serial port
  • FIG 1 is a conceptional diagram showing an environment under which a brain wave measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used
  • FIG 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of a brain wave measuring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG 3A is a top sectional view of a headband which is put on the head of a subject, the headband being used in the embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG 3B is a front view of the headband depicted in FIG 3A
  • FIG 3C is a rear view of the headband depicted in FIG 3A
  • FIG 3D is a sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG 3B
  • FIG 3E shows a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) depicted in FIG 3D
  • FIG 4 is a diagram for explaining a coding procedure performed by the embodiment of the present invention
  • a subject wears a headband 1 to which electrodes are attached, or cup electrodes 2 are attached on the subject's scalp Both the head band 1 and the cup electrodes 2 may be used together
  • An interface 3 which is connected to the electrodes via a cable, then amplifies a voltage of tens of micro volts on the scalp up to a voltage of several volts and converts the voltage into digital values
  • a computer 4 encodes the digital values to be readable through a serial port The computer 4 performs a fast Fourier transform on brain wave signals and obtains the amplitude of the brain wave in each frequency band
  • a brain wave measuring apparatus includes a brain wave sensor 20, an interface 22 and a serial port connector 28
  • the brain wave sensor 20 senses brain wave signals of four channels at predetermined portions on a subject's scalp using a plurality of electrodes
  • the brain wave sensor 20 includes a headband having two channels and cup electrodes providing two channels
  • the headband having two channels are used to conveniently measure the brain wave at the frontal lobe
  • the cup electrodes providing two channels are used to selectively measure the brain wave at portions other than the frontal lobe, that is, the parietal lobe, the temporal lobe and the occipital lobe
  • the interface 22 is connected to the brain wave sensor 20 via a cable Preferably, a shielded line is used to prevent noise
  • the interface 22 includes an amplifier 23, an analog-to-digital converter 24, an encoder 25 and a computer interface 26
  • the amplifier 23 amplifies the amplitude of weak brain wave signals which are sensed by the brain wave sensor 20 after filtering the brain wave signals to remove noise
  • the brain wave signals are amplified by about 50,000 times
  • the analog-to-digital converter 24 samples the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels 120 times per second and converts the brain wave signals into digital values
  • the encoder 25 sequentially codes an identifier of each channel and a one byte digital value of each channel in real time
  • the computer interface 26 transmits the digital signals which have been coded by the encoder 25 to a serial port of a computer
  • the serial port connector 28 is connected to the interface 22 via a cable
  • the serial port connector 28 may be a 9-p ⁇ n connector or a 25-p ⁇ n connector according to the RS232-C mode for connection to the serial port of the computer
  • FIGS 3A through 3E are views for showing the structure of a headband which is used in the embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG 3A is a sectional view of the headband which is viewed from the top in a state in which a subject is wearing the headband
  • five electrodes 30, which are attached to the headband are tightly attached to the forehead (corresponding to the frontal lobe) of the subject
  • a locking device 32 for fixing the headband to the subject's head is positioned on the back of the subject's head
  • the headband is connected to the amplifier 23 through a shielded line 34
  • FIG 3B is a front view of the headband of FIG 3A The portion shown in FIG 3B does not come into contact with the subject's head while the subject is wearing the headband
  • the front portion of the headband is wrapped with a soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC) member 36
  • PVC polyvinyl chloride
  • FIG 3C is a rear view of the headband of FIG 3A
  • the portion shown in FIG 3C comes into contact with the subject's head while the subject is wearing the headband
  • the rear portion of the headband includes a first cushion 38 on the soft PVC member 36
  • Five electrodes 30 are attached to the first cushion 38
  • the first cushion 38 fixed between the soft PVC member 36 and the electrodes 30 allows the electrodes 30 to be appropriately and tightly attached to the scalp of a subject regardless of the size and shape of the head of each subject
  • FIG 3D is a sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG 3B
  • An electrode coupler 48 is attached such that its side is supported by the first cushion 38 which is thin and elastic
  • a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) 40 is disposed between the electrode coupler 48 and the soft PVC member 38
  • Coupling between the electrode coupler 48 and the flexible PCB 40 can be implemented in various manners
  • the coupling can be sustained by a mechanical force using screws
  • a second cushion 42 is provided between the flexible PCB 40 and the soft PVC member 36 to allow the subject to feel comfortable wnen the subject wears the headband and to allow the headband to be tightly attached to the scalp of the subject
  • the electrodes may be coated with extraneous matters, may corrode or may be damaged (for example, the plating may wear off) In such cases, contact resistance between the electrodes and a human body becomes larger resulting in inaccurate measurement
  • the electrodes 30 of the headband according to the embodiment of the present invention are formed to be removable so that they
  • FIG 3E shows the flexible PCB 40 of FIG 3D Among the five electrodes 30, the center electrode is a ground electrode, the two left electrodes are used for measuring the brain wave of the frontal lobe of the left brain, and the two right electrodes are used for measuring the brain wave of the frontal lobe of the right brain
  • the electrode 30 is long in the vertical direction and short in the horizontal direction when the subject wears the headband on the head, for example, the electrode 30 has an elliptical shape Since the sizes and shapes of the heads of subjects are different, when the five electrodes are widely spread out, poor contact frequently occurs between the electrodes and the scalp Accordingly, it is preferable that the size of each electrode is not too large in the horizontal direction in order to narrow the overall width of the five electrodes in the horizontal direction It is also preferable that each electrode is long in the vertical direction to ensure sufficient contact area
  • the electrodes are made of metal (for example, metal plated with gold) which has good conductivity and does not corrode
  • the flexible PCB 40 includes an electrode pad 44 contacting the electrode 30, a shielding wire pad 46 connected to the shielding wire 34, and a wire for connecting these pads.
  • the contact between the electrode 30 and the electrode pad 44 is mechanically accomplished, and the contact between the shielding wire 34 and the shielding wire pad 46 is accomplished by soldering
  • the flexible PCB 40 which is installed within the headband which varies according to the shapes of the heads of subjects prevents poor contact from occurring even if the headband is used for a long period of time
  • the flexible PCB 40 used in the embodiment of the present invention is a double-sided PCB whose back is an overall ground plane which is connected to the ground electrode and to the ground wire of the shielding wire Lines of the shielding wire 34 are connected to a shielding case of the amplifier 23 or the overall ground plane
  • the amplifier 23 amplifies the potential difference between the left two electrodes to calculate a brain wave signal of one channel and amplifies the potential difference between the right two electrodes to calculate a brain wave signal of the other channel
  • FIG 4 is a diagram for explaining a coding procedure according to the present invention
  • a character "A" one byte of data of a channel 1 is located
  • a character "B” one byte of data of a channel 2 is located
  • a character "C” one byte of data of a channel 3 is located
  • a character "D” one byte of data of a channel 4 is located
  • the characters are respective identifiers of the four channels
  • the identifiers of the channels are used for minimizing transmission error
  • a receiving terminal discards data in which an identifier of each channel is not identified
  • the brain wave signal which is coded in such a format is transmitted 120 times per second so that multiple brain wave channels can be transmitted to one serial port of the computer in real time
  • Brain wave signals of multiple channels are sensed at predetermined portions of the subject's scalp using a plurality of electrodes
  • the headband shown in FIGS 3A through 3E is used
  • a brain wave of two channels can be measured, but a headband for measuring a brain wave of one channel or a brain wave of at least three channels can be easily implemented based on the ideas of the present invention
  • a headband of two channels a four-channel mode in which the brains waves of two subjects are simultaneously measured is accomplished
  • two channels are assigned to the electrodes of a headband and the remaining two channels are assigned to other electrodes (for example, cup electrodes) for measuring a brain wave at portions of the scalp in which the brain wave is difficult
  • a headband having two channels and cup electrodes providing two channels are appropriately applied according to the purpose of measuring brain waves
  • brain wave signals of multiple channels are sensed and transmitted through a serial port to a brain wave analyzing computer in real time even if the brain wave analyzing computer is not equipped with special hardware for processing brain waves therewithin

Abstract

A real-time brain wave measuring apparatus and method for measuring the brain wave of a subject and transmitting the measured brain wave via a serial port to a brain wave analyzing computer in real time, is provided. The brain wave measuring apparatus includes a brain wave sensor for sensing brain wave signals of multiple channels at predetermined portions of the subject's scalp using a plurality of electrodes, an interface and a serial port connector connected to the interface via a cable and connected to the serial port. The interface includes an amplifier for amplifying the amplitudes of the brain wave signals of multiple channels, the brain wave signals which are sensed by the brain wave sensor; an analog-to-digital converter for sampling and digitizing the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels; an encoder for coding a digital value calculated by the analog-to-digital converter of each channel in real time; and a computer interface for transmitting the brain wave signals which are coded by the encoder to the serial port. Accordingly, brain wave signals of multiple channels are sensed and transmitted through the serial port to the brain wave analyzing computer in real time even if the brain wave analyzing computer is not equipped with special hardware for processing brain waves therewithin.

Description

REAL-TIME BRAIN WAVE MEASURING APPARATUS USING HEADBAND AND BRAIN WAVE TRANSMISSION METHOD
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring brain waves, and more particularly, to a real-time brain wave measuring apparatus and method for measuring the brain waves of a subject and transmitting the measured brain wave via a serial port to a brain wave analyzing computer in real time
Background Art
A brain wave which is measured at the scalp, is a wave having a potential difference of dozens of micro volts and a frequency of 30 Hz or less The brain wave is a physical value reflecting the state of human consciousness The brain wave is divided into an alpha wave, a beta wave a theta wave and a delta wave The beta wave has a frequency of at least 13 Hz and is related to usual action in which the five senses are functioning The alpha wave has a frequency of 8-13 Hz and is related to a relaxed creative state The theta wave has a frequency of 4-8 Hz and is often detected in adolescents having a learning disorder The delta wave has a frequency of 0 5-4 Hz and typically appears in a normal sleep state Many studies on the brain wave have been performed until now, but information contained in the brain wave cannot be sufficiently interpreted so that reading the brain wave is still difficult Brain waves can be read in a time domain or a frequency domain
Reading of brain waves in a time domain requires much experience and skill and it is very difficult to differentiate between slight differences For the method of analyzing the brain wave in the frequency domain which is widely used at present, it is desirable to process a measured signal such that the state of a subject can be easily read in real time
A conventional brain wave measuring apparatus uses cup electrodes employing paste which are attached to the scalp of a subject A computer for analyzing brain waves must also be equipped with a special embedded card to receive and analyze the measured brain wave signals of multiple channels
Disclosure of the Invention To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a brain wave measuring apparatus and method for sensing brain wave signals of four channels and providing the detected brain waves through the serial port to a brain wave analyzing computer even if the brain wave analyzing computer is not equipped with special hardware for processing brain waves therewithin
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a brain wave measuring apparatus for measuring a brain wave at the scalp of a subject and transmitting the measured brain wave to a single serial port which is provided in a computer for analyzing brain waves The apparatus includes a brain wave sensor for sensing brain wave signals of multiple channels at predetermined portions of the subject's scalp using a plurality of electrodes, an interface and a serial port connector connected to the interface via a cable and connected to the serial port The interface includes an amplifier for amplifying the amplitudes of the brain wave signals of multiple channels, the brain wave signals which are sensed by the brain wave sensor, an analog-to- digital converter for sampling and digitizing the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels, an encoder for coding a digital value calculated by the analog-to-digital converter of each channel in real time and a computer interface for transmitting the brain wave signals which are coded by the encoder to the serial port
There is also provided a method for measuring a brain wave at the scalp of a subject and transmitting the measured brain wave to a single serial port which is provided in a computer for analyzing brain waves The method includes the steps of amplifying the amplitudes of the measured brain wave signals of multiple channels, digitizing the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels by channel, coding the digital value of each channel together with the identifier of each channel in real time, and transmitting coded brain wave signals to the serial port
Brief Description of the Drawings
The above objective and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which
FIG 1 is a conceptional diagram showing an environment under which a brain wave measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, FIG 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of a brain wave measuring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG 3A is a top sectional view of a headband which is put on the head of a subject, the headband being used in the embodiment of the present invention, FIG 3B is a front view of the headband depicted in FIG 3A,
FIG 3C is a rear view of the headband depicted in FIG 3A, FIG 3D is a sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG 3B, FIG 3E shows a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) depicted in FIG 3D and FIG 4 is a diagram for explaining a coding procedure performed by the embodiment of the present invention
Best mode for carrying out the Invention
Referring to FIG 1 , a subject wears a headband 1 to which electrodes are attached, or cup electrodes 2 are attached on the subject's scalp Both the head band 1 and the cup electrodes 2 may be used together An interface 3 which is connected to the electrodes via a cable, then amplifies a voltage of tens of micro volts on the scalp up to a voltage of several volts and converts the voltage into digital values A computer 4 encodes the digital values to be readable through a serial port The computer 4 performs a fast Fourier transform on brain wave signals and obtains the amplitude of the brain wave in each frequency band Referring to FIG 2, a brain wave measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a brain wave sensor 20, an interface 22 and a serial port connector 28
The brain wave sensor 20 senses brain wave signals of four channels at predetermined portions on a subject's scalp using a plurality of electrodes In the embodiment of the present invention, the brain wave sensor 20 includes a headband having two channels and cup electrodes providing two channels The headband having two channels are used to conveniently measure the brain wave at the frontal lobe The cup electrodes providing two channels are used to selectively measure the brain wave at portions other than the frontal lobe, that is, the parietal lobe, the temporal lobe and the occipital lobe
The interface 22 is connected to the brain wave sensor 20 via a cable Preferably, a shielded line is used to prevent noise The interface 22 includes an amplifier 23, an analog-to-digital converter 24, an encoder 25 and a computer interface 26 The amplifier 23 amplifies the amplitude of weak brain wave signals which are sensed by the brain wave sensor 20 after filtering the brain wave signals to remove noise The brain wave signals are amplified by about 50,000 times The analog-to-digital converter 24 samples the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels 120 times per second and converts the brain wave signals into digital values The encoder 25 sequentially codes an identifier of each channel and a one byte digital value of each channel in real time The computer interface 26 transmits the digital signals which have been coded by the encoder 25 to a serial port of a computer
The serial port connector 28 is connected to the interface 22 via a cable The serial port connector 28 may be a 9-pιn connector or a 25-pιn connector according to the RS232-C mode for connection to the serial port of the computer
FIGS 3A through 3E are views for showing the structure of a headband which is used in the embodiment of the present invention FIG 3A is a sectional view of the headband which is viewed from the top in a state in which a subject is wearing the headband When a subject wears the headband, five electrodes 30, which are attached to the headband, are tightly attached to the forehead (corresponding to the frontal lobe) of the subject A locking device 32 for fixing the headband to the subject's head is positioned on the back of the subject's head The headband is connected to the amplifier 23 through a shielded line 34 FIG 3B is a front view of the headband of FIG 3A The portion shown in FIG 3B does not come into contact with the subject's head while the subject is wearing the headband The front portion of the headband is wrapped with a soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC) member 36
FIG 3C is a rear view of the headband of FIG 3A The portion shown in FIG 3C comes into contact with the subject's head while the subject is wearing the headband The rear portion of the headband includes a first cushion 38 on the soft PVC member 36 Five electrodes 30 are attached to the first cushion 38 The first cushion 38 fixed between the soft PVC member 36 and the electrodes 30 allows the electrodes 30 to be appropriately and tightly attached to the scalp of a subject regardless of the size and shape of the head of each subject
FIG 3D is a sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG 3B An electrode coupler 48 is attached such that its side is supported by the first cushion 38 which is thin and elastic A flexible printed circuit board (PCB) 40 is disposed between the electrode coupler 48 and the soft PVC member 38 Coupling between the electrode coupler 48 and the flexible PCB 40 can be implemented in various manners For example, the coupling can be sustained by a mechanical force using screws A second cushion 42 is provided between the flexible PCB 40 and the soft PVC member 36 to allow the subject to feel comfortable wnen the subject wears the headband and to allow the headband to be tightly attached to the scalp of the subject When the electrodes are used for a long time, the electrodes may be coated with extraneous matters, may corrode or may be damaged (for example, the plating may wear off) In such cases, contact resistance between the electrodes and a human body becomes larger resulting in inaccurate measurement To solve this problem the electrodes 30 of the headband according to the embodiment of the present invention are formed to be removable so that they can be replaced with new electrodes when necessary More specifically, each electrode 30 has a projecting portion for allowing the electrode 30 to be physically detached from or attached to the electrode coupler 48 The electrode coupler 48 has a reentrant for mating with the projecting portion of the electrode 30
FIG 3E shows the flexible PCB 40 of FIG 3D Among the five electrodes 30, the center electrode is a ground electrode, the two left electrodes are used for measuring the brain wave of the frontal lobe of the left brain, and the two right electrodes are used for measuring the brain wave of the frontal lobe of the right brain Preferably, the electrode 30 is long in the vertical direction and short in the horizontal direction when the subject wears the headband on the head, for example, the electrode 30 has an elliptical shape Since the sizes and shapes of the heads of subjects are different, when the five electrodes are widely spread out, poor contact frequently occurs between the electrodes and the scalp Accordingly, it is preferable that the size of each electrode is not too large in the horizontal direction in order to narrow the overall width of the five electrodes in the horizontal direction It is also preferable that each electrode is long in the vertical direction to ensure sufficient contact area Preferably, the electrodes are made of metal (for example, metal plated with gold) which has good conductivity and does not corrode
Five wires which are connected to the electrodes are connected to the amplifier 23 A shielding wire 34 is used for preventing noise The electrodes 30 are connected to the shielding wire 34 through the flexible PCB 40 The flexible PCB 40 includes an electrode pad 44 contacting the electrode 30, a shielding wire pad 46 connected to the shielding wire 34, and a wire for connecting these pads The contact between the electrode 30 and the electrode pad 44 is mechanically accomplished, and the contact between the shielding wire 34 and the shielding wire pad 46 is accomplished by soldering The flexible PCB 40, which is installed within the headband which varies according to the shapes of the heads of subjects prevents poor contact from occurring even if the headband is used for a long period of time The flexible PCB 40 used in the embodiment of the present invention is a double-sided PCB whose back is an overall ground plane which is connected to the ground electrode and to the ground wire of the shielding wire Lines of the shielding wire 34 are connected to a shielding case of the amplifier 23 or the overall ground plane By this structure, connection between the electrodes 30 of the headband and the amplifier 23 is shielded, thereby preventing mixture of noise
The amplifier 23 amplifies the potential difference between the left two electrodes to calculate a brain wave signal of one channel and amplifies the potential difference between the right two electrodes to calculate a brain wave signal of the other channel
FIG 4 is a diagram for explaining a coding procedure according to the present invention After a character "A" one byte of data of a channel 1 is located After a character "B" one byte of data of a channel 2 is located After a character "C", one byte of data of a channel 3 is located After a character "D", one byte of data of a channel 4 is located The characters are respective identifiers of the four channels The identifiers of the channels are used for minimizing transmission error A receiving terminal discards data in which an identifier of each channel is not identified The brain wave signal which is coded in such a format is transmitted 120 times per second so that multiple brain wave channels can be transmitted to one serial port of the computer in real time
The description of a method for measuring a brain wave at the scalp of a subject and transmitting the measured brain wave to a single serial port which is provided in a computer for analyzing the brain wave, will be set forth below Brain wave signals of multiple channels are sensed at predetermined portions of the subject's scalp using a plurality of electrodes When intending to conveniently measure the brain wave without using paste, the headband shown in FIGS 3A through 3E is used In the embodiment of the present invention, a brain wave of two channels can be measured, but a headband for measuring a brain wave of one channel or a brain wave of at least three channels can be easily implemented based on the ideas of the present invention When each of two subjects wears a headband of two channels a four-channel mode in which the brains waves of two subjects are simultaneously measured is accomplished When the brain wave of one subject is measured, two channels are assigned to the electrodes of a headband and the remaining two channels are assigned to other electrodes (for example, cup electrodes) for measuring a brain wave at portions of the scalp in which the brain wave is difficult to measure using the headband The four channels may all be assigned to electrodes other than the electrodes of the headband The amplitudes of the brain wave signals of multiple channels, which are measured in this manner, are amplified and the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels are digitized by channel The digital value of each channel is coded in real time together with the identifier of each channel The coded brain wave signals are transmitted to a computer for analyzing brain waves through a single serial port which is provided in the computer, and analyzed by the computer
Industrial Applicability
According to the present invention, a headband having two channels and cup electrodes providing two channels are appropriately applied according to the purpose of measuring brain waves In addition, according to the present invention, brain wave signals of multiple channels are sensed and transmitted through a serial port to a brain wave analyzing computer in real time even if the brain wave analyzing computer is not equipped with special hardware for processing brain waves therewithin

Claims

What is claimed is
1 A brain wave measuring apparatus for measuring a brain wave at the scalp of a subject and transmitting the measured brain wave to a single serial port which is provided in a computer for analyzing brain waves, the apparatus comprising a brain wave sensor for sensing brain wave signals of multiple channels at predetermined portions on the subject's scalp using a plurality of electrodes an interface connected to the brain wave sensor via a cable, for amplifying the sensed brain wave signals of multiple channels and digitizing and real-time coding the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels and a serial port connector connected to the interface via a cable and connected to the serial port
2 The brain wave measuring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interface comprises an amplifier for amplifying the amplitudes of the brain wave signals of multiple channels, the brain wave signals which are sensed by the brain wave sensor, an analog-to-digital converter for sampling and digitizing the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels, an encoder for coding a digital value calculated by the analog-to-digital converter of each channel in real time and a computer interface for transmitting the brain wave signals which are coded by the encoder to the serial port
3 The brain wave measuring apparatus of claim 2, wherein the coded brain wave signals each sequentially includes an identifier of each channel and the digital value of each channel, the identifier and the digital value being one byte, respectively
4 The brain wave measuring apparatus of claim 2, wherein the brain wave sensor comprises a headband having two channels for measuring the brain wave at the left and right frontal lobes of the subject, and cup electrodes providing two channels
5 The brain wave measuring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the brain wave sensor is a headband comprising a basic member of a band type, a flexible printed circuit board mounted on the basic member, the flexible printed circuit board comprising a plurality of electrode pads, a plurality of shielding wire pads and wires for connecting the plurality of electrode pads to the plurality of shielding wire pads, a plurality of electrodes corresponding to the plurality of electrode pads one to one, each electrode having a projecting portion for implementing a detachable electrode, and a plurality of electrode couplers corresponding to the plurality of electrode pads one to one, one end of each electrode coupler contacting with a corresponding electrode pad, the other end of each electrode coupler having a reentrant which is physically coupled to the projecting portion of a corresponding electrode
6 A method for transmitting brain wave signals of multiple channels to a single serial port which is provided in a brain wave analyzing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of amplifying the amplitudes of the measured brain wave signals of multiple channels, digitizing the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels by channel, coding the digital value of each channel together with the identifier of each channel in real time, and transmitting coded brain wave signals to the serial port
PCT/KR2000/000073 1999-03-23 2000-01-29 Real-time brain wave measuring apparatus using headband and brain wave transmission method WO2000056211A1 (en)

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KR1999/9822 1999-03-23

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KR100282733B1 (en) 2001-02-15
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