A system for use in performing ocular examinations, such as convergence and accommodation useful in diagnosing traumatic brain injury (including concussion), includes an assessment device. The assessment device includes a portable carrier having a visual target and a distance measurement component. The system may further include a communications channel and a companion device. The distance measurement component communicates via the communication channel with the companion device. The companion device stores one or more distances measured by the distance measurement component.
A headset for detecting brain electrical activity may include a flexible substrate having first and second ends each configured to engage an ear of a subject and dimensioned to fit across the forehead of a subject. The headset may also include a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate and configured to contact the subject when the headset is positioned on the subject. First and second electrodes may contact top center and lower center regions of the forehead, respectively, third and fourth electrodes may contact front right and front left regions of the forehead, respectively, fifth and sixth electrodes may contact right side and left side regions of the forehead, respectively, and electrodes included within the securing devices may contact the ear regions. The third and fourth electrodes may be moveable in at least a vertical direction relative to the other electrodes.
A system for use in performing ocular examinations, such as convergence and accommodation useful in diagnosing traumatic brain injury (including concussion), includes an assessment device. The assessment device includes a portable carrier having a visual target and a distance measurement component. The system may further include a communications channel and a companion device. The distance measurement component communicates via the communication channel with the companion device. The companion device stores one or more distances measured by the distance measurement component.
A headset for defecting brain electrical activity may include a flexible substrate having first and second ends each configured to engage an ear of a subject and dimensioned to fit across the forehead of a subject. The headset may also include a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate and configured to contact the subject when the headset is positioned on the subject. First and second electrodes may contact top center and lower center regions of the forehead, respectively, third and fourth electrodes may contact front right and front left regions of the forehead, respectively, fifth and sixth electrodes may contact right side and left side regions of the forehead, respectively, and electrodes included within the securing devices may contact the ear regions. The third and fourth electrodes may be moveable in at least a vertical direction relative to the other electrodes.
Methods and systems for assessing brain activity and collecting information related to a subject's condition and brain electrical activity are provided. The methods and systems include collecting and transferring data related to the neurological state of a subject. The systems and methods further include performing a first assessment of the collected data using an assessment device and performing a second assessment of the collected data using a computer. The methods further include comparing the first assessment and the second assessment and recording whether the first assessment and second assessment are consistent.
A61B 5/00 - Measuring for diagnostic purposes Identification of persons
G06F 19/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific applications (specially adapted for specific functions G06F 17/00;data processing systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial, supervisory or forecasting purposes G06Q;healthcare informatics G16H)
09 - Scientific and electric apparatus and instruments
10 - Medical apparatus and instruments
Goods & Services
(1) Automated, handheld, functional neurological medical assessment tool, namely, a handheld computer based on advanced digital signal processing (DSP) of the surface electroencephalogram (EEG) or auditory evoked potential (AEP)
A headset for detecting brain electrical activity may include a flexible substrate having first and second ends each configured to engage an ear of a subject and dimensioned to fit across the forehead of a subject. The headset may also include a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate and configured to contact the subject when the headset is positioned on the subject. First and second electrodes may contact top center and lower center regions of the forehead, respectively, third and fourth electrodes may contact front right and front left regions of the forehead, respectively, fifth and sixth electrodes may contact right side and left side regions of the forehead, respectively, and electrodes included within the securing devices may contact the ear regions. The third and fourth electrodes may be moveable in at least a vertical direction relative to the other electrodes.
A headset for detecting brain electrical activity may include a flexible substrate having first and second ends each configured to engage an ear of a subject and dimensioned to fit across the forehead of a subject. The headset may also include a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate and configured to contact the subject when the headset is positioned on the subject. First and second electrodes may contact top center and lower center regions of the forehead, respectively, third and fourth electrodes may contact front right and front left regions of the forehead, respectively, fifth and sixth electrodes may contact right side and left side regions of the forehead, respectively, and electrodes included within the securing devices may contact the ear regions. The third and fourth electrodes may be moveable in at least a vertical direction relative to the other electrodes.
A method of building classifiers for multimodal neurological assessment is described. The method comprises the steps of extracting quantitative features from a plurality of physiological and neurocognitive assessments, and selecting a subset of features from the extracted pool of features to construct multimodal classifiers. A device for performing point-of-care multimodal neurological assessment is also described.
G06N 3/126 - Evolutionary algorithms, e.g. genetic algorithms or genetic programming
G16H 50/20 - ICT specially adapted for medical diagnosis, medical simulation or medical data miningICT specially adapted for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
10.
METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MULTIMODAL NEUROLOGICAL EVALUATION
A method of building classifiers for multimodal neurological assessment is described. The method comprises the steps of extracting quantitative features from a plurality of physiological and neurocognitive assessments, and selecting a subset of features from the extracted pool of features to construct multimodal classifiers. A device for performing point-of-care multimodal neurological assessment is also described.
A method of building binary classifiers for classification of brain electrical activity data into one or more neurological classes is described. The method comprises the steps of extracting quantitative features from the brain electrical activity data, and reducing the pool of extracted features into a computationally manageable and statistically relevant set of features which can then be used for designing one or more classifiers.
G06F 19/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific applications (specially adapted for specific functions G06F 17/00;data processing systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial, supervisory or forecasting purposes G06Q;healthcare informatics G16H)
A device and method for acquiring and processing a patient's brain electrical activity is provided. Noise contamination during acquisition and transmission of the brain electrical signals is reduced by providing differential amplifiers in the patient sensor in close proximity to the electrodes. A guarding technique is applied in the patient sensor to avoid inductive coupling of low frequency environmental noise. Radio-frequency (RF) filters and a Faraday cage assembly are also provided in the patient sensor to reduce electromagnetic interference. The brain electrical signals acquired by the electrodes are transmitted through shielded cables to a handheld base unit for signal processing.
A device and method for assessment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is described. The device is configured to acquire brain electrical signals from a patient's forehead using one or more neurological electrodes. The acquired brain electrical activity data is subjected to artifact rejection and feature extraction, and a subset of features are then combined in at least one classifier function. The classifier functions statistically place a patient in one of four categories related to the extent of brain dysfunction: 1) normal brain electrical activity; 2) abnormal brain electrical activity consistent with non-structural injury with less severe manifestations of functional brain injury; 3) abnormal brain electrical activity consistent with non-structural injury with more severe manifestations of functional brain injury; and 4) abnormal brain electrical activity consistent with structural brain injury.
A device and method for assessment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is described. The device is configured to acquire brain electrical signals from a patient's forehead using one or more neurological electrodes. The acquired brain electrical activity data is subjected to artifact rejection and feature extraction, and a subset of features are then combined in at least one classifier function. The classifier functions statistically place a patient in one of four categories related to the extent of brain dysfunction: 1) normal brain electrical activity; 2) abnormal brain electrical activity consistent with non-structural injury with less severe manifestations of functional brain injury; 3) abnormal brain electrical activity consistent with non-structural injury with more severe manifestations of functional brain injury; and 4) abnormal brain electrical activity consistent with structural brain injury.
A method for automatically editing brain electrical activity data and a corresponding apparatus, the method comprising: positioning at least two frontal EEG electrodes on a patient; obtaining a signal representing brain electrical activity in each of the electrodes; analyzing the signal to determine if temporal segments of the signal include artifacts due to of any of eye movements, cable or electrode movements, impulse artifacts, and muscle activity, and if any segment does include artifacts identifying the segment as including artifacts; and editing the signal to remove segments that include artifacts.
16.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC EVOKED POTENTIALS ASSESSMENT
A method for automatically editing brain electrical activity data and a corresponding apparatus, the method comprising: positioning at least two frontal EEG electrodes on a patient; obtaining a signal representing brain electrical activity in each of the electrodes; analyzing the signal to determine if temporal segments of the signal include artifacts due to of any of eye movements, cable or electrode movements, impulse artifacts, and muscle activity, and if any segment does include artifacts identifying the segment as including artifacts; and editing the signal to remove segments that include artifacts.
A method and a system for monitoring or evaluating a neurologic state of a patient based on the following steps: collecting data related to brain electrical activity of a patient at a first location; transferring the data related to brain electrical activity to a memory unit located at a second location that is different from the first location; providing a classification of at least one neurological state of the patient based on the data related to brain electrical activity and data stored in a database; receiving information related to the at least one neurological state of the patient based on at least one evaluation technique not including brain electrical activity data; and updating the database to include the data related to brain electrical activity and the information related to the neurological state.
A method and apparatus for providing an objective assessment of the neurological state of a patient using a field-portable neuro-assessment device is described. The method includes placing an electrode set on the patient's head, acquiring spontaneous brain electrical signals and evoked potential signals from the patient through the electrode set, processing the signals using a handheld base unit, and displaying a result indicating the probability of the patient's neurological signal being normal or abnormal. The neuro-assessment device allows for a rapid, on-site neurological evaluation by an emergency medical technician, triage nurse, or any other medical personnel to identify patients with neurological disorders who may require immediate medical attention.
A method and a system for monitoring or evaluating a neurologic state of a patient based on the following steps: collecting data related to brain electrical activity of a patient at a first location; transferring the data related to brain electrical activity to a memory unit located at a second location that is different from the first location; providing a classification of at least one neurological state of the patient based on the data related to brain electrical activity and data stored in a database; receiving information related to the at least one neurological state of the patient based on at least one evaluation technique not including brain electrical activity data; and updating the database to include the data related to brain electrical activity and the information related to the neurological state.
A method and apparatus for providing an objective assessment of the neurological state of a patient using a field-portable neuro-assessment device is described. The method includes placing an electrode set on the patient's head, acquiring spontaneous brain electrical signals and evoked potential signals from the patient through the electrode set, processing the signals using a handheld base unit, and displaying a result indicating the probability of the patient's neurological signal being normal or abnormal. The neuro-assessment device allows for a rapid, on-site neurological evaluation by an emergency medical technician, triage nurse, or any other medical personnel to identify patients with neurological disorders who may require immediate medical attention.
A system for delivering health information is provided. The system comprises at least one apparatus configured to receive information related to a condition of a patient. The analysis system further comprises a reception system configured to receive data related to the patient's condition and a processor configured to assess a condition of a patient and to identify a data set including information related to the patient's condition. The system also comprises a communication system configured to communicate the data set to a user.
G06F 19/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific applications (specially adapted for specific functions G06F 17/00;data processing systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial, supervisory or forecasting purposes G06Q;healthcare informatics G16H)
A method of monitoring brain activity is provided, wherein the method includes receiving a signal associated with neuronal activity of a mammalian brain. The method also includes processing the signal using a linear, non-linear, or combination algorithm to extract a signal feature. A neuromarker may be determined based on an association between the signal feature and a library of features, wherein the library includes a plurality of signal features correlated with a plurality of disease states.
A61B 5/048 - Detecting the frequency distribution of signals
G06F 17/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions
G06F 19/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific applications (specially adapted for specific functions G06F 17/00;data processing systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial, supervisory or forecasting purposes G06Q;healthcare informatics G16H)
G06K 9/00 - Methods or arrangements for reading or recognising printed or written characters or for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints
24.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PAIN MONITORING AT THE POINT-OF-CARE
A method and apparatus for providing objective assessment of pain using a field portable devsce is described. The method includes placing an electrode set coupled to a handheld base unit on the subject's head, acquiring brain and/or peripheral nervous system electrical signals from the subject through the electrode set, processing the acquired brain electrica! signals using a feature extraction algorithm stored in a memory of the base unit, classifying the processed signals into pain categories, determining an objective quantification of the pain level, and indicating the pain category and/or pain scale on the handheld base unit. The memory of the base unit stores a reference database for classification of the processed signals, or the base unit is configured to wireiessly access the reference database from a remote data storage unit.
Methods for constructing classifiers for binary classification of quantitative brain electrical activity data is described. The classifier building methods are based on the application of one or more evolutionary algorithms. In one embodiment, the evolutionary algorithm used is a genetic algorithm. In another embodiment, the evolutionary algorithm used is a modified Random Mutation Hill Climbing algorithm. In yet another embodiment, a combination of a genetic algorithm and a modified Random Mutation Hill Climbing algorithm is used for building a classifier. The classifier building methods are fully automated, and are adapted to generate classifiers (for example, Linear Discriminant Functions) with high sensitivity, specificity and classification accuracy.
A method and apparatus for providing objective assessment of the brain state of a subject using a field portable device.The method includes placing an electrode set coupled to a handheld base unit on the subject's head, acquiring electrical brain signals from the subject through the electrode set, processing the acquired electrical brain signals using a feature extraction algorithm,classifying the extracted features into brain states, computing brain abnormality indices reflecting the probability of correct classification of brain state, and graphically displaying the classification result and the abnormality indices on the handheld base unit.
A method and apparatus for providing objective assessment of the brain state of a subject using a field portable device. The method includes placing an electrode set coupled to a handheld base unit on the subject's head, acquiring electrical brain signals from the subject through the electrode set, processing the acquired electrical brain signals using a feature extraction algorithm, classifying the extracted features into brain states, computing brain abnormality indices reflecting the probability of correct classification of brain state, and graphically displaying the classification result and the abnormality indices on the handheld base unit.
A system and method of signal denoising using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and fractal dimension analysis of the signal components in the ICA domain is described. The signal components with fractal dimensions higher than a pre-determined threshold are automatically attenuated or canceled in order to alleviate the noise in the signal. The denoised signal is reconstructed using inverse ICA transform of the signal components.
G06F 17/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions
G06F 19/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific applications (specially adapted for specific functions G06F 17/00;data processing systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial, supervisory or forecasting purposes G06Q;healthcare informatics G16H)
A61B 5/04 - Measuring bioelectric signals of the body or parts thereof
A61B 5/00 - Measuring for diagnostic purposes Identification of persons
29.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING USING FRACTAL DIMENSION ANALYSIS
A system and method of signal processing using linear or non-linear signal transformation and fractal dimension based analysis. Using a transform process (i.e. wavelet transform, Fourier transform, ICA transform, etc.), a signal is decomposed into a series of coefficients or components. Within this transform domain, fractal dimensions of the components are computed. The components with fractal dimensions higher than a pre-determined threshold are then selectively processed. A modified signal is reconstructed using inverse transform of the signal components.
G06F 17/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions
G06F 19/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific applications (specially adapted for specific functions G06F 17/00;data processing systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial, supervisory or forecasting purposes G06Q;healthcare informatics G16H)
A61B 5/04 - Measuring bioelectric signals of the body or parts thereof
A61B 5/00 - Measuring for diagnostic purposes Identification of persons
30.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSESSING BRAIN FUNCTION USING DIFFUSION GEOMETRIC ANALYSIS
A method of extracting features and classifying a neurological state of a subject is provided. The method includes recording brain electrical activity, organizing the recorded data set into digital documents, computing a diffusion geometry on the data set comprising at least a plurality of diffusion coordinates, and classifying the data set into a neurological state based on the metrics provided by the diffusion coordinates.
A method and apparatus for providing an on-site diagnosis of a subject to determine the presence and/or severity of a concussion is provided. The method includes placing an electrode set coupled to a handheld base unit on the subject's head, acquiring brain electrical signals from the subject through the electrode set, processing the acquired brain electrical signals using a signal processing algorithm stored in a memory of the base unit, determining the presence and/or severity of a concussion from the processed signals, indicating the presence and/or severity of a concussion on the handheld base unit, and determining a course of treatment for the subject based on the indication.
A method and apparatus for providing an on-site diagnosis of a subject to determine the presence and/or severity of a concussion is provided. The method includes placing an electrode set coupled to a handheld base unit on the subject's head, acquiring brain electrical signals from the subject through the electrode set, processing the acquired brain electrical signals using a signal processing algorithm stored in a memory of the base unit, determining the presence and/or severity of a concussion from the processed signals, indicating the presence and/or severity of a concussion on the handheld base unit, and determining a course of treatment for the subject based on the indication.
09 - Scientific and electric apparatus and instruments
Goods & Services
Automated, handheld, functional neurological assessment tool
based on advanced digital signal processing (dsp) of either
the surface electroencephalogram (eeg) and/or auditory
evoked potential (aep).
A disposable electrode array 100, 200 including a flexible member 106, 206 in which a plurality of electrodes 102, 202 are disposed, having a shape adapted to contact the forehead skin surface on a human patient. A pair of ear loops 104, 204 coupled to the disposable electrode array 100, 200 secure the disposable electrode array 100, 200 about the patient's ears, with the flexible member 106, 206 disposed across the patient's bow, retaining the electrodes 102, 202 against the skin surface. Additional electrodes 102, 202 are disposed in proximity to the ear loops 104, 204 and are configured to contact the skin surface behind the patient's ears. An auditory stimulus delivery element 116, 216 is coupled with each of the ear loops 104, 204, and positioned to seat in proximity to the patient's ear canal for the delivery of auditory stimulus. Electrical conductors associated with the electrodes 102, 202 and the stimulus delivery elements 116, 216 are routed within the flexible member 106, 206 to a common external connection point 118, 218 for connection to an external system. The disposable electrode array 100, 200 may be configured for both evoking and measuring evoked bio-potentials in the human subject, or for measuring bio-potentials evoked using a separate stimulus delivery system.
35.
METHOD FOR ASSESSING BRAIN FUNCTION AND PORTABLE AUTOMATIC BRAIN FUNCTION ASSESSMENT APPARATUS
A method and apparatus for performing rapid brain assessment may provide emergency triage to head trauma patients by analyzing a combination of spontaneous and evoked brain potentials. The spontaneous and evoked potentials are analyzed, and the results classified, to present a real-time assessment of a patient's brain, diagnosing any potential abnormalities therein.
36.
AUTOMATIC BRAIN FUNCTION ASSESSMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD
A method and apparatus for performing rapid brain assessment may provide emergency triage to head trauma patients by analyzing a combination of spontaneous and evoked brain potentials. The spontaneous and evoked potentials are analyzed, and the results classified, to present a real-time assessment of a patient's brain, diagnosing any potential abnormalities therein.
