FNIRS host used to interconnect with other FNIRS hosts to form a higher number of detection channels

Abstract

The present application provides an FNIRS host for interconnecting with other FNIRS hosts to form a higher number of detection channels. The host includes: an interface, a first connector is inserted to serve as a master host, and a second connector is inserted to serve as a slave host. The processing circuit unit detects the insertion of the first connector and transmits a first acquisition start signal to the outside through the interface; detects the insertion of the second connector, receives the first acquisition start signal from the corresponding processing circuit unit of the external master host through the interface, and transmits it to the main processor. After receiving the first acquisition start signal, if the main processor is not notified that the connector is unplugged, it receives and performs data acquisition based on the first acquisition start signal; if it is notified that the connector is unplugged, it generates a second acquisition start signal according to the first acquisition start signal, and performs data acquisition based on the second acquisition start signal. This scheme specifies the master host by plugging in the first connector, and synchronous acquisition can be maintained without a connection between the various FNIRS hosts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of near-infrared spectroscopy technology, and in particular to an fnirs host, an interconnection device, a host interconnection component, an imaging system and a method for interconnecting with other fnirs hosts to form a higher number of detection channels. Background Art

[0002] Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (FNIRS) uses the good scattering property of the main components of blood to near-infrared light of 600-900nm. After the near-infrared detection data is collected by the equipment, the changes in oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin (blood oxygen data) can be obtained by analyzing the near-infrared detection data.

[0003] This technology has begun to be used in the study of advanced cognition, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology and other fields in natural situations. As fNIRS equipment is more widely used in brain research, the number of brain locations and sites that are focused on for different application scenarios will also be different. Sometimes researchers will focus on fewer SD channels, and sometimes researchers will focus on more SD channels. Many users already have several low-channel fNIRS systems with low SD channels, such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure, a fNIRS system includes a head cap (which is worn on the head of the subject when collecting data), an SD probe and cable, an fNIRS host (collector), and a host computer for receiving collected data and presenting the collection and analysis software interface.

[0004] When facing the application scenario of high SD channel count, instead of purchasing a new system with high SD channel count, users expect to be able to simply operate several existing low-channel fNIRS systems with low SD channel count to achieve the collection of brain near-infrared detection data with high SD channel count. Moreover, users expect that this operation can be widely applicable to various existing low-channel fNIRS systems with low SD channel count, and minimize the cost of updating and modifying the existing low-channel fNIRS systems.

[0005] In the related art, multiple fNIRS systems can be interconnected through daisy chaining. For example, 2, 3 or 4 fNIRS hosts can be connected to each other in a series mode one after another to measure larger brain areas of interest, achieve higher density configurations, and achieve super scanning fNIRS measurements. The dorsal side of the fNIRS host has cascade ports (expansion A and B) such as Figure 2 As shown, one is connected to the upstream fnirs host and the other is connected to the downstream fnirs host to expand the number of SD detectors and channels.

[0006] At present, the interconnection of FNIRS hosts in multiple FNIRS systems has the following defects. It is necessary to pre-set which of the multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts is the master host or the slave host in the host computer or in the FNIRS host. Through the interconnection between the FNIRS hosts, the user cannot determine which FNIRS host is the master host or the slave host, nor can the user autonomously specify which FNIRS host is the master host or the slave host through the interconnection connection method. In addition, each interconnected FNIRS host needs to be connected to each other at all times. In the multimodal monitoring scenario, the on-site connections are numerous and messy, especially when the subject needs to perform dynamic actions and the on-site space is limited. This series connection will cause obstacles, so that the FNIRS hosts often need to be stacked and cannot be moved and separated. If the FNIRS hosts are synchronized through wireless communication, there will be reliability issues. Poor communication in one place will make the data collected by other FNIRS hosts unusable. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide an FNIRS host, an interconnection device, a host interconnection component, an imaging system and a method for interconnecting with other FNIRS hosts to form a higher number of detection channels, so that a user can autonomously determine a master host among multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts by plugging different connectors into the FNIRS host, and can achieve continued synchronous acquisition when the connector is unplugged after the interconnected FNIRS hosts are plugged in to start synchronous acquisition.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present application, a FNIRS host for interconnecting with other FNIRS hosts to form a higher number of detection channels is provided. The FNIRS host includes at least one interface, a main processor, and a processing circuit unit separate from the main processor.

[0009] The at least one interface is configured to be removably inserted into a first connector or a second connector of an interconnection device for interconnecting a plurality of FNIRS hosts, wherein the FNIRS host is used as a master host among the plurality of FNIRS hosts by inserting the first connector, and the FNIRS host is used as a slave host among the plurality of FNIRS hosts by inserting the second connector.

[0010] The processing circuit unit is configured to detect the plugging and unplugging status of the connector of the at least one interface, and is further configured to transmit a first acquisition start signal for synchronous acquisition to the outside via the at least one interface when the insertion of the first connector is detected; receive the first acquisition start signal from the corresponding processing circuit unit of the external main control host via the at least one interface when the insertion of the second connector is detected, and transmit it to the main processor; and notify the main processor of the connector unplugging status when the connector is detected.

[0011] The main processor is configured to perform the collection of the near-infrared detection data of the machine as follows when the first collection start signal is received, so as to realize the synchronous collection of the near-infrared detection data of the interconnected FNIRS hosts with a higher number of detection channels. If the connector is not notified of being unplugged, the main processor continues to receive and perform the collection of the near-infrared detection data of the machine based on the first collection start signal. If the connector is notified of being unplugged, a second collection start signal is generated according to the received first collection start signal, and the main processor performs the collection of the near-infrared detection data of the machine based on the second collection start signal.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present application, an interconnection device for any one of the FNIRS hosts in the various embodiments of the present application is provided, the interconnection device comprising a first connector, a second connector, and a cable connection portion electrically connecting the first connector and the second connector. The first connector is arranged at a first end of the interconnection device. The second connector is arranged at an end opposite to the first end, and the second connector has different dominant physical properties from the first connector. The cable connection portion is used to electrically connect the first connector and the second connector. Wherein, when the first connector is plugged into a first interface of a first FNIRS host and the second connector is plugged into a second interface of a second FNIRS host, the first connector receives a first acquisition start signal for synchronous acquisition from a first processing circuit portion of the first FNIRS host, and transmits the first acquisition start signal to a second processing circuit portion of the second FNIRS host via the cable connection portion and the second connector, and the first acquisition start signal is used by the second FNIRS host to start synchronous acquisition of near-infrared detection data with the first FNIRS host.

[0013] According to a third aspect of the present application, a FNIRS host interconnection component is provided, the FNIRS host interconnection component comprising at least two FNIRS hosts of any one of the embodiments of the present application. It also comprises any one interconnection device of the embodiments of the present application, wherein the at least two FNIRS hosts are respectively connected with the first connector and / or the second connector of the interconnection device within a third preset time.

[0014] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a fnirs imaging system is provided, the fnirs imaging system comprising any one of the fnirs host interconnection components in the various embodiments of the present application. The fnirs imaging system also comprises a probe group including a transmitting probe and a receiving probe connected to and used in conjunction with each fnirs host, each of the probe groups having a first number of channels. Wherein, each fnirs host is configured to control the corresponding probe group to synchronously collect near-infrared detection data of a second number of channels based on a first acquisition start signal of the first fnirs host connected to the first connector, and the second number of channels is greater than the first number of channels.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of the present application, a method for achieving a higher number of detection channels by interconnecting at least two FNIRS devices is provided, each FNIRS device comprising a probe group and any one of the FNIRS hosts in the various embodiments of the present application connected to and used in conjunction with the probe group, the probe group comprising a transmitting probe and a receiving probe, and the method comprising the following steps.

[0016] The at least two FNIRS devices are interconnected by any one of the interconnection devices in the various embodiments of the present application, wherein the first connector of the interconnection device is inserted into the first interface of the FNIRS host serving as the master host in the at least two FNIRS devices, and the second connector of the interconnection device is inserted into the second interface of the FNIRS host serving as the slave host in the at least two FNIRS devices.

[0017] Each probe set is worn on the subject's head via the same head cap.

[0018] Each fnirs host as the master host and the slave host is used to control the transmitting probe and the receiving probe of the corresponding probe group to collaboratively and synchronously collect near-infrared detection data based on the acquisition start signal transmitted by the fnirs host as the master host, so as to obtain near-infrared detection data with a higher number of detection channels.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects that can be achieved by at least one of the above-mentioned technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of the present application are as follows. At least one interface of the fnirs host is configured to be detachably inserted into a first connector or a second connector of an interconnection device for interconnecting several fnirs hosts. By inserting the first connector, the fnirs host is used as a master host among several fnirs hosts, and by inserting the second connector, the fnirs host is used as a slave host among several fnirs hosts, that is, which fnirs host the user plugs the first connector into, which fnirs host is used as the master host, and which fnirs host the user plugs the second connector into, which fnirs host is used as the slave host. In other words, the user can autonomously plug the first connector into the fnirs host that needs to be the master host according to different interconnection requirements, so as to realize that the fnirs host that needs to be the master host can be flexibly specified or clarified by plugging the first connector, so that there is no need to set or specify which is the master host or the slave host in advance in the host computer or in the fnirs host. At the same time, in the process after starting synchronous acquisition, the processing circuit part can also detect the situation of the connector being pulled out and notify the main processor, so that the main processor can perform the acquisition of the near-infrared detection data of the machine based on the received first acquisition start signal regardless of whether the connector is pulled out, thereby improving the applicability of the FNIRS host to different application scenarios. In addition, when the connector is pulled out, the FNIRS host can generate a second acquisition start signal based on the received first acquisition start signal, and perform the acquisition of the near-infrared detection data of the machine based on the second acquisition start signal to maintain synchronous acquisition, so that the interconnected FNIRS host can continue to maintain synchronous acquisition when the connector is pulled out, so that while improving the reliability and data accuracy of the synchronous acquisition of multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts, the connection lines between multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts are also simplified, so that each FNIRS host can no longer have interconnection devices or connections, and can maintain physical separation, thereby avoiding the situation of numerous and messy connections on site in multimodal monitoring scenarios, and allowing the FNIRS host to move flexibly and freely. In addition, the first acquisition start signal is transmitted through the first connector and the hardware of the processing circuit part of the master host, and the first acquisition start signal is transmitted through the second connector and the hardware of the processing circuit part of the slave host, and the data amount of the transmitted first acquisition start signal is very small, which can significantly reduce the delay between the interconnected fnirs hosts (for example, controlling the delay to less than 10 microseconds). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the existing fNIRS system;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the dorsal side of the existing fNIRS host;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of an FNIRS host provided by an embodiment of the present application for interconnecting with other FNIRS hosts to form a higher number of detection channels;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of an FNIRS host interconnected through an interconnection device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5 It is a timing diagram of a first acquisition start signal for synchronous acquisition between interconnected FNIRS hosts provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of an interconnection device for an fnirs host provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the docking structure of an interface-connector when an explicit physical attribute is a circuit parameter provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of an interconnection device with multiple second connectors for an fnirs host provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of a star topology structure of an FNIRS host interconnection component provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig.10 It is a flow chart of a method for realizing a higher number of detection channels by interconnecting at least two FNIRS devices provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] The following describes the implementation methods of the present application through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation methods, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0033] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms of "a", "said" and "the" used in the various embodiments of the present application are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used in the various embodiments of the present application refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0034] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various information in various embodiments of the present application, these information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this specification, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "under the circumstances of..." or "when..." or "determined in response to...".

[0035] Furthermore, the drawings are schematic illustrations only and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The block diagrams shown in the drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities unless the context makes physical independence clear. That is, these functional entities may be implemented in software form, or in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0036] In an embodiment of the present application, a fnirs host is provided for interconnecting with other fnirs hosts to form a higher number of detection channels. Figure 3 As shown, the fnirs host includes a main processor 301, a processing circuit unit 302 separated from the main processor, and at least one interface 303.

[0037] At least one interface 303 is configured to be removably inserted into a first connector or a second connector of an interconnection device for interconnecting a plurality of FNIRS hosts. By inserting the first connector, the FNIRS host is used as a master host among the plurality of FNIRS hosts, and by inserting the second connector, the FNIRS host is used as a slave host among the plurality of FNIRS hosts.

[0038] The processing circuit unit 302 is configured to detect the plugging and unplugging of the connector of the at least one interface, and is further configured to transmit the first acquisition start signal of synchronous acquisition to the outside through the at least one interface 303 when the first connector is detected to be plugged in. When the second connector is detected to be plugged in, the first acquisition start signal of the corresponding processing circuit unit from the external main control host is received through the at least one interface 303, and transmitted to the main processor 301. When the connector is detected to be unplugged, the main processor 301 is notified of the unplugging of the connector.

[0039] The main processor 301 is configured to perform the collection of the near-infrared detection data of the machine as follows when the first collection start signal is received, so as to realize the synchronous collection of the near-infrared detection data of the interconnected FNIRS hosts with a higher number of detection channels. If the connector is not notified of being unplugged, the machine continues to receive and collect the near-infrared detection data based on the first collection start signal. If the connector is notified of being unplugged, the second collection start signal is generated according to the received first collection start signal, and the machine collects the near-infrared detection data based on the second collection start signal.

[0040] In some embodiments, multiple fnirs hosts are interconnected by interconnection devices such as Figure 4As shown, the first FNIRS host 300a and the second FNIRS host 300b are interconnected through an interconnection device for the FNIRS host. The first FNIRS host 300a includes a first main processor 301a, a first processing circuit unit 302a and at least one first interface 303a, and the second FNIRS host 300b includes a second main processor 301b, a second processing circuit unit 302b and at least one second interface 303b. The first connector 601 of the interconnection device is inserted into the first interface 303a, so that the first FNIRS host 300a is used as a master host, and the second connector 602 of the interconnection device is inserted into the second interface 303b, so that the second FNIRS host 300b is used as a slave host. The first connector 601 receives a first acquisition start signal for synchronous acquisition from the first processing circuit unit 302a of the first FNIRS host 300a, and transmits it to the second processing circuit unit 302b of the second FNIRS host 300b via the cable connection unit 603 and the second connector 602, and then the second main processor 301b receives the first acquisition start signal from the second processing circuit unit 302b, and uses the first acquisition start signal to start acquisition according to the respective acquisition timing configuration information, so as to start acquisition synchronously with the first FNIRS host 300a.

[0041] After the synchronous acquisition starts, the first connector 601 inserted into the first FNIRS host 300a and / or the second connector 602 inserted into the second FNIRS host 300b can be unplugged. In the absence of interconnecting devices or lines between the first FNIRS host 300a and the second FNIRS host 300b, the two remain physically separated. The second FNIRS host 300b generates a second acquisition start signal based on the received first acquisition start signal, and then executes the acquisition of the local near-infrared detection data based on the second acquisition start signal to achieve synchronous acquisition with the first FNIRS host 300a.

[0042] In some embodiments, after multiple fnirs hosts are interconnected through an interconnection device for interconnecting devices, the host computer interacts with each interconnected fnirs host so that each fnirs host knows its own acquisition timing configuration information (i.e., which transmitting probe of all interconnected SD channels the light source of each fnirs host is connected to, the timing of lighting each light source, the lighting duration of each light source, etc.).

[0043] like Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5The timing information of the thin lines is the acquisition timing configuration information of each fnirs host, and it is known that synchronous acquisition should be performed according to this interconnection mode, that is, the first acquisition start signal transmitted by the master host in the interconnection is used as the synchronous acquisition instruction to start the respective synchronous acquisition modes. Therefore, after each slave host knows its own acquisition timing configuration information, as long as it knows the synchronous acquisition start instruction (such as the "first acquisition start signal" mentioned above), it can autonomously start to execute the lighting / detection of its own S / D probe. When the host computer sends the first acquisition start signal for synchronous acquisition to the master host, the processing circuit unit of the master host transmits the first acquisition start signal ( Figure 5 The dotted line in the figure is a first acquisition start signal in the form of a rising edge, the timing signal in the bold line is a periodic first acquisition start signal including a rising edge, and the moment shown by the dotted line is also the moment when the master host sends the first acquisition start signal) transmitted to the processing circuit part of each slave host, so that each slave host can start acquisition according to its own acquisition timing configuration information based on the first acquisition start signal, so as to start acquisition at the same time as the master host to achieve synchronous acquisition.

[0044] In some embodiments, the acquisition timing configuration information may include the lighting moment and lighting time of each transmitting probe S within an acquisition cycle, and the acquisition moment and acquisition time of each receiving probe D. Multiple acquisition cycles constitute a near-infrared detection data acquisition process.

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, a collection cycle T may include a first sub-cycle t1 and a second sub-cycle t2. The fnirs host can perform synchronous collection of near-infrared detection data in the first sub-cycle t1, and can accept and process other instructions or wait for the start of the next collection cycle T in the second sub-cycle t2.

[0046] In some embodiments, each fnirs host can be informed of its own acquisition timing configuration information (i.e., the timing of lighting up each S probe of each fnirs host, the duration of lighting up each S probe, the timing and duration of detection of each D probe, the order between each other and the relationship of simultaneous lighting / detection, etc.) in various ways. Once the acquisition timing configuration information is known, as long as the synchronous acquisition start instruction (such as the "first acquisition start signal" mentioned above) is known, it can autonomously start to execute the lighting / detection of its own S / D probe, thereby realizing the synchronous acquisition of high-channel near-infrared detection data.

[0047] In some embodiments, each interconnected FNIRS host can learn its own acquisition timing configuration information through interaction with the host computer. There are many ways of interaction, which are not specifically limited in this application. For example, it can be implemented in the following different ways.

[0048] a. Connect multiple fnirs hosts to be interconnected to the same host computer, either wirelessly or by wire. The high-channel near-infrared detection data collected by the subsequent multiple fnirs hosts can also be analyzed and displayed on the same host computer. The host computer can identify how many fnirs hosts are connected and their connected SD configurations (such as 8S8D); operate on the host computer, inform each fnirs host to operate in this low-channel integration to form a high-channel interconnection mode, and configure the position allocation of the SD probe group connected to each fnirs host in the target high-channel arrangement. This configuration can be automatically generated by the host computer, or the host computer can provide multiple options for the user to choose.

[0049] b. Connect multiple fnirs hosts to be interconnected to the same host computer. According to the number of fnirs hosts, SD configuration and expected target high-channel arrangement, the user queries the position allocation of SD probes connected to each host in the operation manual, completes the plugging of each group of SD probes accordingly, and interactively confirms the position allocation of the SD probe group of each host and the target high-channel SD arrangement formed on the operation interface of the same host computer. The host computer then informs each fnirs host of the position allocation of its SD probe group.

[0050] Each fnirs host knows its own SD position allocation, that is, it knows which position (serial number) S (transmitting probe) and which position (serial number) D (receiving probe) it corresponds to in the target high channel arrangement, so it also knows which time segments of the total synchronous acquisition timing cycle are used to instruct its own light source to light up and the detection probe to receive, that is, it knows the timing information of its own light source lighting and detection probe receiving. Therefore, it determines when the total synchronous acquisition timing cycle starts. For example, if the start of the cycle is known through the "first acquisition start signal", it can complete the lighting / detection operation in the time domain responsible for synchronous acquisition by itself.

[0051] In some embodiments, in order to improve the reliability of synchronous collection of near-infrared detection data of a higher number of detection channels of several interconnected FNIRS hosts and realize that the FNIRS hosts can move flexibly and freely, when the processing circuit unit 302 detects that the connector is unplugged, it notifies the main processor 301 of the connector unplugging situation, so that the main processor 301 continues to receive and executes the collection of the near-infrared detection data of the machine based on the first collection start signal when it is not notified of the connector unplugging situation; when it is notified of the connector unplugging situation, it generates a second collection start signal according to the received first collection start signal, and executes the collection of the near-infrared detection data of the machine based on the second collection start signal. That is, when the main processor 301 receives the first acquisition start signal (has received the first acquisition start signal at least once), regardless of whether it is notified that the connector is unplugged (that is, regardless of whether the connector is unplugged), the main processor 303 can directly use the received first acquisition start signal, or generate a second acquisition start signal according to the first acquisition start signal to execute the acquisition of the local near-infrared detection data, so that after the interconnected FNIRS hosts insert the connector to start synchronous acquisition, the connector can be unplugged to remove the connection between the FNIRS hosts, and the synchronous acquisition can be continued when the connection between the FNIRS hosts is removed.

[0052] In some embodiments, after manually plugging the connector of the interconnection device, the configuration of each FNIRS host as a master host or a slave host and the communication of the synchronous acquisition start time (i.e., transmitting the first acquisition start signal) can be completed through the interconnection device, and then the connector can be unplugged, so that there is no interconnection device between each FNIRS host, but it remains physically separate. Therefore, during the synchronous acquisition process, the FNIRS host can perform the acquisition of the local near-infrared detection data based on the second acquisition start signal generated by the local host, and continue to maintain synchronous acquisition when the connection between the FNIRS hosts is removed, so that the connection between the FNIRS hosts is simplified and can be freely moved as needed.

[0053] In some embodiments, in order to continue to realize synchronous acquisition of several interconnected FNIRS hosts and ensure the reliability of synchronous acquisition when the connector is unplugged, the main processor 301 can generate a second acquisition start signal according to the received first acquisition start signal in a variety of ways. Here, the second acquisition start signal is used as a synchronous acquisition start instruction after the connector is unplugged, indicating the start time of the subsequent synchronous acquisition cycle after the connector is unplugged.

[0054] For example, in the case where the first acquisition start signal has been received (it may be received once or multiple times) to start synchronous acquisition, if the connector is unplugged, the main processor 301 generates the second acquisition start signal according to the receiving time interval of the first acquisition start signal and the receiving time of the first acquisition start signal, and then continues to maintain synchronous acquisition with other interconnected FNIRS hosts based on the generated second acquisition start signal. The receiving time interval of the first acquisition start signal is defined or determined by the acquisition timing configuration information stored in the local computer, or is determined by the time interval between at least two received first acquisition start signals.

[0055] In some embodiments, when at least two first acquisition start signals have been received, if the main processor 301 is notified of the connector being unplugged, it can calculate the receiving time interval based on the receiving time of the two adjacent first acquisition start signals received, and superimpose the receiving time interval on the receiving time of the last receiving first acquisition start signal, so as to know the time of generating the second acquisition start signal, so as to continue to maintain synchronous acquisition with other interconnected fnirs hosts based on the generated second acquisition start signal.

[0056] Wherein, in the case where at least three first acquisition start signals are received, the receiving time interval of the first acquisition start signals may be determined according to the average value of the time intervals between two adjacent first acquisition start signals.

[0057] In some embodiments, if the acquisition timing configuration information stored locally already includes (or defines) the receiving time interval of the first acquisition start signal, the receiving time interval can be directly superimposed on the receiving time of the last reception of the first acquisition start signal to know the time when the second acquisition start signal is generated.

[0058] In some embodiments, if the receiving time interval of the first acquisition start signal is not included in the acquisition timing configuration information stored in the local machine, the receiving time interval of the first acquisition start signal can also be calculated and determined according to the acquisition timing configuration information. For example, the main processor 301 can calculate the duration of the first sub-period of the local machine to perform near-infrared detection data acquisition according to the timing of each S probe lighting, the duration of each S probe lighting, and the timing and duration of each D probe detection in the acquisition timing configuration information stored in the local machine, and then the receiving time interval of the first acquisition start signal can be obtained by adding the duration of the second sub-period to the duration of the first sub-period, and the receiving time interval can be superimposed on the receiving time of the last receiving of the first acquisition start signal, so as to know the time of generating the second acquisition start signal, so as to continue to maintain synchronous acquisition with other interconnected fnirs hosts based on the generated second acquisition start signal.

[0059] The duration of the corresponding second sub-period can be pre-set for different durations of the first sub-period, that is, the duration of the first sub-period and the duration of the second sub-period have a pre-configured corresponding relationship, and the corresponding relationship can be a duration ratio, such as a duration ratio of 5:1 or 4:1, etc. In addition, the corresponding relationship can also be other forms such as a numerical corresponding relationship, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0060] In some embodiments, the second acquisition start signal may be a timing signal in a similar form to the first acquisition start signal, for example, may be in a rising edge form, or may be a periodic timing signal including a rising edge.

[0061] In some embodiments, in order to improve the quality of the synchronously collected near infrared detection data, refer to Figure 3 The processing circuit unit 302 is also configured to: when the insertion of the first connector 601 is detected (at this time, each FNIRS host is the master host), transmit the acquisition cycle identification signal to the outside via the at least one interface (i.e., the first interface 303a); the acquisition cycle identification signal is used to align the near-infrared detection data collected by each FNIRS host. So that each FNIRS host can identify each acquisition cycle based on the acquisition cycle identification signal, and after the collected near-infrared detection data is transmitted to the host computer, the host computer can summarize the near-infrared detection data collected by multiple groups of channels with the same acquisition cycle identification signal based on the acquisition cycle identification signal, and can also determine which acquisition cycle has a poor acquisition status of the slave host based on the acquisition cycle identification signal, so that the near-infrared detection data of other slave hosts with good acquisition status in this acquisition cycle can be discarded together and no longer summarized and used, so that the near-infrared detection data retained in each acquisition cycle are of good quality.

[0062] In some embodiments, the acquisition cycle identification signal may be any identification that can distinguish the order or the existence, for example, an identification in the form of numbers, letters, strings, etc.

[0063] In some embodiments, in order to avoid the problem that individual slave hosts cannot perform synchronous acquisition due to the main processor being occupied, the processing circuit unit 302 (i.e., the first processing circuit unit 302a) is further configured to: in response to meeting the synchronous acquisition condition, transmit the first acquisition start signal to the outside via the at least one interface (i.e., the first interface 303a); wherein the synchronous acquisition condition includes: receiving a low load indication signal sent by the interconnected slave hosts within a preset time period before each preset synchronization moment. For example, the slave host (i.e., the second fnirs host 300b to which the second connector 602 is plugged) can pre-judge the load of the second main processor 301b of the slave host to determine whether the second main processor 301b is busy. If the second main processor 301b is in a low-load state, a low-load indication signal is sent to the first processing circuit unit 302a within a preset time period before each preset synchronization moment to indicate that the second main processor 301b can perform synchronous acquisition. If the second main processor 301b is in a high-load state, the second main processor 301b cannot perform synchronous acquisition. Even if the first main processor 301a of the master host sends a first acquisition start signal, the second main processor 301b cannot execute it. Therefore, when it is pre-judged that the second main processor 301b of each slave host is low-load, the first acquisition start signal can be sent to each slave host to enable the master host and each slave host to start synchronous acquisition at the same time.

[0064] In some embodiments, in order to ensure the stability of synchronous acquisition of multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts, the main processor (the first main processor 301a or the second main processor 301b) is further configured to: if the connector is unplugged, the master-slave configuration of the current FNIRS host is maintained when the master-slave configuration change condition is not met; wherein the master-slave configuration change condition includes at least one of the following: after the connector is unplugged, the first preset time has passed, the connector plugging and unplugging behavior of the interconnected device is detected, and the current near-infrared detection data acquisition process is completed. That is, after being notified of the connector unplugging, if the first preset time has not been reached after being notified of the connector unplugging, the connector plugging and unplugging behavior of the interconnected device is not detected (for example, the plug is inserted again or the plug inserted again is different from the plug inserted last time) or the current near-infrared detection data acquisition process is not completed, etc., the master-slave configuration of the current FNIRS host will be maintained, and the original interconnection relationship between the master host and the slave host will be maintained to continue the current synchronous acquisition, so as to ensure the stability of synchronous acquisition of multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts.

[0065] In some embodiments, in order to improve the accuracy of synchronous acquisition of multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts, the main processor (the first main processor 301a or the second main processor 301b) is further configured to: after detecting that the connector is unplugged for a second preset time, restore to control the acquisition of near-infrared detection data based on the acquisition start signal of the local machine. That is, after the first main processor 301a or the second main processor 301b is notified that the connector is unplugged and lasts for the second preset time, the first main processor 301a or the second main processor 301b uses the acquisition start signal of the local machine to control the acquisition of near-infrared detection data, so that the interconnection relationship between the multiple FNIRS hosts is disconnected, and synchronous acquisition is no longer performed based on the first acquisition start signal.

[0066] In some embodiments, in order to further reduce the delay between FNIRS hosts caused by interconnection, the processing circuit unit (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) is configured to detect the plug-in and unplugging of the connector without calling the main processor (the first main processor 301a or the second main processor 301b), and to transmit the first acquisition start signal to the outside or receive the first acquisition start signal from the corresponding processing circuit unit of the main control host. That is, the processing circuit unit 302a or 302b is configured to be responsible for the processing tasks of the interconnection of the FNIRS host (such as identifying the plugged connector, transmitting the corresponding acquisition start signal, etc.), which is not dependent on the main processor 301a or 301b, and is processed by the hardware circuit, so that the delay between FNIRS hosts caused by interconnection can be minimized, for example, the delay can be controlled at 10µs, 8µs, 6µs, or even 4µs and below.

[0067] In some embodiments, in order to clearly indicate the working state of the FNIRS host in different situations, the processing circuit unit (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) further includes a first indicator. The first indicator is configured to indicate that the FNIRS host is in a state of synchronously collecting near-infrared detection data with multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts when the insertion of the connector of the interconnected device is detected and the connector is unplugged after the near-infrared detection data is started to be collected. That is, in the process of synchronously collecting near-infrared detection data with multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts, if the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b detects that the connector is unplugged (such as although the connector is unplugged, it does not last for the "second preset time length" above), the first indicator indicates that the FNIRS host is in a state of synchronously collecting near-infrared detection data with multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts, and the interconnection is not disconnected.

[0068] In some embodiments, in order to clearly indicate the interconnection relationship of the FNIRS host under different circumstances, the processing circuit unit (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) further includes a second indicator. The second indicator is configured to indicate that the FNIRS host is a master host that transmits a first acquisition start signal to the outside or a slave host that receives and uses the first acquisition start signal when the connector of the interconnected device is detected to be inserted and the connector is detected to be pulled out after the near-infrared detection data is collected. That is, in the process of synchronously collecting near-infrared detection data of multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts, if the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b detects that the connector is pulled out (such as although the connector is pulled out, the above "master-slave configuration change condition" is not met), the second indicator indicates that the FNIRS host is a master host or a slave host, that is, the interconnection is not disconnected, the master-slave relationship is not changed, and the original master host is still the master host.

[0069] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate the distinction between the first connector 601 and the second connector 602, and thus facilitate the user to decide how to insert the first connector 601 and the second connector 602, the first connector 601 and the second connector 602 have different explicit physical properties, so that the first connector 601 and the second connector 602 can be distinguished based on the explicit physical properties. For example, the explicit physical properties may include physical properties on the appearance (for example, Figure 6 The explicit physical attributes also allow the processing circuit unit 302 (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) in the FNIRS host to distinguish whether the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 is inserted, so that the FNIRS host can autonomously identify whether it is a master host or a slave host by identifying whether the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 is inserted.

[0070] In some embodiments, in order for the processing circuit unit 302 (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) to be able to conveniently and accurately identify the type of the connector inserted into the connector, the processing circuit unit (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) is further configured to identify the connector type of the inserted connector by detecting any one or any combination of the following explicit physical attributes: physical contact, circuit parameters generated by inserting the connector, and visual features. That is, after the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 is inserted into the interface (the first interface 303a or the second interface 303b), different physical contacts, different circuit parameters generated by inserting the connector, and different visual features will be generated. The first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b can identify whether the connector inserted into the interface is the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 based on any one or any combination of physical contacts, circuit parameters generated by inserting the connector, and visual features.

[0071] In some embodiments, the explicit physical attribute may be physical contact, and the first connector 601 forms a first physical contact when inserted into the first interface 303a, so that the first processing circuit unit 302a recognizes the insertion of the first connector 601, and the second connector 602 forms a second physical contact when inserted into the second interface 303b, so that the second processing circuit unit 302b recognizes the insertion of the second connector 602. The physical contact may be any form of different physical contact that is easy for the processing circuit unit to recognize, for example, different numbers of contact pieces, different shapes of contact pieces, etc. may be provided on the first connector 401 and the second connector 402, so that the processing circuit unit (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) can recognize whether the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 is inserted by recognizing different numbers and shapes of contact pieces.

[0072] In some embodiments, the explicit physical attribute may also be a circuit parameter. When the first connector 601 is inserted into the first interface 303a, the first processing circuit unit 302a generates a first circuit parameter, so that the first processing circuit unit 302a recognizes the insertion of the first connector 601. When the second connector 602 is inserted into the second interface 303b, a different second circuit parameter is generated, so that the second processing circuit unit 302b recognizes the insertion of the second connector 602. The circuit parameter may be a voltage, a current, etc. By setting different circuit components such as resistors, cables, and contacts on the first connector 601 and the second connector 602, and then electrically connecting the pins, cables, and other circuit contact components in the processing circuit unit (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) when the first connector 601 and the second connector 602 are plugged into the interface of the FNIRS host, different circuit parameters are formed, and the processing circuit unit (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) distinguishes whether the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 is inserted based on different circuit parameters.

[0073] In some embodiments, the circuit parameter is taken as voltage, and can be maintained at different voltages by setting internal sites on the first connector 601 and the second connector 602, and electrically connecting the internal sites in the processing circuit part (the first processing circuit part 302a or the second processing circuit part 302b) when the first connector 601 and the second connector 602 are plugged into the interface to form different voltages to distinguish whether the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 is inserted. Figure 4 , the first internal point of the first connector 601 is maintained at a first voltage, the second internal point of the second connector 602 is maintained at a second voltage, the first voltage is different from the second voltage (can be different single-point voltage values, or can be different voltage ranges), the first internal point of the first connector 601 is electrically connected to the third internal point in the first processing circuit part 302a when plugged into the first interface 303a, forming a third voltage, so that the first processing circuit part 302a can identify whether the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 is inserted based on the third voltage. The second internal point of the second connector 602 is electrically connected to the fourth internal point in the second processing circuit part 302b when plugged into the second interface 303b, forming a fourth voltage, the third voltage is different from the fourth voltage, so that the second processing circuit part 302b can identify whether the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 is inserted based on the fourth voltage.

[0074] For example, the first internal position of the first connector 601 and the second internal position of the second connector 602 can be realized by setting cables, contacts, etc. with different voltages. When setting cables, one or more cables can be set. When one cable is set, the cable at the first internal position of the first connector 601 and the cable at the second internal position of the second connector 602 can maintain different voltage values ​​respectively by means of grounding or resistance. When multiple cables are set, the first internal position of the first connector 601 and the second internal position of the second connector 602 can be cables with different serial numbers and different voltages.

[0075] like Figure 7 As shown, taking the setting of three cables as an example, the first internal point of the first connector 601 is connected to the first cable, and the first cable is grounded. The second internal point of the second connector 602 is connected to the second cable 1, and the second cable 2 is grounded. The processing circuit part of the fnirs host is also provided with three cables ID1, ID2, and ID3, and the states of the cables ID1, ID2, and ID3 are pulled up to a high level (taking a 5V voltage as an example) through internal resistors. When the first connector 601 is connected to the interface, the cable ID1 of the processing circuit part is connected to the first cable of the first connector 601, and the cable ID1 is pulled to a low level, that is, ID1=low level (GND), ID2=high level, and ID3=high level; when the second connector 602 is connected to the interface, the cable ID2 of the processing circuit part is connected to the second cable of the second connector 602, and the cable ID2 is pulled to a low level, that is, ID1=high level, ID2=low level (GND), and ID3=high level. Therefore, due to the different internal wiring methods of the first connector 601 and the second connector 602 (or the connection methods of the contacts), the voltage values ​​of ID1, ID2, and ID3 of the processing circuit unit will change differently after the connector is inserted. The processing circuit unit can identify whether the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 is inserted based on the different changes in the voltage.

[0076] In some embodiments, the explicit physical attribute may also be a visual feature, wherein the first connector 601 has a first visual feature so that the first processing circuit unit 302a recognizes the insertion of the first connector 601 based on a visual sensor, and the second connector 602 has a second visual feature so that the second processing circuit unit 302b recognizes the insertion of the second connector 602 based on a visual sensor.

[0077] In some embodiments, the explicit physical property may also be a magnetic mark, the first connector 601 having a first magnetic mark so that the first processing circuit unit 302a recognizes the insertion of the first connector 601 based on the magnetic sensor, and the second connector 602 having a second magnetic mark so that the second processing circuit unit 302b recognizes the insertion of the second connector 602 based on the magnetic sensor.

[0078] In some embodiments, the magnetic identification may be a barcode, a magnetic tag, etc. The magnetic sensor may include any one of a Hall effect sensor, a magnetoresistive sensor, and a coil.

[0079] In some embodiments, the main processor 301 (the first main processor 301a or the second main processor 301b) can be any processor chip of CPU, MPU, GPU, SOC. The processing circuit unit 302 (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) can be a hardware circuit capable of realizing information identification and data transmission, for example, it can be an ASIC circuit or an FPGA circuit. In some embodiments, in order to realize lower cost and more flexibility in the transformation of the FNIRS host, preferably, the processing circuit unit (the first processing circuit unit 302a or the second processing circuit unit 302b) can be an FPGA circuit. If the existing FNIRS host is to be transformed, open the built-in FPGA circuit of the chassis, program the FPGA to perform the tasks of access identification of the connector and mutual transmission of the acquisition start signal, then interconnect it with the main processor, and update the application program of the main processor.

[0080] In some embodiments, the at least one interface (the first interface 303a or the second interface 303b) may be a single interface, and the single interface may be a conventional interconnection interface of the fnirs host, such as a lemo interface or a DB square connector.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present application, an interconnection device for an fnirs host is also provided. Figure 4 , Figure 6As shown, the interconnection device for the FNIRS host includes a first connector 601, a second connector 602, and a cable connection portion 603 for electrically connecting the first connector 601 and the second connector 602. The first connector 601 is arranged at a first end of the interconnection device. The second connector 602 is arranged at an end opposite to the first end, and the second connector 602 has different dominant physical properties from the first connector 601. The cable connection portion 603 is used to electrically connect the first connector 601 and the second connector 602. Wherein, when the first connector 601 is plugged into the first interface 303a of the first FNIRS host 300a and the second connector 602 is plugged into the second interface 303b of the second FNIRS host 300b, the first connector 601 receives a first acquisition start signal of synchronous acquisition from the first processing circuit portion 302a of the first FNIRS host 300a, and transmits the first acquisition start signal to the second processing circuit portion 302b of the second FNIRS host 300b via the cable connection portion 603 and the second connector 602. The first acquisition start signal is used by the second FNIRS host 300b to start synchronously acquiring near-infrared detection data with the first FNIRS host 300a.

[0082] In some embodiments, if the interconnected fnirs hosts are connected in series one by one in a daisy chain, the delay of transmitting data from the fnirs host at the beginning of the daisy chain to the fnirs host at the end will be superimposed, and the deviation from the beginning will be greater as the end is approached. As the number of interconnected fnirs hosts increases, the delay deviation will further increase. In order to avoid the problem of superposition of the delays of multiple interconnected fnirs hosts, such as Figure 8 ( Figure 8 3 second connectors 402 are taken as an example, and the number of specific second connectors 402 is not limited and can be determined according to specific usage requirements), it is proposed that the interconnection device includes a single first connector 601 and a plurality of second connectors 602, the cable connection portion 603 includes a first cable portion 6031, an expansion portion 6032 and a plurality of second cable portions 6033, the expansion portion 6032 is electrically connected to the first connector 601 via the first cable portion, and is connected to the corresponding plurality of second connectors 602 via the plurality of second cable portions 6033. Through the single first connector 601 and the plurality of second connectors 602 of the interconnection device, the interconnected plurality of fnirs hosts can realize a master host connecting a plurality of slave hosts in parallel.

[0083] In some embodiments, the expansion unit 6032 may be any device capable of implementing data relay, for example, an expansion dock, a synchronization relay box, etc.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present application, a fnirs host interconnection component is also provided, which includes at least two fnirs hosts of any one of the embodiments of the present application and any one of the interconnection devices for the fnirs hosts of the embodiments of the present application, and the at least two fnirs hosts are respectively connected to the first connector 601 and / or the second connector 602 of the interconnection device within a third preset time length.

[0085] In some embodiments, in order to simplify the connection of the interconnection components of the FNIRS host, the at least two FNIRS hosts respectively unplug the first connector 601 and the second connector 602 of the interconnection device after the third preset time, so that there is no longer a wired connection between them. For example, multiple FNIRS hosts that need to be interconnected plug the first connector 601 or the second connector 602 within the third preset time, complete the connection between the master host and the slave host in the interconnection and complete the transmission of the first acquisition start signal. After the third preset time, each FNIRS host can unplug the connector (the first connector 601 and / or the second connector 602), so that there is no longer a wired connection between the FNIRS hosts, and continue to maintain synchronous acquisition.

[0086] In some embodiments, when the fnirs host is multiple, Figure 8 As shown, the interconnection device includes a single first connector 601 and several second connectors 602, the cable connection part 603 includes a first cable part 6031, an expansion part 6032 and several second cable parts 6033, the expansion part 6033 is electrically connected to the first connector 601 via the first cable part 6031, and is connected to the corresponding several second connectors 602 via several second cable parts 6033, the single first connector 601 is inserted into the interface (first interface 303a) of a FNIRS host (first FNIRS host 300a), and several second connectors 602 are respectively inserted into the interfaces (second interfaces 303b) of the remaining FNIRS hosts (second FNIRS host 300b). In this way, a master host can be interconnected with multiple slave hosts in parallel, avoiding the superposition of delays of the interconnected FNIRS hosts and avoiding delay accumulation. Fig. 9 As shown, a master host ( Fig. 9 The fnirs host on the far right of the first row is the master host) and multiple slave hosts ( Fig. 9 The remaining 7 fnirs hosts are shown as slave hosts) are interconnected in parallel to form a link in a star topology, wherein the star topology includes a central node (i.e. Fig. 9 interconnecting devices in the central node), and multiple nodes connected to the central node (i.e. Fig. 9 fnirs host in the .

[0087] In some embodiments of the present application, an fNIRS imaging system is also provided, which includes: any one of the fNIRS host interconnection components in the various embodiments of the present application; and a probe group including a transmitting probe S and a receiving probe D connected to and used in conjunction with each fNIRS host, each of the probe groups having a first number of channels, wherein each fNIRS host is configured to control the corresponding probe group to synchronously collect near-infrared detection data of a second number of channels based on a first acquisition start signal of the first fNIRS host 300a connected to the first connector 601, and the second number of channels is greater than the first number of channels.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first channel number is the channel number of each interconnected fnirs host to realize near-infrared detection data collection, and the second channel number is the channel number of near-infrared detection data collection realized by all interconnected interconnected devices through synchronous collection.

[0089] In some embodiments, the fnirs imaging system further comprises a host computer, which receives the near-infrared detection data of the second channel number synchronously collected by each fnirs host, and displays and analyzes the near-infrared detection data. That is, the near-infrared detection data of the second channel number synchronously collected by all interconnected fnirs hosts is displayed and analyzed by the same host computer.

[0090] In some embodiments, each interconnected fnirs host can be connected to a host computer respectively, but whichever fnirs host is used as the master host, the host computer connected to which fnirs host will be used to uniformly display and analyze the near-infrared detection data of the second channel number synchronously collected by all interconnected fnirs hosts. All interconnected fnirs hosts can also be connected to one host computer, and the one host computer will be used to uniformly display and analyze the near-infrared detection data of the second channel number synchronously collected by all interconnected fnirs hosts.

[0091] In some embodiments, after the interconnected FNIRS hosts in the FNIRS host interconnection component are interconnected through the interconnection device for interconnection devices, the host computer interacts with the interconnected FNIRS hosts so that each FNIRS host knows its own acquisition timing configuration information (i.e., which transmitting probe of all SD channels of the interconnection is connected to the light source of each FNIRS host, the timing of lighting each light source, the duration of lighting each light source, etc.), and knows that the synchronous acquisition should be run according to this interconnection mode, that is, the first acquisition start signal transmitted by the master host in the interconnection is used as the synchronous acquisition instruction to start the respective synchronous acquisition modes, and the host computer sends the first acquisition start signal of the synchronous acquisition to the master host, and then the processing circuit part of the master host transmits the first acquisition start signal to the processing circuit part of each slave host through the interconnection device, so that each slave host can start the acquisition at the same time as the master host based on the first acquisition start signal to achieve synchronous acquisition.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present application, a method for interconnecting at least two FNIRS devices to achieve a higher number of detection channels is also provided, each FNIRS device includes a probe group and any one of the FNIRS hosts in the various embodiments of the present application connected to and used in conjunction with the probe group, the probe group includes a transmitting probe and a receiving probe, and the method includes the following steps.

[0093] In step S1001: the at least two FNIRS devices are interconnected by any one of the interconnection devices in the various embodiments of the present application, wherein the first connector 601 of the interconnection device is inserted into the first interface 303a of the FNIRS host 300a serving as the master host in the at least two FNIRS devices, and the second connector 602 of the interconnection device is inserted into the second interface 303b of the FNIRS host 300b serving as the slave host in the at least two FNIRS devices.

[0094] In step S1002: each probe group is put on the subject's head via the same head cap.

[0095] In step S1003: using each fnirs host as the master host and the slave host, based on the acquisition start signal transmitted by the fnirs host as the master host, to control the transmitting probe and the receiving probe of the corresponding probe group to collaboratively and synchronously acquire near-infrared detection data, so as to obtain near-infrared detection data with a higher number of detection channels.

[0096] Further, in step S1003, the connector can be unplugged from the fnirs device as needed, so that the connection between the devices is simpler and the movement of the devices is freer, but it still does not affect the collaborative synchronous acquisition of near-infrared detection data with a higher number of detection channels. Specifically, the second acquisition start signal for starting the subsequent collaborative synchronous acquisition can be obtained from the acquisition start signal (also referred to as the first acquisition start signal above) transmitted by the fnirs host as the main control host, so as to perform subsequent collaborative synchronous acquisition accordingly. The operation details after the connector is unplugged in each embodiment of the present application are combined here and will not be repeated here.

[0097] The embodiment of the present application achieves the following technical effects: at least one interface of the fnirs host is configured to be detachably inserted into a first connector or a second connector of an interconnection device for interconnecting several fnirs hosts, and by inserting the first connector, the fnirs host is used as a master host among several fnirs hosts, and by inserting the second connector, the fnirs host is used as a slave host among several fnirs hosts, that is, which fnirs host the user plugs the first connector into is used as the master host, and which fnirs host the user plugs the second connector into is used as the slave host. In other words, the user can autonomously plug the first connector into the fnirs host that needs to be the master host according to different interconnection requirements, so as to flexibly specify or clarify the fnirs host that needs to be the master host by plugging the first connector, so that there is no need to set or specify which is the master host or the slave host in advance in the host computer or in the fnirs host. At the same time, in the process after starting synchronous acquisition, the processing circuit part also detects the situation that the connector is unplugged and notifies the main processor, so that the main processor can execute the acquisition of the local near-infrared detection data based on the received first acquisition start signal regardless of whether the connector is unplugged or not, thereby improving the applicability of the FNIRS host to different application scenarios, and in the case of the connector being unplugged, the FNIRS host can generate a second acquisition start signal based on the received first acquisition start signal, and execute the acquisition of the local near-infrared detection data based on the second acquisition start signal to maintain synchronous acquisition, so that the interconnected FNIRS hosts can continue to maintain synchronous acquisition when the connector is unplugged, so that while improving the reliability and data accuracy of synchronous acquisition of multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts, the connection lines between multiple interconnected FNIRS hosts are also simplified, so that there are no interconnection devices or connections between each FNIRS host, and physical separation can be maintained, thereby avoiding the situation of numerous and messy on-site connections in multimodal monitoring scenarios, and allowing the FNIRS host to move flexibly and freely. In addition, the first acquisition start signal is transmitted through the first connector and the hardware of the processing circuit part of the master host, and the first acquisition start signal is transmitted through the second connector and the hardware of the processing circuit part of the slave host, and the data amount of the transmitted first acquisition start signal is very small, which can significantly reduce the delay between the interconnected fnirs hosts (for example, controlling the delay to less than 10 microseconds).

[0098] Obviously, those skilled in the art should understand that the modules or steps of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a general computing device, they can be concentrated on a single computing device, or distributed on a network composed of multiple computing devices, and optionally, they can be implemented by a program code executable by a computing device, so that they can be stored in a storage device and executed by the computing device, and in some cases, the steps shown or described can be executed in a different order from that herein, or they can be made into individual integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps therein can be made into a single integrated circuit module for implementation. In this way, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

[0099] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the embodiments of the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A fnirs host for interconnecting with other fnirs hosts to form a higher number of detection channels, characterized in that: The fnirs host includes: at least one interface configured to be removably inserted into a first connector or a second connector of an interconnection device for interconnecting a plurality of FNIRS hosts, wherein the FNIRS host is used as a master host among the plurality of FNIRS hosts by inserting the first connector, and the FNIRS host is used as a slave host among the plurality of FNIRS hosts by inserting the second connector; A processing circuit unit separated from the main processor is configured to detect the plugging and unplugging of the connector of the at least one interface, and is further configured to: when the first connector is detected to be plugged in, transmit the first acquisition start signal of synchronous acquisition to the outside through the at least one interface; when the second connector is detected to be plugged in, receive the first acquisition start signal from the corresponding processing circuit unit of the external main control host through the at least one interface, and transmit it to the main processor; when the connector is detected to be unplugged, notify the main processor of the unplugging of the connector; and The main processor is configured to, upon receiving the first acquisition start signal, execute the following execution of the acquisition of the local near-infrared detection data to achieve the synchronous acquisition of the near-infrared detection data of a higher number of detection channels of several interconnected FNIRS hosts: if not notified of the connector being unplugged, continue to receive and execute the acquisition of the local near-infrared detection data based on the first acquisition start signal; if notified of the connector being unplugged, generate a second acquisition start signal based on the received first acquisition start signal, and execute the acquisition of the local near-infrared detection data based on the second acquisition start signal.

2. The fnirs host according to claim 1, characterized in that The processing circuit unit is further configured as follows: When the insertion of the first connector is detected, a collection cycle identification signal is transmitted externally via the at least one interface; the collection cycle identification signal is used to align the near-infrared detection data respectively collected by each fnirs host.

3. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The processing circuit unit is further configured as follows: In response to satisfying the synchronous acquisition condition, transmitting the first acquisition start signal externally via the at least one interface; The synchronous acquisition condition includes: receiving a low load indication signal sent by an interconnected slave host within a preset time period before each preset synchronization moment.

4. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The main processor is further configured as: If the connector is unplugged, the second acquisition start signal is generated according to the receiving time interval of the first acquisition start signal and the receiving time of the first acquisition start signal that has been received. The receiving time interval of the first acquisition start signal is defined or determined by the acquisition timing configuration information stored locally or determined by the time interval between at least two of the first acquisition start signals that have been received.

5. The fnirs host according to claim 4, characterized in that The acquisition timing configuration information includes: The lighting moment and lighting time of each transmitting probe in a collection cycle, as well as the collection moment and collection time of each receiving probe, and multiple collection cycles constitute a near-infrared detection data collection process.

6. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The main processor is further configured as: If the connector is unplugged, the master-slave configuration of the current fnirs host is maintained if the master-slave configuration change condition is not met; wherein the master-slave configuration change condition includes at least one of the following: After being notified of the connector unplugging situation, a first preset time period passes, the connector plugging and unplugging behavior of the interconnected device is detected, and the current near-infrared detection data collection process is completed.

7. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The processing circuit unit is configured to detect the plugging and unplugging status of the connector without calling the main processor, and to transmit the first acquisition start signal to the outside or receive the first acquisition start signal from the corresponding processing circuit unit of the main control host.

8. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The main processor is further configured to: After detecting that the connector is pulled out for a second preset time period, the collection of near-infrared detection data is restored to be controlled based on the collection start signal of the local machine.

9. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The processing circuit unit also includes: The first indicator is configured to indicate that the fnirs host is in a state of synchronously collecting near-infrared detection data with multiple interconnected fnirs hosts when the insertion of the connector of the interconnected device is detected and the removal of the connector is detected after the near-infrared detection data is started to be collected.

10. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The processing circuit unit also includes: The second indicator is configured to indicate that the fnirs host is a master host that transmits a first acquisition start signal to the outside or a slave host that receives and uses the first acquisition start signal when the insertion of the connector of the interconnect device is detected and the removal of the connector is detected after the near infrared detection data is started to be collected.

11. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The processing circuit unit is further configured to identify the connector type of the inserted connector by detecting any one or any combination of the following dominant physical properties: Physical contacts, circuit parameters generated by inserting connectors, and visual features.

12. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The processing circuit part is an FPGA circuit.

13. The fnirs host according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The at least one interface is a single interface, and the single interface is a conventional interconnection interface of the fnirs host.

14. An interconnect device for the fnirs host according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: The interconnect device comprises: A first connector is disposed at a first end of the interconnect device; a second connector disposed at an end opposite to the first end, the second connector having different dominant physical properties than the first connector; and A cable connection part, the cable connection part is used to electrically connect the first connector and the second connector, wherein, when the first connector is plugged into the first interface of the first FNIRS host and the second connector is plugged into the second interface of the second FNIRS host, the first connector receives a first acquisition start signal for synchronous acquisition from the first processing circuit part of the first FNIRS host, and transmits the first acquisition start signal to the second processing circuit part of the second FNIRS host via the cable connection part and the second connector, and the first acquisition start signal is used by the second FNIRS host to start synchronous acquisition of near-infrared detection data with the first FNIRS host.

15. The interconnect device for the fnirs host according to claim 14, characterized in that: The interconnection device includes a single first connector and several second connectors, the cable connection portion includes a first cable portion, an expansion portion and several second cable portions, the expansion portion is electrically connected to the first connector via the first cable portion, and is connected to the corresponding several second connectors via the several second cable portions.

16. A fnirs host interconnection component, characterized in that include: At least two fnirs hosts as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13; as well as According to the interconnection device as claimed in claim 14 or 15, the at least two fnirs hosts are respectively plugged with the first connector and / or the second connector of the interconnection device within a third preset time length.

17. The fnirs host interconnect component of claim 16, wherein: The at least two fnirs hosts respectively unplug the first connector and the second connector of the interconnection device after the third preset time period, so that there is no wired connection between them.

18. The fnirs host interconnection component according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that: In the case where there are multiple fnirs hosts, the interconnection device includes a single first connector and several second connectors, the cable connection portion includes a first cable portion, an expansion portion and several second cable portions, the expansion portion is electrically connected to the first connector via the first cable portion, and is connected to the corresponding several second connectors via several second cable portions, the single first connector is inserted into the interface of one fnirs host, and the several second connectors are respectively inserted into the interfaces of the remaining fnirs hosts.

19. An fNIRS imaging system, characterized in that: include: The fnirs host interconnect assembly of any one of claims 16 to 18; and A probe group including a transmitting probe and a receiving probe connected to and used in conjunction with each fnirs host, each of the probe groups having a first number of channels, wherein each fnirs host is configured to control the corresponding probe group to synchronously collect near-infrared detection data of a second number of channels based on a first acquisition start signal of a first fnirs host connected to the first connector, wherein the second number of channels is greater than the first number of channels.

20. The fNIRS imaging system of claim 19, wherein: Also includes: The host computer receives the near-infrared detection data of the second channel number synchronously collected by each fnirs host, and displays and analyzes the near-infrared detection data.

21. A method for achieving a higher number of detection channels by interconnecting at least two fnirs devices, characterized in that: Each fnirs device comprises a probe group and an fnirs host as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 connected to and used in conjunction with the probe group, the probe group comprising a transmitting probe and a receiving probe, and the method comprises: The at least two FNIRS devices are interconnected by the interconnection device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein a first connector of the interconnection device is inserted into a first interface of a FNIRS host serving as a master host in the at least two FNIRS devices, and a second connector of the interconnection device is inserted into a second interface of a FNIRS host serving as a slave host in the at least two FNIRS devices; Wearing each probe set on the subject's head via the same head cap; Each fnirs host as the master host and the slave host is used to control the transmitting probe and the receiving probe of the corresponding probe group to collaboratively and synchronously collect near-infrared detection data based on the acquisition start signal transmitted by the fnirs host as the master host, so as to obtain near-infrared detection data with a higher number of detection channels.

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