Wire arrangement system and method for marking and searching electroencephalogram electrode wire

Abstract

The invention relates to a wire arrangement system and method for marking and searching electroencephalogram electrode wires, and the system comprises a plurality of editable electronic wire arrangement device tags, each electronic wire arrangement device tag is bound on each electroencephalogram electrode wire, and the electronic wire arrangement device tag comprises a reminding module and a wireless communication module; the central controller is connected with the electronic wire arrangement device labels, and scans and identifies unique ID addresses of all the electronic wire arrangement device labels through a built-in wireless wire concentration module; and the terminal equipment is connected with the central controller and is used for establishing digital mapping between the ID address and the custom name, and based on the custom name and the digital mapping, sending an instruction to the corresponding electronic wire arrangement device label to start the reminding module so as to realize positioning and identification of the target electroencephalogram electrode wire. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages of high label configuration flexibility, improvement of electrode wire positioning speed and accuracy and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of auxiliary devices for electroencephalogram (EEG) signal acquisition equipment, and in particular to a wire management system and method for marking and locating EEG electrode wires. Background Technology

[0002] In EEG signal acquisition experiments, brain-computer interface research, and clinical EEG monitoring, a large number of EEG electrodes (such as 64-channel, 128-channel, or even more) are required. These EEG electrode wires are often bundled together in a plug box, but the other end (the electrode tip) is an independent cable. They look similar, are flexible, and easily tangled, making them difficult to distinguish. Currently, researchers or medical staff typically use the following methods for wire management and locating: 1) Manual visual identification: Relying on tiny lettering or color markings on the EEG electrode wires for identification. This method is extremely inefficient, especially when the cables are tangled, and is prone to errors due to visual fatigue. 2) Pre-manual grouping: Using rubber bands, wire ties, or other tools to manually group and bundle the EEG electrode wires for corresponding areas. While this method offers some improvement, it cannot solve the problem of accurate positioning of individual electrode wires within a group, and regrouping is cumbersome when changing test points. The main drawbacks of existing technologies are: low recognition efficiency, heavy reliance on human experience, susceptibility to errors, and poor flexibility in adjusting electrode configuration during experiments. This greatly reduces the efficiency of scientific research and clinical work and may lead to data distortion due to connection errors.

[0003] Chinese invention patent CN118695212A discloses an intelligent tool positioning system, comprising: a tool-end device equipped with tags and a sensor reader, each tool having a unique tag ID, the sensor reader reading the tool's tag ID; a network layer, including a wireless network, for transmitting tool ID information; a central server for data processing, storing tool information and user requests; and user terminals, including mobile phones and computers, for inputting tool information, managing tools, and locating tools. The tool-end device is connected to the network layer via a wireless communication module. A microprocessor controls a multiplexer chip to poll tool slots, the sensor reader reads the tool ID number on each slot, and provides feedback on the tool's location to the user through a buzzer, lights, and other prompting devices. While this invention, based on wireless network and sensor technology, achieves the functions of inputting, storing, searching, and managing tool information, it still suffers from poor tag configuration flexibility and inability to adapt to multiple implementation schemes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution that can automatically and intelligently manage EEG electrode lines and provide editable, rapid, and accurate positioning of target electrode lines.

[0004] In summary, there is currently a lack of a wire management system and method for marking and locating EEG electrodes to solve or partially solve the aforementioned problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a wire management system and method for marking and finding EEG electrode wires, so as to solve or partially solve the problems of low efficiency in finding and identifying EEG electrode wires and poor flexibility in tag adaptation.

[0006] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: According to one aspect of the present invention, a wire management system for marking and locating electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes is provided, the system comprising: Multiple editable electronic cable management tags, each electronic cable management tag being attached to each EEG electrode wire, the electronic cable management tag including a reminder module and a wireless communication module; A central controller is connected to the electronic cable management tag. The central controller scans and identifies the unique ID address of all electronic cable management tags through a built-in wireless hub module. The terminal device is connected to the central controller. The terminal device is used to establish a digital mapping between ID address and custom name. Based on the custom name to be marked / searched and the digital mapping, the central controller sends an instruction to the corresponding electronic wire organizer tag to activate the reminder module, thereby realizing the positioning and identification of the target EEG electrode wire.

[0007] As a preferred technical solution, the electronic cable organizer label body and the electrode wire are fixed by a pre-set mechanical structure on the electronic cable organizer label body. The mechanical structure is a miniature clip, Velcro strap, silicone collar or snap-on shell.

[0008] As a preferred technical solution, the wireless communication module adopts a low-power wireless communication module for data interaction with the central controller.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution, the reminder module is a triggerable identification module, including: multi-color LED lights, miniature buzzers, or miniature vibration motors.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution, the identification module is pre-configured with reminder methods and reminder durations, wherein the reminder methods include constant light, flashing, fast flashing, buzzing vibration, or a combination thereof.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution, the central controller includes a terminal interface, which is connected to a terminal device via wired or wireless means. The central controller is used to receive instructions from the terminal software and forward them to the designated electronic cable management tag.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution, the central controller includes a main control module that acts as a hub for forwarding data information.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution, the process of establishing the digital mapping is as follows: by identifying the ID address of the electronic wire organizer label, the custom standard electrode name is mapped one-to-one with the ID address.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution, the electronic cable management tag includes a shell, an internal integrated PCB board and a lithium battery, wherein the PCB board integrates an nRF52832 BLE Bluetooth chip and an ESP32 microcontroller.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for marking and locating electroencephalogram (EEG) electrode lines is provided, based on the above-described line arrangement system, the method comprising: Tag writing: Electronic cable organizer tags are attached to EEG electrode wires. The central controller scans and identifies the unique ID address of all electronic cable organizer tags through the built-in wireless hub module. The terminal device establishes a digital mapping between the ID address and the user's custom name based on the ID address and interacts with the user. Tag search: Based on the custom name to be tagged / searched and the numerical mapping, the terminal device sends an instruction to the corresponding electronic wire organizer tag through the central controller to activate the reminder module, thereby realizing the location and identification of the target EEG electrode wire.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least one of the following beneficial effects: 1) To address the problem of poor label configuration flexibility during experiments, this invention adopts a technical solution that establishes an editable digital mapping between the electronic cable organizer label ID address and a custom name to adapt to devices with different numbers of leads and different experimental schemes. This eliminates the need to replace the electronic cable organizer label, thereby enhancing the flexibility of system application.

[0017] 2) To address the issue of different scenario requirements during the experimental process, this invention employs a central controller to send different reminder instructions to the reminder module of the electronic wire organizer tag, enabling the wire organization system to adapt to different experimental scenarios such as bright rooms, dark rooms, or noisy environments, quickly locate and find the target EEG electrode wires, and achieve the technical effect of enhancing the adaptability of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is the overall structure of the cable management system of the present invention; Figure 2 This describes the workflow of the system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] Example 1 To address the problems existing in the prior art, this embodiment provides a wire management system for marking and locating EEG electrode wires, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the system includes: 1. Multiple editable electronic cable management tags, each electronic cable management tag is attached to each EEG electrode wire, and the electronic cable management tag includes a reminder module and a wireless communication module.

[0021] 1) Binding structure: The electronic cable organizer tag body is equipped with a mechanical structure for fixing to the electrode wire, such as a miniature clip, Velcro strap, silicone collar or snap-on housing, so that it can be firmly and conveniently attached to any position of a single electrode wire.

[0022] 2) Control Unit: Built-in microcontroller (MCU), which acts as the "brain" of the electronic cable organizer, coordinating the operation of various modules of the electronic cable organizer and managing its working status and energy consumption.

[0023] 3) Wireless communication module: Employs low-power wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), ZigBee, or LoRa for data interaction with the central controller.

[0024] 4) Alert module: It shall include at least one triggerable identification module, such as a multi-color LED light (for visual flashing alerts), a miniature buzzer (for audible buzzing alerts), or a miniature vibration motor (for tactile vibration alerts, suitable for noisy environments or to avoid sound interference).

[0025] 5) Power supply unit: The electronic cable management tag is powered by a miniature button battery or a rechargeable lithium battery.

[0026] 6) Address encoding: Each electronic cable management tag has a globally unique hardware ID address, which is used to be uniquely identified in the system, such as the MAC address of the electronic cable management tag.

[0027] 2. Central controller, connected to the electronic cable management tag, scans and identifies the unique ID address of all electronic cable management tags through the built-in wireless hub module.

[0028] 1) Main control module: responsible for the overall scheduling of the system, acting as a hub for wireless communication devices at the physical layer and as a data relay station at the information layer.

[0029] 2) Wireless Hub Module: Built-in wireless module (such as multi-channel Bluetooth BLE master device) that is compatible with the communication protocol of electronic cable management tags, which can establish connections and communicate with up to hundreds of electronic cable management tags at the same time.

[0030] 3) Terminal interface: Connects to the terminal device via wired (e.g., USB) or wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) methods, receives instructions from the terminal software, and forwards them to the designated electronic cable management tag.

[0031] 3. Terminal devices, typically computers, tablets, or smartphones, are connected to the central controller. The terminal devices are used to establish a digital mapping between ID addresses and custom names. Based on the custom name to be marked / searched and the digital mapping, the central controller sends instructions to the corresponding electronic wire organizer tag to activate the reminder module, thereby enabling the location and identification of the target EEG electrode wire.

[0032] The device's built-in control software provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to perform the following functions: 1) System Mapping: Scan all online electronic cable management device tags via wireless communication protocols such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, identify them by MAC address or custom ID, and import their unique ID address into the software.

[0033] 2) Tag editing: Allows users to assign meaningful custom tag names (such as "Fp1", "Cz", "O2", "reference electrode", "ground electrode", etc.) to each ID address, and establish a digital mapping relationship.

[0034] 3) Search function: Users can select, search, or select multiple electrode label names to search for in the software list by brain region and click the "Search" command.

[0035] 4) Mode settings: You can set the reminder method (such as constant light, flashing, fast flashing, buzzing, vibration and their combinations) and reminder duration.

[0036] Users attach all electronic cable organizer tags to each electrode wire. After the system is powered on, the central controller scans and connects all electronic cable organizer tags, uploading their ID list to the terminal software. On the software interface, the user maps each ID to a standard electrode name based on the lab cap or standard EEG dot map, completing the digital mapping. The system identifies the electronic cable organizer tags by their MAC address (or unique ID number), and maps specific standard electrode names to their MAC addresses in the software, completing the digital mapping. When it's necessary to locate a specific electrode wire (e.g., to check the connection of the "Cz" electrode), the user selects the "Cz" tag on the terminal software and issues a "Search" command. The command is sent to the central controller via the terminal device, and the central controller precisely sends a trigger command to the electronic cable organizer tag with the ID "Cz" via the wireless network. Upon receiving the command, the electronic cable organizer tag immediately activates its alert module (e.g., emitting a specific frequency of flashing and beeping). The operator quickly locates the target electrode wire from the cable bundle based on the sound, light, or vibration signals.

[0037] The electronic cable management tag of this system consists of a housing, an internal integrated PCB board, and a lithium battery. The PCB board integrates a BLE Bluetooth chip (such as the nRF52832), a microcontroller (such as the ESP32), a tri-color LED, and a miniature buzzer. A flexible clamp or strap is located on one side of the housing for easy clamping of electrode wires of varying thicknesses.

[0038] The central controller is a separate small box with a built-in high-performance BLE main chip (supporting multiple connections) and an STM32 main control chip, which connects to a computer (terminal device) via a USB cable.

[0039] Example 2 Regarding the wire management system for marking and finding EEG electrode lines in the above embodiments, this embodiment provides a wire management method for marking and finding EEG electrode lines based on the above wire management system, including tag writing and tag finding.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown in (a), tag writing involves binding an electronic cable organizer tag to the EEG electrode wire. The central controller scans and identifies the unique ID address of all electronic cable organizer tags through the built-in wireless hub module. Based on the ID address, the terminal device establishes a digital mapping between the ID address and the user's custom name through interaction, thereby connecting the electronic cable organizer tag with the control terminal. The control terminal then performs the electronic cable organizer tag writing operation. like Figure 2As shown in (b), the tag search is a process in which the terminal device sends an instruction to the corresponding electronic cable management tag through the central controller based on the custom name to be tagged / searched and the number mapping, activates the reminder module, and the corresponding electronic cable management tag flashes or alarms, thereby realizing the location and identification of the target EEG electrode wire.

[0041] The researchers turned on the central controller and the dedicated control software on the computer. They attached 64 electronic cable organizer tags to the 64 EEG electrode wires of the 64-channel EEG device and wrote the corresponding tag information.

[0042] Users import the standard 10-20 system's 64-lead electrode location diagram, and bind and save each ID number with an electrode name (such as "Fp1", "Fp2", ..., "O2") by dragging or manually entering the data.

[0043] During the experiment, if you need to find the "Cz" electrode, find "Cz" in the software electrode list and click the "Search" button next to it.

[0044] The software commands are transmitted to the central controller via USB, and the central controller sends a command to the specific electronic cable management tag bound to "Cz" via the BLE wireless network to "blink red light and beep".

[0045] The corresponding electronic cable organizer tag will immediately trigger an audible and visual alarm, which will last for several seconds, allowing staff to instantly locate the cable in the cable harness.

[0046] Furthermore, a single system can easily adapt to devices with different numbers of leads (32, 64, 128 leads) and different experimental protocols. It only requires remapping in the software; there is no need to physically replace the electronic cable organizer labels. The implementation method is as follows: S1. Initial Use (128-Lead Experiment): A laboratory is simultaneously conducting 32-lead clinical monitoring and 128-lead high-density EEG research. Experimenter A attaches 128 electronic cable management tags to the EEG electrode wires of the 128-lead device. The system is opened, and the control software automatically scans all 128 IDs. Experimenter A selects the "10-5 System (128 Leads)" template in the software, and the software interface automatically generates a map of 128 standard electrode locations. Experimenter A uses a drag-and-drop method to batch associate the IDs with the corresponding locations and saves the map as "Program_128 Leads HD".

[0047] S2. Switching to 32-lead monitoring: Experimenter B needs to perform 32-lead sleep monitoring. He removed the same set of electronic cable management tags from the 128-lead device and instead attached them to the electrode lines of the 32-lead device. The specific steps are as follows: S2.1. In the software, create a new scheme named "Scheme_32 Sleep Induction".

[0048] S2.2. In the new scheme, the software scans again, but since only 32 electronic cable management tags are connected, only 32 online IDs are displayed, and the remaining 96 are displayed as offline (gray).

[0049] S2.3. Select the "10-20 System (32-way)" template from the software component library.

[0050] S2.4. He dragged and remapped these 32 online IDs to the corresponding electrode names of the 32-lead template (such as Fp1, Fp2, C3, C4, O1, O2, etc.).

[0051] S2.5. After mapping is complete, save the scheme.

[0052] S3. Perform the search: During sleep monitoring, the C4 electrode needs to be checked. In the "Program_32 Sleep Guidance" interface, locate and click "C4". The system immediately activates the electronic cable management tag attached to the C4 electrode wire, which flashes, allowing you to quickly complete the location.

[0053] Example 3 Based on the foregoing embodiments, this embodiment provides an electronic device, including a processor, an internal bus, a network interface, memory, and non-volatile memory, and may also include other hardware required for business operations. The processor reads the corresponding computer program from the non-volatile memory into memory and then runs it to implement the above-mentioned wire management system and method for EEG electrode marking and retrieval. Of course, in addition to software implementation, this invention does not exclude other implementation methods, such as logic devices or a combination of hardware and software, that is, the execution entity of the processing flow is not limited to individual logic units, but can also be hardware or logic devices.

[0054] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments can be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer. Specifically, a computer can be, for example, a personal computer, laptop computer, cellular phone, camera phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant, media player, navigation device, email device, game console, tablet computer, wearable device, or any combination of these devices.

[0055] For ease of description, the above apparatus is described by dividing it into various functional units. Of course, in implementing this invention, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware components.

[0056] Example 4 Building upon the foregoing embodiments, this embodiment provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that can be used to execute the aforementioned wire management system and method for EEG electrode marking and retrieval. Computer-readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media, and information storage can be achieved by any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transfer medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transient media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0057] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wire management system for electroencephalography electrode wire marking and finding, characterized in that, The system comprises: A plurality of editable electronic wire marker tags, each of which is bound to a respective electroencephalogram electrode wire, the electronic wire marker tag comprising a reminding module and a wireless communication module; A central controller connected to the electronic wire marker tag, the central controller scanning and identifying the unique ID address of all electronic wire marker tags through the built-in wireless hub module; A terminal device connected to the central controller, the terminal device being configured to establish a digital mapping between the ID address and a custom name, send an instruction to the corresponding electronic wire marker tag through the central controller based on the custom name to be marked / looked up and the digital mapping, and start the reminding module to realize positioning and identification of the target electroencephalogram electrode wire.

2. The wire management system for EEG electrode wire marking and searching according to claim 1, wherein, The fixation of the electronic wire marker tag body and the electrode wire is realized through a preset mechanical structure on the electronic wire marker tag body, the mechanical structure being a micro clip, a magic tape band, a silica gel ring or a buckle type shell.

3. The wire management system for EEG electrode wire marking and searching according to claim 1, wherein, The wireless communication module adopts a low-power wireless communication module for data interaction with the central controller.

4. The wire management system for EEG electrode wire marking and searching according to claim 1, wherein, The reminding module is a touch-sensitive identification module, comprising a multicolor LED lamp, a micro buzzer or a micro vibration motor.

5. The wire management system for EEG electrode wire marking and finding according to claim 4, wherein, The identification module is pre-configured with a reminding mode and a reminding duration, wherein the reminding mode comprises constant light, flashing, fast flashing, buzzer vibration or a combination thereof.

6. The wire management system for EEG electrode wire marking and finding according to claim 1, wherein, The central controller comprises a terminal interface connected to the terminal device through wired or wireless means, and is configured to receive instructions from the terminal software and forward them to the designated electronic wire marker tag.

7. The wire management system for EEG electrode wire marking and finding according to claim 1, wherein, The central controller comprises a master control module as a hub for forwarding data information.

8. The wire management system for EEG electrode wire marking and finding according to claim 1, wherein, The digital mapping is established by identifying the ID address of the electronic wire marker tag and establishing a one-to-one correspondence between the custom standard electrode name and the ID address.

9. The wire management system for EEG electrode wire marking and finding according to claim 1, wherein, The electronic wire marker tag comprises a shell, an internally integrated PCB board and a lithium battery, the PCB board being integrated with a BLE Bluetooth chip of nRF52832 and an ESP32 microcontroller.

10. A method for EEG electrode wire marking and finding, characterized in that, The method comprises: Tag writing: the electronic wire marker tag is bound to the electroencephalogram electrode wire, the central controller scans and identifies the unique ID address of all electronic wire marker tags through the built-in wireless hub module, and the terminal device establishes a digital mapping between the ID address and a custom name based on the ID address through interaction with the user; Tag lookup: the terminal device sends an instruction to the corresponding electronic wire marker tag through the central controller based on the custom name to be marked / looked up and the digital mapping, starts the reminding module, and realizes positioning and identification of the target electroencephalogram electrode wire.

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