Wearable device capable of measuring EEG and ECG for long time

Abstract

A wearable device includes a sensor unit and a control unit. A sensor unit including a plurality of electrodes mounted on the head of the user above the neck and acquiring electrical signals from the head; acquiring an electroencephalogram of the user based on a difference between the electrical signals acquired by two of the plurality of electrodes; and acquiring an electrocardiogram of the user based on a difference between the electrical signals acquired by the other two of the plurality of electrodes. The control unit is electrically connected with the sensor unit and converts analog signals of the electroencephalogram and the electrocardiogram obtained by the sensor unit into digital signals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0069046 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on June 7, 2022, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0153739 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 16, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present disclosure relates to wearable devices, and more particularly to wearable devices capable of collecting bio-signals such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG). Background Art

[0004] Living organisms including humans generate various electrical signals, which may be collectively referred to as biosignals. Biosignals may include electroencephalograms (EEGs), electrocardiograms (ECGs), ballistocardiograms (BCGs), and photoplethysmograms (PPGs), and by analyzing these biosignals, various information about the state of the living organism may be obtained.

[0005] Among various biological signals, brain waves and electrocardiograms are signals that inform the status of the brain and heart, which are the most important organs for human survival, and the signal is by far the most important biological signal.

[0006] Generally, EEG is acquired from the user's head, while ECG is acquired from the chest. Therefore, in order to realize a device that simultaneously measures brain waves and electrocardiograms, a head-mounted sensor for measuring biological signals and a chest-mounted sensor must be separately provided. This complicates the configuration of the device, increases its volume, and makes it inconvenient for the user to use the device.

[0007] Public Content

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] The present disclosure attempts to provide a wearable device that can simultaneously measure the user's electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG), and limit the body part to be measured to a narrow area to simplify the components of the device for measurement, and make the components miniaturized and lightweight, and more conveniently measure both EEG and ECG.

[0010] Technical Solutions

[0011] The wearable device according to the embodiment includes a sensor unit and a control unit. The sensor unit includes a plurality of electrodes, which are mounted on the head of the user above the neck and detect electrical signals from the head, detect the electroencephalogram of the user based on the difference between the electrical signals detected by two electrodes among the plurality of electrodes, and detect the electrocardiogram of the user based on the difference between the electrical signals detected by the other two electrodes among the plurality of electrodes. The control unit is electrically connected to the sensor unit and converts the analog signals of the electroencephalogram and the electrocardiogram detected by the sensor unit into digital signals.

[0012] The sensor unit may include an electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit for acquiring an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the user and an electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit for acquiring an electrocardiogram (ECG) of the user. The plurality of electrodes may include an active electrode, a reference electrode, a ground electrode, and two electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes.

[0013] The active electrodes may include two frontal lobe electrodes and two temporal lobe electrodes.The electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit may acquire an electroencephalogram (EEG) based on a difference between an electrical signal detected by the active electrodes and an electrical signal detected by the reference electrodes.

[0014] On the other hand, the active electrode may include a first active electrode having two frontal electrodes and a second active electrode having two temporal electrodes. When the user's head is divided into a left area and a right area, the measurement position of each of the first active electrode and the second active electrode may belong to at least one of the left area and the right area.

[0015] The electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit can acquire an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the left or right brain or both brains of the frontal lobe based on the difference between the electrical signal detected by the first active electrode and the electrical signal detected by the reference electrode, and acquire an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the left or right brain or at least one of the two brains of the temporal lobe based on the difference between the electrical signal detected by the second active electrode and the electrical signal detected by the reference electrode.

[0016] The two electrocardiogram electrodes may be located in left and right regions of the head, respectively, and the electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit may acquire an electrocardiogram (ECG) based on a difference between electrical signals respectively detected by the two electrocardiogram electrodes.

[0017] The two frontal electrodes may be located at positions Fp1 and Fp2 or positions F7 and F8. The two temporal electrodes may be located at positions T3 and T4 or positions T5 and T6. The reference electrode may be positioned closer to the ground than the two temporal electrodes, with the central axis of the head perpendicular to the ground. The plurality of electrodes may be composed of hydrogel electrodes.

[0018] The sensor unit may further include an acceleration sensor and an acceleration acquisition unit, the acceleration acquisition unit using the acceleration sensor to measure 3-axis position information according to the movement of the user. The sensor unit may include a first electrode support and a second electrode support extending from the first electrode support toward the forehead of the user. A plurality of electrodes may be mounted on the first electrode support and the second electrode support, and the first electrode support and the second electrode support may be made of a flexible material.

[0019] The control unit may include a filtering unit filtering the output signal of the sensor unit, an analog-to-digital conversion unit converting the filtered analog output signal into a digital signal, and a communication unit transmitting the converted digital signal to the mobile device.

[0020] The sensor unit may be connected to the control unit via a connection line, and the control unit may be connected to the mobile device via a wired connection unit. The sensor unit and the control unit may receive power from the mobile device. On the other hand, the wearable device may further include a power supply for supplying power to the sensor and the control unit. The communication unit may be a wireless communication unit including at least one of Bluetooth, WiFi, 4th generation mobile communication, and 5th generation mobile communication, and the control unit may be connected to the mobile device via the wireless communication unit.

[0021] The sensor unit and the control unit can be used to monitor, diagnose and predict central nervous system diseases.

[0022] Beneficial Effects

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user's electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) can be measured simultaneously, and the body parts to be measured can be limited to a narrow area to simplify the components of the device used for measurement, and the components can be miniaturized and lightweight, and both EEG and ECG can be measured more conveniently. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wearable device according to the first embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wearable device and a wearing state of a user according to a first embodiment.

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of .

[0027] Figure 4 It is a graphic Figure 3 A perspective view of the sensor unit shown in FIG.

[0028] Figure 5 It is a diagram illustrating the installation positions of a plurality of electrodes.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a graphic Figure 2 A perspective view of a control unit in the wearable device shown in FIG.

[0030] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wearable device according to a second embodiment.

[0031] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a wearable device according to a second embodiment implemented in the form of a neckband.

[0032] Fig. 9 yes Figure 7 A perspective view of a wearable device as shown in FIG.

[0033] Fig.10 is a perspective view of a wearable device according to a second embodiment implemented in the form of a headband.

[0034] Fig.11 is a perspective view of a wearable device according to a second embodiment implemented in the form of glasses.

[0035] Fig.12 and Fig.13 is a perspective view of a wearable device according to a second embodiment implemented in the form of headphones.

[0036] Invented Pattern

[0037] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the present invention are shown. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wearable device according to the first embodiment.

[0039] refer to Figure 1 The wearable device 100 of the first embodiment is a device that simultaneously measures biosignals including electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) from the user's head and is optionally capable of measuring acceleration. In the following explanation, "acceleration" can be replaced by "angular velocity" in its entirety.

[0040] An electroencephalogram (EEG) is an electrical signal generated by brain activity. An EEG can be used to diagnose brain diseases such as epilepsy, stroke, and brain tumors, and more recently, in addition to diagnosing disease, an EEG is also used to monitor a subject's brain activity, such as for testing perception and cognitive abilities.

[0041] An electrocardiogram (ECG) is an electrical signal generated by the contraction and relaxation of the heart and is used as data for explaining the operation of the heart. By observing an electrocardiogram (ECG), the speed and consistency of the heartbeat can be found, and the occurrence of heart-related diseases such as myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and arrhythmia can be determined through this.

[0042] Acceleration is a three-axis acceleration in the front, back, left, right, and up and down directions caused by the user's movement, and the degree of the user's movement can provide information about the time of the error in the biosignal detection. Therefore, the acceleration information can be used to measure the user's movement.

[0043] Typically, an electroencephalogram (EEG) is acquired from the user's head, an electrocardiogram (ECG) is acquired from the user's chest, and acceleration is acquired from the wrist, but the wearable device 100 according to the first embodiment can measure both the electroencephalogram (EEG) and the electrocardiogram (ECG) from the user's head, and optionally measure acceleration together. In the wearable device (100) of the first embodiment, the user's head can be the head above the neck.

[0044] The wearable device 100 of the first embodiment includes a sensor unit 120 measuring a biosignal and a control unit 150 electrically connected to the sensor unit 120. The control unit 150 receives the biosignal measured by the sensor unit 120, converts the analog signal into a digital signal, and inputs the digital signal into the mobile device 500.

[0045] The sensor unit 120 includes an electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 that acquires an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the user and an electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit 122 that acquires an electrocardiogram (ECG) of the user. Each of the electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 and the electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit 122 may be composed of a plurality of electrodes that detect electrical signals from the head above the neck of the user, and may acquire the electroencephalogram (EEG) and the electrocardiogram (ECG) based on a difference between electrical signals detected by two of the plurality of electrodes.

[0046] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wearable device and a wearing state of a user according to a first embodiment, and Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of . Figure 4 It is a graphic Figure 3 A perspective view of the sensor unit shown in FIG. Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the installation positions of a plurality of electrodes. Figure 4 In the embodiment, a pair of sensor components have the same configuration.

[0047] refer to Figures 1 to 5, the electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 may collect biological signals through two temporal lobe electrodes 131 and two frontal lobe electrodes 132. In an embodiment, the electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 may include an active electrode, a reference electrode 133, and a ground electrode 134, and the two temporal lobe electrodes 131 and the two frontal lobe electrodes 132 may be active electrodes.

[0048] The active electrode can detect electrical signals at a first location on the skin surface of the user's forehead and at a second location on the skin surface of the user's temple. The first location can be Figure 5 The positions Fp1 and Fp2, and the second position can be Figure 5 Depending on the subject's skull structure and size and the lesion site, the first position can be Figure 5 The positions F7 and F8, and the second position can be Figure 5 Positions T5 and T6.

[0049] The ground electrode 134 can detect an electrical signal at a third position on the skin surface of the temporal part, and the reference electrode 133 can detect an electrical signal at a fourth position on the skin surface of the temporal part. The second position and the third position can exist on the skin surface of any one of the mastoid processes of the user. The fourth position can be located farther from the ground than the second position, with the central axis of the user's head perpendicular to the ground.

[0050] The ground electrode 134 is used to detect the electrical signals of other electrodes, and the electrical signals detected by the active electrodes described below mean the voltage difference between the active electrodes and the ground electrode. The electrical signals detected by electrodes other than the active electrodes also mean the voltage difference between the electrodes and the ground electrode 134.

[0051] The electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 may acquire an electroencephalogram (EEG) using 2 to 4 channels based on the difference between the electrical signal detected by the active electrode and the electrical signal detected by the reference electrode 133. At this time, the difference between the two electrical signals may be the original electroencephalogram (EEG), and the electroencephalogram (EEG) may be acquired through additional signal processing.

[0052] In another embodiment, the electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 may include a first active electrode, a second active electrode, and a reference electrode. The two frontal lobe electrodes 132 may be the first active electrodes, and the two temporal lobe electrodes 131 may be the second active electrodes.

[0053] The first active electrode can detect an electrical signal at a fifth position on the skin surface of the user's forehead, and the second active electrode can detect an electrical signal at a sixth position on the skin surface of the user's temple. The reference electrode 133 can detect an electrical signal at a seventh position on the skin surface of the user's temple.

[0054] The fifth, sixth and seventh positions may be respectively the same as the first, second and fourth positions described above. When the forehead and the temple of the user are divided into a left area and a right area, the fifth and sixth positions may belong to at least one of the left area and the right area.

[0055] In this case, the electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 can acquire an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the left or right brain or both brains of the frontal lobe based on the difference between the electrical signal detected by the first active electrode and the electrical signal detected by the reference electrode 133, and can acquire an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the left or right brain or both brains of the temporal lobe based on the difference between the electrical signal detected by the second active electrode and the electrical signal detected by the reference electrode 133.

[0056] In the above two embodiments, the electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit 122 may include two electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes 135. The two electrocardiogram electrodes 135 may detect electrical signals on the skin surface of the user's temporal region. When the user's head is divided into a left region and a right region, any one of the two electrocardiogram electrodes 135 is located in the left region, and the other is located in the right region. The electrocardiogram (ECG) electrode 135 may be located at a certain distance from the reference electrode 133 in a direction parallel to the ground.

[0057] The ECG acquisition unit 122 may acquire an electrocardiogram (ECG) based on a difference between an electrical signal detected by any one of the two ECG electrodes 135 and an electrical signal detected by the other ECG electrode. Any one of the two ECG electrodes 135 may be referred to as an active electrode for ECG measurement, and the other may be referred to as a reference electrode for ECG measurement.

[0058] The sensor unit 120 may include a pair of sensor unit bodies 141, a first electrode support 142 coupled to each of the pair of sensor unit bodies 141, a second electrode support 143 extending from the first electrode support 142 toward the forehead of the user, and a plurality of electrodes 130 located on the inner side of each of the first and second electrode supports 142 and 143 and in contact with the skin surface of the user. The plurality of electrodes 130 are a plurality of electrodes constituting the above-mentioned electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 and electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit 122, and each of the first and second electrode support units 142 and 143 may be made of a flexible material that may be easily bent according to the curvature of the user's skin.

[0059] The sensor unit body 141 may be formed in a structure separated into two parts. Either one of the two parts may be connected to the first and second electrode supports 142 and 143, and the other may be connected to a connection line 145 described below.

[0060] The plurality of electrodes 130 may be composed of wet electrodes, and specifically may be composed of hydrogel-type electrodes. Wet electrodes have less friction noise and signal noise than dry electrodes, and can stably collect signals by closely contacting the skin. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of electrodes 130 may include a hydrogel layer in contact with the skin, a conductive material layer located on the inside of the hydrogel layer and serving as an actual electrode, a connector terminal located on the inside of the conductive material layer, and a non-conductive material layer located on the inside of the connector terminal.

[0061] The sensor unit 120 may include an acceleration sensor and an acceleration acquisition unit 123 , and the acceleration acquisition unit 123 uses the acceleration sensor to measure 3-axis position information according to the movement of the user. The acceleration sensor may be installed inside the sensor unit body 141 .

[0062] The acceleration sensor provides a direct current (DC) component proportional to the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration acting in a direction perpendicular to the plane on which the acceleration sensor is placed. In addition, when the acceleration sensor is accelerated in a direction perpendicular to the plane on which the acceleration sensor is placed, the acceleration sensor provides an alternating current (AC) component proportional to the magnitude of the motion acceleration of the component perpendicular to the plane. The output of the DC component of the acceleration sensor can provide information about the degree of inclination of the acceleration sensor.

[0063] The acceleration acquisition unit 123 can determine the shape of the user's head movement by using the inclination angle of the acceleration sensor acquired from the output of the acceleration sensor. In addition, the acceleration acquisition unit 123 can determine the degree of the user's head movement according to the output of the alternating current (AC) component of the acceleration sensor.

[0064] The sensor unit 120 may further include an impedance measuring unit 124. The impedance measuring unit 124 may measure contact impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 130 and the user's skin in contact with each of the plurality of electrodes 130, and output a signal for identifying an electrode among the plurality of electrodes 130 in which the contact impedance exceeds a predetermined value according to a predetermined method.

[0065] The user can wear the sensor unit 120 configured as described above at a position adjacent to at least one of the two ears, and the plurality of electrodes 130 can be maintained in a skin-attached state by the first support unit 142 and the second support unit 143. The plurality of electrodes 130 can be integrally coupled to the sensor unit body 141 by the first support 142 and the second support 143, or can be configured to be easily and repeatedly attached to and detached from the sensor unit body 141 by a physical device or a permanent magnetic device. For example, the plurality of electrodes 130 can be coupled to a wired connector terminal and configured to be easily and repeatedly attached and detached according to the needs of the user.

[0066] The sensor unit 120 and the control unit 150 may be connected via a connection line 145. The electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) acquired by the sensor unit 120 and the analog signals of the acceleration selectively acquired may be transmitted to the control unit 150 via the connection line 145 and output as a digital electroencephalogram (EEG) output signal, an electrocardiogram (ECG) output signal, and an acceleration output signal, respectively. The control unit 150 may include a filtering unit 151, an analog-to-digital (AD) conversion unit 152, and a communication unit 153, and may be connected to a mobile device via a connection unit.

[0067] The filtering unit 151 may perform filtering by applying a bandpass filter having a predetermined first passband to an electroencephalogram (EEG) output signal of the sensor unit 120, and may perform filtering by applying a bandpass filter having a predetermined second passband to an electrocardiogram (ECG) output signal. The control unit 150 may process the biosignal through software to more accurately extract features of the biosignal, for example, by emphasizing features of the biosignal or removing noise outside the biosignal through the filtering unit 151.

[0068] The analog-to-digital conversion unit 152 applies the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate to the electroencephalogram (EEG) output signal and the electrocardiogram output signal filtered by the filtering unit 151, respectively, and converts the analog signals into digital signals. At this time, the first sampling rate can be determined based on the maximum frequency of the first passband, and the second sampling rate can be determined based on the maximum frequency of the second passband.

[0069] The communication unit 153 transmits the electroencephalogram (EEG) output signal and the electrocardiogram (ECG) output signal converted into digital signals to the mobile device 500 through the connection unit at a first transmission speed and a second transmission speed, respectively. The ratio between the first transmission speed and the second transmission speed may be determined based on the ratio between the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate.

[0070] The connection unit connecting the control unit 150 and the mobile device 500 may be a wired connection unit 161. The control unit 150 may be integrally connected to the wired connection terminal of the mobile device 500 using the wired connection unit 161, or may be connected to any position of the cable connecting the sensor unit 120 and the wired connection terminal of the mobile device 500. The control unit 150 may transmit an electroencephalogram (EEG) output signal, an electrocardiogram (ECG) output signal, and an acceleration output signal converted into digital signals to the mobile device 500, and transmit the output signal to the server system using the wireless communication module of the mobile device 500.

[0071] Figure 6 It is a graphic Figure 2 A perspective view of a control unit in the wearable device shown in FIG.

[0072] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6 , the control unit 150 includes a control unit body 162, which accommodates a filtering unit 151, an analog-to-digital conversion unit 152, and a communication unit 153. A wearable device such as a clip 163 may be provided to the control unit body 162. The control unit body 162 may be connected to a pair of sensor unit bodies 141 through a pair of connection lines 145, and connected to the mobile device 500 through the wired connection unit 161.

[0073] The wearable device 100 of the first embodiment may not include a power source required to drive the sensor unit 120 and the control unit 150, and may receive power from the mobile device 500 through the wired connection unit 161. Therefore, the wearable device 100 of the first embodiment can continuously measure biosignals for a long time (such as 12 hours), and can make the overall configuration small and lightweight, so it is very easy to use in daily life.

[0074] Next, a wearable device according to a second embodiment is described. The wearable device of the second embodiment is formed in the same or similar configuration as the first embodiment except that the wearable device of the second embodiment is a wireless type. Below, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0075] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wearable device according to a second embodiment, and Figure 8is a diagram illustrating a wearable device according to a second embodiment implemented in the form of a neckband. Fig. 9 yes Figure 7 A perspective view of a wearable device as shown in FIG.

[0076] refer to Figures 7 to 9 The wearable device 200 of the second embodiment includes a sensor unit 120 that measures a biological signal and a control unit 170 that is electrically connected to the sensor unit 120. The control unit 170 receives the biological signal measured by the sensor unit 120, converts the analog signal into a digital signal, and transmits the digital signal to the mobile device 500 using the wireless communication unit 163.

[0077] The sensor unit 120 may include an electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121, an electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit 122, an acceleration acquisition unit 123, and an impedance measurement unit 124. The electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 may collect biological signals through two temporal lobe electrodes 131 and two frontal lobe electrodes 132.

[0078] In an embodiment, the electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 may include an active electrode, a reference electrode 133, and a ground electrode 134, and the two temporal lobe electrodes 131 and the two frontal lobe electrodes 132 may be active electrodes. In another embodiment, the electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 may include a first active electrode, a second active electrode, and a reference electrode 133. The two frontal lobe electrodes 132 may be the first active electrode, and the two temporal lobe electrodes 131 may be the second active electrode. In both embodiments, the electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit 122 may include two electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes 135. In the sensor unit 120, the process in which the electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit 121 acquires an electroencephalogram (EEG) and the process in which the electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit 122 acquires an electrocardiogram (ECG) are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0079] The sensor unit 120 may include a pair of first electrode supports 142, a second electrode support 143 extending from the first electrode support 142 toward the forehead of the user, and a plurality of electrodes 130 located inside each of the first and second electrode supports 143 and in contact with the skin surface of the user. The plurality of electrodes 130 may be composed of wet electrodes, and specifically, may be composed of hydrogel type electrodes.

[0080] The acceleration acquisition unit 123 uses an acceleration sensor to measure 3-axis position information according to the movement of the user. The sensor unit 120 and the control unit 170 may share a main body 175, and the acceleration sensor may be installed inside the main body 175. The control unit 170 may include a filtering unit 171, an analog-to-digital conversion unit 172, and a wireless communication unit 173, and may be connected to the mobile device 500 through the wireless connection unit 173. The configuration and operation of the filtering unit 171 and the analog-to-digital (AD) conversion unit 172 are the same as those of the filtering unit and the analog-to-digital (AD) conversion unit in the first embodiment described above.

[0081] The wireless communication unit 173 may include at least one of Bluetooth which is a short-range wireless technology standard, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) which is a wireless LAN, 4th generation mobile communication (LTE: Long Term Evolution) and 5th generation mobile communication (5G: 5th Generation).

[0082] The control unit 170 may transmit the electroencephalogram (EEG) output signal, electrocardiogram (ECG) output signal, and acceleration output signal converted into digital signals to the wireless communication module of the mobile device 500 through the wireless communication unit 173, and transmit the output signal to the server system using the wireless communication module of the mobile device 500. Using software installed in the mobile device 500, the electrical signal received from the control unit 170 may be analyzed and transmitted to the server, and the recording of the bio-signal and the transmission to the server may occur in real time.

[0083] The wearable device 200 of the second embodiment includes a power source 180 required to drive the sensor unit 120 and the control unit 170. The power source 180 may be configured as a typical battery, but is not limited to such an example.

[0084] exist Figure 8 In the embodiment, the wearable device is configured in the form of a neckband, and a pair of main bodies 175 can be integrally connected by a semicircular connecting member 176 that surrounds the back of the user's neck. The wearable device in the form of a neckband is an integrated configuration in which the sensor unit and the control unit share a single main body 175, which is advantageous in miniaturizing the entire wearable device. In addition to the neckband form, the wearable device 200 of the second embodiment can be implemented in a form that is easy to use in daily life, such as a hairband, glasses, and headphones.

[0085] Fig.10 is a perspective view of a wearable device according to a second embodiment implemented in the form of a hairband. Fig.10In the embodiment, the wearable device 201 includes a headband unit 191 that surrounds the user's head so as to be in close contact with the user's forehead and back of the head. The sensor unit 120 is fixedly installed in the headband unit 191 so that a plurality of electrodes come into contact with the user's skin, and the control unit may be installed inside the headband unit 191. The sensor unit 120 and the control unit may be connected via a connection line 145.

[0086] Fig.11 is a perspective view of a wearable device according to a second embodiment implemented in the form of glasses. Fig.11 In the embodiment, the wearable device 202 includes a glasses frame 192 and a glasses temple 193. The sensor unit 120 is fixedly installed at the end of the glasses temple 193 so that a plurality of electrodes come into contact with the user's skin, and the control unit may be installed inside the glasses temple 193.

[0087] Fig.12 and Fig.13 is a perspective view of a wearable device according to a second embodiment implemented in the form of headphones. Fig.12 and Fig.13 In the embodiment, the wearable device 203 includes a ring 194 that can be worn on the ear of the user. The sensor unit 120 and the control unit 170 are mounted and connected to the ring 194, and a pair of rings 194 can be integrally connected by a wire 195. The wearable device 203 in the form of an earphone has a structure in which the frontal electrode of the embodiment is omitted, but a frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) can be measured by a method such as installing a separate patch.

[0088] The wearable devices 100, 200, 201, 203 and 203 according to the above-mentioned first and second embodiments can be used to diagnose and predict brain diseases such as epilepsy, stroke and brain tumors, and can be used to monitor, diagnose and predict symptoms of various central nervous system diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, depression, sleep disorders, consciousness disorders, stress and dementia.

[0089] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described above, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and the detailed description of the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings and, of course, belong to the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A wearable device, comprising: a sensor unit including a plurality of electrodes mounted on the head of the user above the neck and detecting an electrical signal from the head, detecting an electroencephalogram of the user based on a difference between the electrical signals detected by two electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, and detecting an electrocardiogram of the user based on a difference between the electrical signals detected by another two electrodes of the plurality of electrodes; as well as A control unit is electrically connected to the sensor unit and converts analog signals of the electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram detected by the sensor unit into digital signals.

2. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor unit includes a sensor unit for acquiring an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the user and an electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit for acquiring an electrocardiogram (ECG) of the user, and The plurality of electrodes includes an active electrode, a reference electrode, a ground electrode, and two electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes.

3. The wearable device according to claim 2, wherein: The active electrodes include two frontal electrodes and two temporal electrodes, and The electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit acquires an electroencephalogram (EEG) based on a difference between an electric signal detected by the active electrode and an electric signal detected by the reference electrode.

4. The wearable device according to claim 2, wherein: The active electrodes include a first active electrode having two frontal electrodes and a second active electrode having two temporal electrodes, and When the user's head is divided into a left region and a right region, the measurement positions of the first active electrode and the second active electrode belong to at least one of the left region and the right region.

5. The wearable device according to claim 4, wherein: The electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition unit acquires an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the left or right brain or both brains of the frontal lobe based on the difference between the electric signal detected by the first active electrode and the electric signal detected by the reference electrode, and acquires an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the left or right brain or both brains of the temporal lobe based on the difference between the electric signal detected by the second active electrode and the electric signal detected by the reference electrode.

6. The wearable device according to claim 2, wherein: Two ECG electrodes are located in the left and right areas of the head, and The electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition unit acquires an electrocardiogram (ECG) based on a difference between electrical signals respectively detected by two electrocardiogram electrodes.

7. The wearable device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The two frontal electrodes are located at positions Fp1 and Fp2 or positions F7 and F8, The two temporal lobe electrodes are located at positions T3 and T4 or positions T5 and T6, and The reference electrode was positioned closer to the ground than the two temporal electrodes, with the central axis of the head perpendicular to the ground.

8. The wearable device according to claim 2, wherein: The plurality of electrodes are composed of hydrogel electrodes.

9. The wearable device according to claim 2, wherein: The sensor unit further includes an acceleration sensor and an acceleration acquisition unit that uses the acceleration sensor to measure 3-axis position information according to the movement of the user.

10. The wearable device according to claim 2, wherein: The sensor unit includes a first electrode support and a second electrode support extending from the first electrode support toward the forehead of the user, A plurality of electrodes are mounted on the first electrode support and the second electrode support, and The first electrode support and the second electrode support are made of a flexible material.

11. The wearable device according to claim 2, wherein: The control unit includes a filtering unit filtering an output signal of the sensor unit, an analog-to-digital conversion unit converting the filtered analog output signal into a digital signal, and a communication unit transmitting the converted digital signal to the mobile device.

12. The wearable device according to claim 11, wherein: The sensor unit is connected to the control unit via a connecting wire. The control unit is connected to the mobile device via a wired connection unit, and The sensor unit and the control unit receive power from the mobile device.

13. The wearable device according to claim 11, further comprising: Power supply to sensors and control unit, The communication unit is a wireless communication unit including at least one of Bluetooth, WiFi, 4th generation mobile communication and 5th generation mobile communication, and The control unit is connected to the mobile device via a wireless communication unit.

14. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor unit and control unit are used to monitor, diagnose and prognose central nervous system diseases.

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