Brain magnetic measurement helmet

Abstract

The invention discloses a brain magnetic measurement helmet, and belongs to the field of brain magnetic detection, the brain magnetic measurement helmet comprises a main body module, a plurality of split modules, an adjusting assembly, an operation piece and a plurality of sensors, the plurality of split modules are respectively rotatably installed on the main body module to form the helmet, the adjusting assembly is fixed on one split module and penetrates through the other split modules, and the operation piece is fixed on the main body module. The operating part is movably mounted on the main body module, and the operating part is matched with the adjusting assembly to change the position of the adjusting assembly, so that the plurality of split modules rotate relative to the main body module to realize opening or tightening, and a plurality of sensors are mounted on the main body module and the plurality of split modules. The sensors installed on the multiple split modules can rotate along with the split modules so as to be tightly attached to the scalp, the signal intensity is guaranteed, meanwhile, the sensors can be conveniently positioned, and the brain magnetic measurement helmet is suitable for different sizes, shapes and head forms of people of different ages.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of brain magnetism detection, in particular to a brain magnetism measurement helmet. Background Art

[0002] Brain magnetometry technology is a completely non-invasive means of detecting brain signals. Its basic principle is to place extremely weak magnetic measurement sensors on the outside of the scalp to capture the weak magnetic field generated by the discharge of brain neurons. Currently, the existing brain magnetometry sensors are mainly based on the superconducting quantum interference device (SUQID) based on liquid helium superconducting technology and the optically pumped atomic magnetometer (OPM).

[0003] Since the SUQID magnetoencephalogram requires liquid helium to maintain the superconducting state, it has disadvantages such as high cost, large size, and expensive maintenance. Therefore, countries around the world are actively promoting the development of magnetoencephalograms based on atomic magnetometers.

[0004] Because the magnetic brain signal is weak and extremely sensitive to the signal transmission distance, both SUQID and OPM technology require the sensor to be as close to the subject's scalp as possible to ensure signal strength.

[0005] In actual implementation, the magnetic detection sensor needs to be placed on a carrier similar to a helmet. The sensors of the OPM-based magnetoencephalography device can be arranged arbitrarily to achieve wearable measurement. The existing solutions are mainly fixed helmets. For fixed helmets, the implementation method of the fully rigid fixed helmet is simple and conducive to the integration of the whole machine, but its shortcomings are similar to those of the SQUID magnetoencephalography, and there are great limitations in actual use. In order to adapt to the different sizes and shapes of heads of people of different ages and populations, fixed helmets are generally fixed and large in size. Although the sensor position is fixed in this solution, the distance between the sensor and the subject's scalp is relatively large (signal attenuation is large), and the subject must always remain still during the measurement process, and the comfort is poor (in actual use, the subject's head shakes and the signal quality is poor). Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet in which a sensor is placed close to the subject's scalp to ensure signal strength.

[0007] One of the purposes of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solution:

[0008] A magnetoencephalography helmet comprises a main body module, a plurality of split modules, an adjustment component, an operating member and a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of split modules are rotatably mounted on the main body module to form a helmet, the adjustment component is fixed to one of the split modules and is passed through the other split modules, the operating member is movably mounted on the main body module and the operating member cooperates with the adjustment component to change the position of the adjustment component, thereby allowing the plurality of split modules to rotate relative to the main body module to be opened or tightened, and the main body module and the plurality of split modules are both equipped with a plurality of the sensors.

[0009] Furthermore, the main body module is a top module, the number of the split modules is three, the three split modules are a front module, a first side module and a second side module, and the adjustment component is fixed to the front module and passes through the first side module and the second side module.

[0010] Furthermore, the magnetoencephalography helmet also includes a strap, which is made of an elastic material, and two ends of the strap are respectively fixed to the first side module and the second side module.

[0011] Furthermore, the adjustment component includes an adjustment belt and an adjustment part fixed to the adjustment belt, the adjustment belt is fixed to one of the split modules and passed through the other split modules, the adjustment part is provided with a rack, the operating member is rotatably installed on the main module, the operating member includes a gear, the gear is meshed with the rack, the operating member rotates relative to the main module, and the gear drives the rack to move.

[0012] Furthermore, there are two adjusting parts, and the two adjusting parts are respectively located at two ends of the adjusting belt, and the racks of the two adjusting parts are respectively located on opposite sides of the gear.

[0013] Furthermore, the magnetoencephalography helmet also includes a plurality of mounting parts, each of which is made of a high-toughness and rigid material. The mounting parts are installed on the main module and the split module, and the sensor is installed on the mounting parts.

[0014] Furthermore, the main module and the split module are both provided with a plurality of mounting slots, the magnetoencephalography measurement helmet also includes a plurality of insulation blocks, each of the insulation blocks is located in one of the mounting slots, the mounting member is installed in the mounting slot, and the insulation block is located between the mounting member and the main module or the split module.

[0015] Furthermore, the mounting piece is provided with a plurality of hollow holes.

[0016] Furthermore, the mounting member includes a buckle portion, and the buckle portion is buckled with the sensor located in the mounting member.

[0017] Furthermore, each of the mounting components is provided with a plurality of marking grooves, and the position and direction information of the sensor in the mounting component is calculated by the coordinate dimensions of the marking grooves.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet of the present invention includes a main body module, multiple split modules, an adjustment component, an operating piece and multiple sensors. The multiple split modules are rotatably installed on the main body module to form a helmet. The adjustment component is fixed to a split module and is passed through the other split modules. The operating piece is movably installed on the main body module and the operating piece cooperates with the adjustment component to change the position of the adjustment component, so that the multiple split modules can be rotated relative to the main body module to achieve opening or tightening. Multiple sensors are installed on the main body module and the multiple split modules. Through the above design, the sensors installed on the multiple split modules can rotate with the split modules to be close to the scalp to ensure signal strength, and the magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet is suitable for different sizes and shapes of heads of different ages and people. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A stereoscopic diagram of a magnetoencephalometric helmet according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the internal structure of the magnetoencephalometric helmet;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Another stereoscopic view of the internal structure of the magnetoencephalometric helmet;

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the partial structure of the magnetoencephalometric helmet;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the local structure of the magnetoencephalometric helmet;

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 1 Another partial structural stereogram of the magnetoencephalography helmet.

[0025] In the figure: 10, top module; 11, first rotating shaft; 12, second rotating shaft; 13, third rotating shaft; 20, front module; 30, first side module; 31, first connecting buckle; 40, second side module; 41, second connecting buckle; 50, strap; 60, adjustment assembly; 61, adjustment strap; 62, adjustment part; 620, rack; 70, operating member; 71, gear; 72, knob; 81, mounting slot; 82, positioning pin; 83, mounting member; 830, hollow hole; 831, buckle part; 832, marking slot; 84, insulation block; 85, sensor; 861, first heat dissipation hole; 862, second heat dissipation hole; 863, third heat dissipation hole; 871, fourth heat dissipation hole; 872, fifth heat dissipation hole; 873, sixth heat dissipation hole; 881, first outlet hole; 882, second outlet hole; 90, groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be another intermediate component through which it is fixed. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be another intermediate component at the same time. When a component is considered to be "set on" another component, it may be directly set on the other component or there may be another intermediate component at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0029] The brain magnetism measurement helmet of the present invention captures the weak magnetic field generated by the discharge of brain neurons through an optically pumped atomic magnetometer (OPM), thereby realizing non-invasive detection of brain signals.

[0030] See also Figures 1 to 6The magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet of the present invention comprises a main body module, a plurality of split modules, a strap 50, an adjustment assembly 60, an operating member 70, a mounting member 83, a heat insulating block 84 and a sensor 85. The plurality of split modules are rotatably connected to the main body module, and the plurality of split modules and the main body module together form the outline of the helmet. The plurality of split modules are rotated relative to the main body module by the adjustment assembly 60 and the operating member 70, so as to loosen or tighten the magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet, so that the magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet can be adapted to different ages, different sizes and shapes of heads of different groups, and the sensor 85 mounted on the magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet can be closely attached to the scalp to ensure the signal strength.

[0031] Specifically, in this embodiment, the magnetoencephalography helmet is divided into four parts, the main module is specifically the top module 10, the number of split modules is three, and the three split modules are respectively the front module 20, the first side module 30, and the second side module 40. The top module 10 is provided with a first rotating shaft 11, a second rotating shaft 12, and a third rotating shaft 13. The first rotating shaft 11 is located at the front end of the top module 10, and the front module 20 is rotatably connected to the top module 10 through the first rotating shaft 11. The second rotating shaft 12 and the third rotating shaft 13 are respectively located on both sides of the top module 10, and the second rotating shaft 12 is parallel to the third rotating shaft 13 and perpendicular to the first rotating shaft 11. The first side module 30 is rotatably connected to the top module 10 through the second rotating shaft 12, and the second side module 40 is rotatably connected to the top module 10 through the third rotating shaft 13. The first side module 30 is provided with a first connecting buckle 31 for fixing the strap 50, and the number of the first connecting buckles 31 is two, and the two first connecting buckles 31 are arranged at intervals. The second side module 40 is provided with a second connection buckle 41 for fixing the binding belt 50. The number of the second connection buckles 41 is two, and the two second connection buckles 41 are arranged at intervals.

[0032] The strap 50 is used to provide tightening force. The strap 50 is made of elastic material. The two ends of the strap 50 are respectively triangular and fixed to the first connecting buckle 31 and the second connecting buckle 41. When the magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet is in use, the strap 50 contacts the user's chin, so that the magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet is tightened in the height direction, so that the top module 10 is close to the scalp, and the sensor 85 located on the top module 10 is close to the scalp.

[0033] The adjustment component 60 is used to make the split modules located in the circumference of the magnetoencephalography helmet close to the scalp. That is, the front module 20, the first side module 30, and the second side module 40 in this embodiment are close to the scalp. Specifically, the adjustment component 60 includes an adjustment belt 61 and two adjustment parts 62. The adjustment belt 61 is made of high-toughness material. The adjustment belt 61 is fixed to the front module 20 and the two ends of the adjustment belt 61 pass through the preset notches of the first side module 30 and the second side module 40 respectively. The two adjustment parts 62 are fixedly connected to the two ends of the adjustment belt 61. Each adjustment part 62 is provided with a rack 620, and the racks 620 of the two adjustment parts 62 are respectively located on the opposite sides of the gear 71, so that when the operating part 70 rotates, the two adjustment parts 62 can move towards or away from each other, so that the operating part 70 can simultaneously control the front module 20, the first side module 30 and the second side module 40, so that the magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet is opened or tightened, and the helmet actively fits the subject's head. The helmet can fit the scalp to the maximum extent and keep the relative position fixed, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the magnetoencephalogram measurement.

[0034] Specifically, in this embodiment, the racks 620 of the two adjustment parts 62 are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the gear 71. The operating member 70 includes a gear 71, a knob 72, and a ratchet and pawl mechanism. The gear 71 is fixedly connected to the knob 72, and the knob 72 drives the gear 71 to rotate. The ratchet and pawl mechanism is arranged above the gear 71, and the ratchet and pawl mechanism fixes the adjustment position to ensure the stability of the helmet shape.

[0035] A plurality of mounting grooves 81 are provided on the front module 20, the first side module 30, and the second side module 40. The mounting grooves 81 are provided on a plane and are grooves of a certain depth. The depth of the mounting grooves 81 is 0.4 mm-0.6 mm. In this embodiment, the depth of the mounting grooves 81 is 0.5 mm. A heat insulating block 84 is placed in the mounting groove 81. The heat insulating block 84 is a low thermal conductivity material to prevent heat from being transferred to the subject's head when the sensor 85 is working. A positioning pin 82 is provided at the edge of the mounting groove 81. The positioning pin 82 cooperates with the mounting member 83 to fix the mounting member 83 to the mounting groove 81.

[0036] The mounting member 83 is a hollow structure to form a slot for mounting the sensor 85. The mounting member 83 is made of a high-toughness material, and the four sides are hollowed out to form a hollow hole 830 so that the heat of the sensor 85 can be better transferred outward. A snap portion 831 is provided on the side of the mounting member 83. After the sensor 85 is inserted, it is stably assembled in the mounting member 83 through the cooperation with the slot and the snap of the snap portion 831. A marking groove 832 is provided on the top of the mounting member 83. The marking groove 832 is circular and there are 4 of them. The diameter of the marking groove 832 is 0.4mm-0.6mm and the depth is 0.1mm-0.3mm. In this embodiment, the marking groove 832 is preferably 0.5mm in diameter and 0.2mm in depth. By measuring the coordinate dimensions of the four marking grooves 832, the position and direction information of the sensor 85 in the slot can be converted.

[0037] Since the mounting member 83, the front module 20, the first side module 30, and the second side module 40 are all made of rigid materials, the mounting member 83 and the module body are fully constrained, so all the components on the module are relatively fixed, that is, knowing the position coordinates of any component on the module can deduce the overall position information, and vice versa. For the helmet designed by the present invention, the helmet is assembled from the four modules mentioned above. For any single module, its main body and its corresponding shell are fixedly assembled, that is, a new rigid whole is formed after the assembly is completed. Each module shell is designed with four cylindrical grooves 90, and the spatial position information of the entire module can be obtained by measuring the coordinates of the four grooves 90.

[0038] Sensor 85 is an atomic magnetometer. There is a heating device inside sensor 85 to heat the atomic gas chamber to about 125°C. Therefore, the surface temperature of sensor 85 is generally around 40-50°C when it is working. During the long-term brain magnetism measurement process, the heat of sensor 85 will continue to radiate outward, causing the temperature of the entire helmet to rise. In order to ensure the comfort of the helmet during the entire brain magnetism measurement process and reduce the stimulation and interference caused by the heating of the helmet, the helmet is provided with a first heat dissipation hole 861, a second heat dissipation hole 862, and a third heat dissipation hole 863 on the upper surface of each module, and a fourth heat dissipation hole 871, a fifth heat dissipation hole 872, and a sixth heat dissipation hole 873 on the lower surface of each module. These heat dissipation holes can actively release the heat inside the helmet to the outside. At the same time, the low thermal conductivity insulation material insulation block 84 in the groove below each sensor 85 on the module body can prevent the heat of the sensor 85 from being transferred to the subject's head, playing a passive insulation role.

[0039] A large number of sensors 85 are installed in each module inside the helmet, and each sensor 85 has a corresponding independent control cable. A wiring trough is designed on the outer shell of each module of the helmet, and its direction is toward the rear end of the top module 10. After the sensor 85 is installed, the wiring harness of the sensor group can be neatly gathered at the rear end of the helmet and divided into two bundles, which are respectively led out from the first outlet hole 881 and the second outlet hole 882. In addition to satisfying the function of arranging the wiring harness, the design of the wiring trough also plays the role of reinforcing ribs in the structure, increasing the overall structural strength, increasing the internal space of the helmet, and facilitating the heat dissipation of the sensor 85.

[0040] When using the magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet, the magnetoencephalogram helmet is first opened to the maximum position through the rear end operating part 70. After the subject puts on the helmet, the knob 72 is used to tighten the helmet and adjust the chin strap 50 to a tight and comfortable state so that the helmet can be stably worn on the subject's head. It is only necessary to measure the coordinates of the landmark points (grooves 90) of each module and the physiological position landmark points of the subject's head (generally the left and right ear roots and the root of the nose) to complete the alignment of the helmet and the subject's brain position. In the later magnetoencephalogram data analysis, the signal can be traced back and analyzed in combination with the brain magnetic resonance data.

[0041] Compared with the fully flexible helmet, the magnetoencephalogram helmet of this application has faster, more convenient and higher accuracy in positioning the sensor 85. The fully flexible helmet uses optical scanning, and the helmet body has many wrinkles, which makes it difficult to reconstruct after optical scanning. Secondly, optical scanning is difficult to integrate into the interior of the shielded room. After external scanning and positioning, it enters the shielded room for measurement, which increases the time of the entire detection process. The helmet designed by the present invention is assembled using 4 rigid modules, and the modules are connected by a rotating shaft to realize the opening and closing of the helmet, which can adapt to the brains of subjects of different sizes and head shapes. Each rigid helmet module internal mounting part 83 is designed with a marking groove 832. After the helmet is installed, the coordinate information of each mounting part 83 is measured to complete the position alignment of all mounting parts 83. The outer shell surface of each module is also designed with positioning groove 90 marking points. Before the magnetoencephalogram measurement, it is only necessary to collect the coordinates of 16 grooves 90 of 4 modules, and synchronously collect the subject's head marking points, so that the 72 mounting parts 83 can be aligned with the spatial position of the subject's brain. This method realizes the accurate alignment position when the sensor 85 is close to the scalp.

[0042] The magnetoencephalogram helmet of this application is more comfortable and can meet various measurement modes such as sitting, half-lying, and sleeping. The measurement mode is more user-friendly and closer to the actual needs of actual brain science research and clinical applications.

[0043] The above embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, which are equivalent modifications and improvements made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of the present invention, and all of them belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A magnetoencephalogram measurement helmet, comprising a main body module, characterized in that: The magnetoencephalographic measurement helmet also includes multiple split modules, an adjustment component, an operating member and multiple sensors. The multiple split modules are rotatably installed on the main module to form a helmet. The adjustment component is fixed to one of the split modules and penetrates the other split modules. The operating member is movably installed on the main module and the operating member cooperates with the adjustment component to change the position of the adjustment component, so that the multiple split modules can be rotated relative to the main module to achieve opening or tightening. Multiple sensors are installed on the main module and the multiple split modules.

2. The magnetoencephalogram measuring helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main body module is a top module, the number of the split modules is three, the three split modules are a front module, a first side module and a second side module, and the adjustment component is fixed to the front module and penetrates the first side module and the second side module.

3. The magnetoencephalogram measuring helmet according to claim 2, characterized in that: The magnetoencephalography helmet further includes a strap, which is made of an elastic material, and two ends of the strap are respectively fixed to the first side module and the second side module.

4. The magnetoencephalogram measuring helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjustment assembly includes an adjustment belt and an adjustment part fixed to the adjustment belt, the adjustment belt is fixed to one of the split modules and passed through the other split modules, the adjustment part is provided with a rack, the operating member is rotatably installed on the main module, the operating member includes a gear, the gear is meshed with the rack, the operating member rotates relative to the main module, and the gear drives the rack to move.

5. The magnetoencephalogram measuring helmet according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are two adjusting parts, and the two adjusting parts are respectively located at two ends of the adjusting belt, and the racks of the two adjusting parts are respectively located at two opposite sides of the gear.

6. The magnetoencephalogram measuring helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The magnetoencephalography helmet also includes a plurality of mounting parts, each of which is made of a high-toughness and rigid material. The mounting parts are mounted on the main module and the split module, and the sensor is mounted on the mounting parts.

7. The magnetoencephalogram measuring helmet according to claim 6, characterized in that: The main module and the split module are both provided with a plurality of mounting slots, and the magnetoencephalography measurement helmet further comprises a plurality of insulation blocks, each of which is located in one of the mounting slots, the mounting member is installed in the mounting slot, and the insulation block is located between the mounting member and the main module or the split module.

8. The magnetoencephalogram measuring helmet according to claim 6, characterized in that: The mounting piece is provided with a plurality of hollow holes.

9. The magnetoencephalogram measuring helmet according to claim 6, characterized in that: The mounting member includes a buckle portion, and the buckle portion is buckled with a sensor located in the mounting member.

10. The magnetoencephalogram measuring helmet according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the mounting parts is provided with a plurality of marking grooves, and the position and direction information of the sensor in the mounting part is converted through the coordinate dimensions of the marking grooves.

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