Brain wave measurement device

Abstract

To provide a wearable brain wave measurement device having structure which can be improved in both durability and fitting feeling to contribute to improvement of the quality of a measured brain wave signal.SOLUTION: The current invention provides a brain wave measurement device wearable on the head of a living body and includes at least a housing unit at least including a center surface component, a left surface component, a right surface component and a reverse surface component, and has a shape curved so that it is located from the left head to the front head, from the right head to the head portion of the living body when worn; at least one measurement electrode which is fixed to the reverse side component and contacts the front head portion when worn; and a signal processing unit which processes an electric signal obtained via the measurement electrode and is housed in the housing unit. In the brain wave measurement device, at least two of the center surface component, the left surface component, the right surface component and the reverse side component differ in rigidity from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electroencephalogram (EEG) measuring device, and more particularly to an EEG measuring device capable of measuring electroencephalograms while being attached to the head of a living subject. [Background technology]

[0002] As a wearable electroencephalogram measuring device (wearable electroencephalograph) for measuring electroencephalograms by attaching it to the head of a living body such as a human body, the devices described in Patent Document 1 (Non-Patent Document 1) and Non-Patent Documents 2 and 3 are known. The electroencephalogram measuring device in Patent Document 1 (Non-Patent Document 1) has two electrodes on the frontal side and has a double band structure consisting of an outer band and an inner band, but the outer band and the inner band are each an integrated part (FIG. 16 in Patent Document 1), and the device in Patent Document 1 (Non-Patent Document 1) has a problem with wearing comfort. The electroencephalogram measuring device in Non-Patent Document 2 is a hairband-type device with two electrodes on the frontal side, but since the device is a hairband-type device made of a soft material, it has a durability problem, and the device in Non-Patent Document 2 is considered to have a high risk of failure such as disconnection. The EEG measurement device in Non-Patent Document 3 has a structure in which many electrodes protrude from the main body, but because the device is attached to the living head in such a way that the device is positioned from the left temporal region along the back of the head and right temporal region, there is a risk that the electrodes on the frontal side may not be adequately fixed. Furthermore, since the device in Non-Patent Document 3 has many wires from the many electrodes protruding from the main body, the device in Non-Patent Document 3 also has durability problems.

[0003] Conventional wearable electroencephalographs are mainly headband-type and made of soft materials, but they are less durable and frequently break down due to disconnections, etc. In contrast, when a wearable electroencephalograph with a housing structure made of hard materials is used to increase durability, it is difficult to create an electroencephalograph that fits the head of all people because the shape of the head varies from person to person, and therefore there are problems such as the subject (the person undergoing the electroencephalogram measurement) feeling pain in the head when wearing the electroencephalograph, or the quality of the signal being unstable due to factors such as the electrodes not making sufficient contact with the subject's head when worn, or the pain felt by the subject affecting the electroencephalogram. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 9,867,571 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] InteraXon Inc., “MEDITATION REIMAGINED Introducing Muse 2”, [online], [Retrieved August 24, 2021], Internet<URL: https: / / choosemuse.com / muse-2 / > [Non-Patent Document 2] LAXHA Inc., “Bluetooth wireless brain wave meter”, [online], [Retrieved August 24, 2021], Internet <url: http: www.laxtha.com productview.asp?model="neuroNicle%20E2"> [Non-Patent Document 3] Emotiv, "EMOTIV EPOC+", [online], [Retrieved August 24, 2021], Internet<URL: https: / / www.emotiv.com / epoc / > Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a wearable electroencephalogram measuring device having a structure that can achieve both improved durability and improved fit, thereby contributing to improving the quality of measured electroencephalogram signals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an electroencephalogram measuring device that can be worn on the head of a living body, the electroencephalogram measuring device including at least a central front-side part, a left front-side part, a right front-side part, and a rear-side part, and comprising a housing part having a curved shape so as to be positioned along the head of the living body from the left temporal region to the front temporal region and to the right temporal region when worn, at least one measurement electrode that is fixed to the rear-side part and that contacts the front temporal region when worn, and a signal processing part that is housed within the housing part and processes an electrical signal obtained via the measurement electrode, and in which the rigidity of at least two of the central front-side part, the left front-side part, the right front-side part, and the rear-side part differs from one another.

[0008] In the electroencephalogram measuring device, the number of measuring electrodes may be at least two or more.

[0009] In the electroencephalogram measuring device, the rigidity of the left front part and the right front part may be higher than the rigidity of the central front part.

[0010] In the above-mentioned electroencephalogram measuring device, when the number of measurement electrodes is two or more, the centers of the surfaces of the measurement electrodes that contact the forehead when worn may be spaced apart from each other on the left and right by 40 mm or more and 90 mm or less in accordance with the shape of the rear part.

[0011] In the electroencephalogram measuring device, the contour of the surface of the measurement electrode that comes into contact with the forehead when worn may be circular and have a diameter of 10 mm to 25 mm.

[0012] In the electroencephalogram measuring device, the signal processing unit may be disposed between the left front component and the rear component, or between the right front component and the rear component. Effect of the Invention

[0013] By using the EEG measurement device of the present invention, the risk of breakage of the conductors connecting the electrodes and the signal processing unit is reduced, durability is improved, and the wearing comfort for the user (subject) is improved, thereby improving the quality of the measurable EEG signals. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroencephalogram measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention (as viewed from diagonally below and in front of a user wearing the device). [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroencephalogram measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention (as viewed from diagonally below and behind the user wearing the device). [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroencephalogram measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention (viewed from above of a user wearing the device). [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroencephalogram measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention (as viewed from below the user wearing it). [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroencephalogram measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention (as viewed from the right ear side of a user who wears it). [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroencephalogram measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention (as viewed from the left ear side of the user who wears it). [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroencephalogram measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention (worn on a user's head). [Figure 8] Schematic diagram of the attachment support band. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an exploded view (perspective view) of the housing section disassembled into its component parts. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an exploded view (perspective view) of the housing section disassembled into its component parts. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an exploded view (perspective view) of the housing section disassembled into its component parts. [Figure 12] An exploded view of the housing section when disassembled into its individual components (view from above of the user who will wear it). [Figure 13] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electroencephalogram measuring apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data collection terminal device. [Figure 15] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electroencephalogram measuring apparatus and the data collection terminal device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an electroencephalogram measuring device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, it should be noted that the electroencephalogram measuring device according to the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described below, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention. Individual functions, elements, etc. included in the embodiments described below can be appropriately deleted or modified within the scope of the present invention (for example, in FIG. 13 described below, a memory device may be provided in the signal processing unit to store electroencephalogram measurement data in the memory device, and an electroencephalogram measuring device may be implemented in a mode in which a communication unit is not provided), and any functions, elements, etc. not included in the embodiments can be added within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the following embodiments, the housing unit is described as being composed of four parts, a central front side part, a left front side part, a right front side part, and a back side part, but the number of components of the housing unit can be arbitrarily changed, such as to four or more parts (for example, the central front side part may be disassembled into two parts). In addition, the material of each component of the housing unit is preferably an insulator, but at least a part of each component may be composed of a conductive material such as a metal, as long as problems such as short circuits between each electrode and circuit element do not occur. Each component may be made of any material, including silicon, rubber, plastic, and resin, may be made of any multiple materials, and each component may be disassembled into two or more components. Not limited to the components of the container, all components related to the electroencephalogram measuring device may be made of any material and may be disassembled into any number of elements unless otherwise specified. In the following embodiment, the number of measurement electrodes is described as two, but the number of measurement electrodes can be changed to any number greater than one, such as one or three or more, and the positions of the measurement electrodes are also arbitrary. The number of reference electrodes and ground electrodes can also be changed arbitrarily (at least one of them does not need to be provided as long as the electroencephalogram measuring device operates). The wearing auxiliary band is not limited to the form shown in the embodiment, and any band can be used, and the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 can be implemented without using the wearing auxiliary band.The various functional units described below that perform signal processing and the like can be realized in any configuration, such as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an embedded system, a microcomputer, etc., and digital information processing may be performed by providing the various functional units with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory device, etc. Furthermore, the user in the following embodiments may be any living being, including a human being, and the size of the entire electroencephalogram measuring device and the size of each component are also arbitrary.

[0016] 1 to 6 are schematic diagrams of an electroencephalogram measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from a front obliquely downward direction of a user wearing the device (FIG. 1), a rear obliquely downward direction (FIG. 2), an upper direction (FIG. 3), a lower direction (FIG. 4), a right ear side (FIG. 5), and a left ear side (FIG. 6), respectively, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the electroencephalogram measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on the head of a user. As shown in FIG. 7, the user wears the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 so that the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 is arranged along the user's head from the left temporal region to the front temporal region and the right temporal region, and clamps the user's ear with the clip-shaped member (assumed to be made of an insulating material) so that the reference electrode 8 (a reference electrode 8 is arranged on each of the parts on both sides of the clip-shaped member, so that a total of two reference electrodes 8 are arranged, but in the following description, they will be collectively referred to as the reference electrodes 8) arranged inside the clip-shaped member comes into contact with the ear. As described above, the size of the EEG measuring device 1 is arbitrary, but in one example, the height (the length of the short side when looking at the EEG measuring device 1 as in Figures 5 and 6) can be 30 mm, the width (the length in the left-right direction when looking at the EEG measuring device 1 as in Figures 3 and 4, and the left-right length for the user when wearing it) can be 190 mm, and the depth (the length in the vertical direction when looking at the EEG measuring device 1 as in Figures 3 and 4, and the front-to-back length for the user when wearing it) can be 150 mm (excluding protrusions and legs). When the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 is worn on the head, the housing portion extends in a band shape along the head toward the left and right auricles, and the left and right ends of the housing portion are located near the upper parts of the left and right auricles, respectively. When the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 is viewed from above, it has a semicircular shape with a smaller curvature near the ends than the curvature of the center, and the thickness in the normal direction is smallest at approximately the center of the housing portion, and the width in the vertical direction is also smallest. The reference electrode 8 may be provided at one end of the housing portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0017] The electroencephalogram measuring device 1 is equipped with a housing portion including a right front side part 2, a central front side part 3, a left front side part 4, and a rear side part 5, and having a curved shape so as to be positioned along the user's head from the left temporal part to the front temporal part and to the right temporal part when worn, at least one measurement electrode 6, 7 (in this embodiment, the number of measurement electrodes is two, but as described above, the number of measurement electrodes may be any number equal to or greater than one) that is fixed to the rear side part 5 and contacts the user's front temporal part when worn, and a signal processing portion (see signal processing portion 25 in Figure 13 described later) contained within the housing portion that processes an electrical signal obtained via at least one of the measurement electrodes 6, 7 spaced apart from each other on the left and right. As will be described in detail later, the rigidity of at least two of the central front-side component 3, left front-side component 4, right front-side component 2, and rear-side component 5 differs from one another, and in one example, the material and shape of each component are selected so that the rigidity of the right front-side component 2 and the left front-side component 4 is higher than the rigidity of the central front-side component 3 (more preferably, so that the rigidity of the right front-side component 2 and the left front-side component 4 is higher than the rigidity of the rear-side component 5). In other words, the rigidity of a component can be appropriately set by selecting the material or cross-sectional shape of the component. 1 to 12 are schematic diagrams, and the dimensions of each part of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 are not limited to the examples in these drawings, but in one example, the circumferential length of the central front-side component 3 may be about 30% to about 50% of the circumferential length of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 (excluding protrusions and legs; the same applies below), the circumferential length of the left front-side component 4 may be about 25% to about 35% of the circumferential length of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1, and the circumferential length of the right front-side component 2 may be about 25% to about 35% of the circumferential length of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1. The circumferential lengths of the left front-side component 4 and the right front-side component 2 may be equal to each other or different from each other.

[0018] The measurement electrode 6 is connected to the signal processing unit 25 via a (coated) conductor, and the measurement electrode 7 is also connected to the signal processing unit 25 via a (coated) conductor. The electroencephalogram measuring device 1 further includes a reference electrode 8, which is connected to the signal processing unit 25 via a (coated) reference electrode lead wire (conductor) 9. In addition, when a ground electrode (GND electrode) is provided in the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 (GND electrode 24 in FIG. 13 described later. By contacting the ground electrode with the user's head or any position on the body, a reference potential in the operation of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 can be applied, and this reference potential can be used as a reference for the potentials of the other electrodes), the ground electrode is connected to the signal processing unit 25 via a (coated) conductor. It should be noted that each of these electrodes is separately connected to the signal processing unit 25 and configured to input an electric signal to the signal processing unit 25 (a (coated) conductor extends from each electrode separately and is connected to a separate terminal of the signal processing unit 25. The risk of disconnection can be reduced by wiring each (coated) conductor other than the reference electrode lead wire 9 so that it passes only inside the housing (there are also cases where the ground electrode 24 is configured to contact a part other than the head, and wiring inside the housing is not essential)), and that the electrodes are not short-circuited. The material of each electrode is optional, but in one example, the electrode material can be stainless steel, silver-silver chloride (Ag / AgCl), or silver.

[0019] The shape of the measurement electrodes 6 and 7 is arbitrary, but in one example, the outline of the surface (see FIG. 2) that contacts the user's forehead when worn is formed to have a circular shape with a diameter of 10 mm to 25 mm (the same applies when three or more measurement electrodes are provided. Also, it may be adjusted appropriately, such as by providing a recess in a part of the circular shape). The shape of the surface that contacts the user's forehead (forehead) when the measurement electrodes 6 and 7 are worn is also arbitrary, and may be, for example, a flat surface as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a concave surface (a surface that contacts the forehead is at least partially recessed when viewed from the user when worn), or a convex surface (a surface that contacts the forehead is at least partially protruding when viewed from the user when worn), but it is preferable to use a shape other than a convex surface in order to give the user a good wearing feeling (the same applies when three or more measurement electrodes are provided). By forming the measurement electrodes 6 and 7 in a shape that fits the user's forehead, the contact area becomes large, and it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy of the brain wave. The shape and size of the reference electrode 8 and the ground electrode 24 may be the same and are arbitrary. In addition, the measurement electrodes 6 and 7 are preferably arranged so that the centers of the surfaces (see FIG. 2) of the measurement electrodes 6 and 7 that contact the forehead when worn are spaced apart from each other by 40 mm or more and 90 mm or less on the left and right along the shape of the back part 5 (along the curve of the back part 5 when the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 is viewed from the direction of FIGS. 3 and 4) (when three or more measurement electrodes are provided, each measurement electrode may be arranged at a similar interval). The interval between the measurement electrodes 6 and 7 is preferably about 20% of the frontal head circumference (the length of the head circumference forward from the center of both ears) (furthermore, it is preferable that the user wears the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 so that the midpoint of the centers of the measurement electrodes 6 and 7 that contact the forehead when worn is located at the center of the forehead, that is, on the (extension of) the user's nose line), and as a result of measuring the frontal head circumference of multiple people, it is considered that the length of 20% of the frontal head circumference is generally within the range of 40 mm to 90 mm. For example, as an example of the positions of the measurement electrodes 6 and 7, they may be positions Fp1 and Fp2 of the International 10-20 System.

[0020] The right front part 2 is provided with a power button 10 as an operation part, and the operation of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 is switched on (operating state) and off (stopped state) by the user pressing the power button 10. The right front part 2 is also provided with an indicator LED (light emitting diode) 11, which turns on, off, flashes, and changes the color of light depending on the operating state and charging state. The right part 2 is also provided with a charging port (charging port) 12, and the lithium ion battery of the power supply part 32 (see FIG. 13) can be charged by opening the charging port cover 13 and connecting a charging cable to the charging port 12. In the back part 5, a non-slip sheet 14 (right side) is provided at a position corresponding to the right front part 2, and a non-slip sheet 15 (left side) is provided at a position corresponding to the left front part 4, respectively, to prevent the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 from slipping off the user's head when worn on the head. The material of the non-slip sheets 14, 15 is arbitrary, but in one example, urethane, silicone, or the like can be used as the material of the non-slip sheets 14, 15. In addition, an auxiliary band attachment hole 16 is provided at the end of the back side component 5 on the right front side component 2 side (right side), and an auxiliary band attachment hole 17 is provided at the end of the back side component 5 on the left front side component 4 side (left side). By passing one end and the other end of a wearing auxiliary band (belt) 19 shown in FIG. 8 through the auxiliary band attachment holes 16, 17, respectively, to connect the wearing auxiliary band 19 to the electroencephalogram measurement device 1 (in the wearing auxiliary band 19 in FIG. 8, the ring-shaped member 20 in the shape of a rectangular ring attached to the hook-and-loop fastener hook portion 21A side at one end is turned sideways (the hook-and-loop fastener hook portion 21A and the hook-and-loop fastener loop portion 21B at both ends are assumed to be bendable), and the ring-shaped member 20 is passed through the auxiliary band attachment hole 16, and the ring-shaped member 20 on the hook-and-loop fastener hook portion 21A side at the other end is turned sideways and the ring-shaped member 20 is passed through the auxiliary band attachment hole 17, and further each hook-and-loop fastener portion 21A is folded back and attached to the hook-and-loop fastener portion 21B), the positional stability of the electroencephalogram measurement device 1 when worn can be improved.

[0021] 9 to 12 are exploded views of the housing part when disassembled into each component part (FIGS. 9 to 11 are perspective views, and FIG. 12 is a view seen from above of the user who wears it). By dividing the front side part in this way, the user's wearing comfort is improved. In one example, the signal processing part 25 and the communication part 29 shown in FIG. 13 are configured by arranging each circuit element, device, etc. on a circuit board, and the circuit board is arranged at the circuit board housing position 22 in the space between the left front side part 4 and the rear side part 5 (the position of the circuit board is arbitrary, and it is preferably arranged between the left front side part 4 and the rear side part 5, or between the right front side part 2 and the rear side part 5. In an embodiment in which the rigidity of the left front side part 4 and the right front side part 2 are made higher than the rigidity of the central front side part 3 and higher than the rigidity of the rear side part 5, the circuit board is protected from impact by arranging the circuit board in this way.). The right front side component 2, central front side component 3, left front side component 4, and rear side component 5 are produced by selecting materials, shapes, and the like so that the rigidity of at least two of them differs from one another, and it is particularly preferable to produce each component so that the rigidity of the right front side component 2 and the left front side component 4 is higher than the rigidity of the central front side component 3 and higher than the rigidity of the rear side component 5. A reinforcing member can be used to fasten the central front side component 3 and the rear side component 5 with screws.

[0022] In this embodiment, the "rigidity" is determined by the Young's modulus (modulus of longitudinal elasticity) of the material and the second moment of area due to the cross-sectional shape in the case of a member of a certain length. In other words, under the assumption that the length of the parts is the same, when the Young's modulus of the material of a part is higher than that of the material of another part in the case of parts of the same cross-sectional shape, or when the second moment of area of ​​a part is larger than that of another part in the case of parts of materials of the same Young's modulus, "the rigidity of a part is higher than that of another part". However, in this embodiment, the Young's modulus due to the material contributes more to the rigidity of the part than the second moment of area due to the cross-sectional shape. In other words, a more appropriate rigidity for each part is achieved mainly by appropriately selecting the material for each part. As a method for measuring Young's modulus, for example, the right front-side component 2 is punched out to prepare a sample with a length and width of approximately 1.8 mm in the surface direction (the direction of the surface that is roughly parallel to the rear-side component 5 when the accommodation portion is formed) and a thickness of approximately 0.1 mm in the direction perpendicular to the surface direction (strictly speaking, it is a curved surface, but it is approximately considered to be a flat surface), and this is used as a test sample. As described in paragraph

[0118] of the specification of Patent No. 6857784, a tensile test is performed in physiological saline at 20°C using a Shimadzu precision universal testing machine Autograph AG-IS MS model manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, and the Young's modulus (MPa) is calculated as the tensile elastic modulus from the stress-elongation curve (tensile speed is 100 mm / min), whereby the Young's modulus of the right front-side component 2 can be measured. The Young's modulus of other components such as the central front component 3, the left front component 4, and the rear component 5 can be measured in the same manner (the "face direction" of the sample of the rear component 5 may be the direction of a surface that is roughly parallel to the "face direction" of the sample of the right front component 2, for example). The materials of the right front component 2, the central front component 3, the left front component 4, and the rear component 5 may be any material, and the numerical values ​​of the Young's modulus of these components may also be any value. In one example, The Young's modulus (tensile modulus) of the central outer part 3 is 49.5 MPa (megapascals) (manufactured by Toray DuPont Co., Ltd., material: thermoplastic polyester elastomer Hytrel (registered trademark), grade: 4047N. Test method conforms to JIS K7113-1995). The Young's modulus (tensile modulus) of the right front part 2 and the left front part 4 is both 2550 MPa (megapascals) (manufactured by Mitsubishi Engineering Co., Ltd., material: PBT resin (polybutylene terephthalate resin), Novaduran (registered trademark), grade: 5010R5. Test method is in accordance with ISO 527-1, 527-2). The Young's modulus (tensile modulus) of the backside part is 1350MPa (megapascals) (Japan Polypropylene Corporation, Material: PP (polypropylene), Novatec (registered trademark), Grade: BC4BSW. Test method complies with JIS K7161 7162:1994) Each part can be manufactured in this manner (the physical properties of each material are the specifications published by the manufacturer, so the test methods differ, but the relationship between Young's modulus values ​​remains unchanged even if the test methods are standardized). The second moment of area can be calculated from the cross-sectional shape by a known formula. By reducing the thickness in the normal direction of the central front part 3 located approximately in the center of the housing part, the cross-sectional shape of the central front part 3 can have a smaller second moment of area and a smaller rigidity.

[0023] Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electroencephalogram measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data collection terminal device. In this embodiment, electroencephalogram data obtained by measurement using the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 is transmitted from the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 to a data collection terminal device 33, and analysis and other processing of the electroencephalogram data are performed in the data collection terminal device 33.

[0024] 13 includes N (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) measurement electrodes, ie, measurement electrode 6 to measurement electrode 23 (measurement electrode 23 is not necessary if there is only one measurement electrode), a REF electrode (reference electrode) 8, a GND electrode (ground electrode) 24, a signal processing unit 25, a communication unit 29, an operation unit 10, an LED display 11, and a power supply unit 32. As already described, each electrode is separately connected to the signal processing unit 25, and an electric signal from each electrode is input to an amplifier circuit 26 of the signal processing unit 25.

[0025] The signal processing unit 25 includes an amplifier circuit 26, an A / D converter (Analog-to-Digital Converter) 27, and a digital signal processing unit 28. The amplifier circuit 26 is a circuit that amplifies the bioelectric potential input as an electric signal from various electrodes, and performs processes such as measuring the potential difference between the measurement electrode 6 and the reference electrode 8, amplifying the potential difference, and outputting it to the A / D converter 27, and measuring the potential difference between the measurement electrode 7 and the reference electrode 8, amplifying the potential difference, and outputting it to the A / D converter 27 (similarly when the number of measurement electrodes is three or more). The A / D converter 27 is a conversion circuit that converts an analog signal into a digital signal, and converts the various potential differences input as analog signals from the amplifier circuit 26 from analog signals to digital signals and outputs them to the digital signal processing unit 28. As described above, the digital signal processing unit 28 is, for example, composed of a CPU, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and other memory devices, and processes the digital signal input from the A / D converter 27 to generate, for example, a digital signal indicating the potential difference between the measurement electrode 6 and the reference electrode 8 as a numerical value, or a digital signal indicating the potential difference between the measurement electrode 7 and the reference electrode 8 as a numerical value (similarly when the number of measurement electrodes is three or more), and outputs these digital signals to the communication circuit 31 of the communication unit 29. The digital signal processing unit 28 may also perform processing such as FFT (Fast Fourier Transformation) on the digital signal input from the A / D converter 27 by the CPU executing a program stored in the memory device, and output a digital signal indicating the obtained result to the communication circuit 31 of the communication unit 29.

[0026] The communication unit 29 includes an antenna 30 and a communication circuit 31. The communication circuit 31 transmits the digital signal input from the digital signal processing unit 28 to the data collection terminal device 33 via the antenna 30. In one example, the communication unit 29 wirelessly communicates with a communication unit 42 of the data collection terminal device 33 using a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) system.

[0027] The operation unit 10 is the power button 10 as already described, and the user presses the power button 10 to switch the operation of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 between on (operating state) and off (stopped state). The display LED 11 turns on, off, blinks, and changes the color of the light depending on the operating state and charging state. The power supply unit 32 includes a lithium ion battery, a circuit for supplying power to each part of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1, and the like, and is disposed in the housing.

[0028] The data collection terminal device 33 shown in FIG. 14 includes a control unit 34, a storage unit 37, a communication unit 42, an input / output unit 45, and a power supply unit 49.

[0029] The control unit 34 includes a CPU 35 and a RAM 36 as a temporary memory. The CPU 35 executes a measurement program 38 recorded in the storage unit 37, whereby the CPU 35 processes the electroencephalogram measurement data received from the electroencephalogram measurement device 1 to perform various measurement processes (when the above-mentioned FFT is performed on the data collection terminal device 33 side, a program for executing the FFT is stored in the storage unit 37 as the measurement program 38). The CPU 35 also executes various programs 39, such as an OS (Operating System) and various applications, stored in the storage unit 37, to perform and control various operations of the data collection terminal device 33.

[0030] The storage unit 37 is a recording device equipped with a hard disk drive, an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc., and stores the above-mentioned measurement program 38 and various programs 39. The storage unit 37 also stores measurement data 40 (data of analysis results obtained by executing FFT processing, etc.) and various data 41.

[0031] The communication unit 42 includes an antenna 43 and a communication circuit 44. The communication circuit 44 transmits and receives data, such as receiving electroencephalogram measurement data from the electroencephalogram measuring device 1, via the antenna 43. In one example, the communication unit 42 wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 31 of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 using the BLE method.

[0032] The input / output unit 45 includes a keyboard 46 and a mouse 47 for an operator of the data collection terminal device 33 (a person who analyzes the electroencephalogram measurement data) to input commands and data to the data collection terminal device 33, and a display device 48 (such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display device) for various displays. In addition, the input / output unit 45 may include an output device such as a speaker.

[0033] The power supply unit 49 includes a circuit for receiving power from an external power source and supplying power to each unit of the data collection terminal device 33, and may include a battery such as a lithium ion battery.

[0034] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electroencephalogram measuring apparatus and the data collection terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. First, a user (a test subject) of the electroencephalogram measuring apparatus 1 starts up the electroencephalogram measuring apparatus 1 by pressing and holding the power button 10 for about 1 to 2 seconds (step S101). It is assumed that the data collection terminal device 33 has already started up. When the electroencephalogram measuring apparatus 1 starts up, a BLE connection is established between the communication unit 29 of the electroencephalogram measuring apparatus 1 and the communication unit 42 of the data collection terminal device 33, provided that the BLE connection is enabled on the data collection terminal device 33 side (step S102). The user of the electroencephalogram measuring apparatus 1 wears the electroencephalogram measuring apparatus 1 on his / her head as shown in FIG. 7, and brings the measurement electrodes 6, 7 into contact with his / her forehead, preferably so that the positions of the measurement electrodes 6, 7 are symmetrical with respect to the center line of the head, and brings the reference electrode 8 into contact with his / her ear. Furthermore, if the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 is provided with a ground electrode 24, the ground electrode 24 is brought into contact with the subject's head or any position on the body.

[0035] In this state, the potential difference between the potential of the measurement electrode 6 and the potential of the reference electrode 8 is amplified by the amplifier circuit 26, the amplified analog signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 27, the digital signal generated by the conversion by the A / D converter 27 is processed by the digital signal processing unit 28 (step S103), and the digital signal generated thereby, which indicates the change over time in the potential difference between the potential of the measurement electrode 6 and the potential of the reference electrode 8, is transmitted from the communication unit 29 of the EEG measurement device 1 to the communication unit 42 of the data collection terminal device 33 (step S104). Similarly, the potential difference between the potential of the measurement electrode 7 and the potential of the reference electrode 8 is amplified by the amplifier circuit 26, the amplified analog signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 27, the digital signal generated by the conversion by the A / D converter 27 is processed by the digital signal processor 28 (step S103), and the digital signal generated thereby, which indicates the time change of the potential difference between the potential of the measurement electrode 7 and the potential of the reference electrode 8, is transmitted from the communication unit 29 of the electroencephalogram measurement device 1 to the communication unit 42 of the data collection terminal device 33 (step S104). When there are three or more measurement electrodes, a digital signal indicating the time change of the potential difference between the potential of each measurement electrode and the potential of the reference electrode 8 is similarly generated and transmitted from the communication unit 29 of the electroencephalogram measurement device 1 to the communication unit 42 of the data collection terminal device 33. These processes on the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 side are repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals unless the power button 10 of the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 is pressed again for about 1 to 2 seconds to turn off the electroencephalogram measuring device 1 (NO in the judgment process of step S105). When the CPU 35 of the data collection terminal device 33 starts execution of a measurement application (assumed to be included in the measurement program 38) in response to an input from the operator of the data collection terminal device 33, the CPU 35 executing the measurement program 38 continues to store electroencephalogram data (data on time change in potential difference, etc.) of each channel (in one example, the potential difference between the potential of the measurement electrode 7 and the potential of the reference electrode 8 is the potential difference of channel 1, and the potential difference between the potential of the measurement electrode 6 and the potential of the reference electrode 8 is the potential difference of channel 2) in the storage unit 37 as measurement data 40 based on the digital signal received from the electroencephalogram measuring device 1.In response to an input from the operator of the data collection terminal device 33 (tapping the measurement end button on the display device 48), storage of the electroencephalogram data in the storage unit 37 is terminated, and in response to an input from the operator of the data collection terminal device 33 (disconnection of the communication connection with the electroencephalogram measurement device 1), the BLE connection between the electroencephalogram measurement device 1 and the data collection terminal device 33 is released (disconnected). When the power button 10 of the electroencephalogram measurement device 1 is pressed again for about 1 to 2 seconds to turn the power of the electroencephalogram measurement device 1 OFF (YES in the determination process of step S105), the operation of the electroencephalogram measurement device 1 stops (step S106). EXAMPLES

[0036] As an example of the electroencephalogram measuring apparatus of the present invention, an electroencephalogram measuring apparatus having the following configuration was manufactured and a performance test was carried out. (Electroencephalogram Measuring Apparatus of the Example) Shape: As shown in Figures 9 to 12 Number of measurement electrodes (forehead electrodes)…2 (CH1, CH2) Spacing between forehead electrodes (center of contact surface)…60mm - Shape of the forehead electrode: flat, with the contact surface contoured in a circle with a diameter of 15 mm The shape of the reference electrode (ear electrode) is concave, and the contact surface is a circle with a diameter of 15 mm. -Materials of each component of the housing (Center outer part 3) Thermoplastic polyester elastomer Hytrel (registered trademark) manufactured by Toray DuPont Co., Ltd. Grade: 4047N. Young's modulus 49.5MPa (Test method conforms to JIS K7113-1995) (Right front part 2 and left front part 4) PBT resin (polybutylene terephthalate resin) manufactured by Mitsubishi Engineering Co., Ltd. Novaduran (registered trademark) Grade: 5010R5. Young's modulus 2550MPa (test method conforms to ISO 527-1, 527-2) (Back side parts) Made by Japan Polypropylene Corporation Material: PP (polypropylene) Novatec (registered trademark) Grade: BC4BSW. Young's modulus 1350MPa (Test method conforms to JIS K7161 7162:1994)

[0037] When subjects wore the EEG measurement device with the above configuration on their heads to check the fit, the contact of the forehead electrode was improved compared to the prototypes with a convex curved electrode (diameter 15 mm) and a concave curved electrode (diameter 20 mm), the clamping strength of the ear electrodes was improved compared to the flat prototype with a diameter of 11 mm, and by selecting the above material, the feeling of tightness around the temples was reduced and pain was eliminated.

[0038] Furthermore, an electroencephalogram measurement test was conducted on subjects using the electroencephalogram measurement device of the above embodiment, and the consistency of the results with those of an electroencephalogram measurement test conducted using an existing measurement device, Polymate (registered trademark) (Miyuki Giken Co., Ltd.) was verified. The correlation coefficients of the results of both tests are shown in Tables 1 to 4 below. [Table 1] [Table 2] [Table 3] [Table 4]

[0039] As described above, the electroencephalogram measuring device of the embodiment provided good results in terms of both the wearing comfort for the subjects and the consistency of the measurement results with existing electroencephalogram measuring devices. [Industrial Applicability]

[0040] The present invention can be used for electroencephalogram measurement in any industry, including medical equipment and research equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1. EEG measuring device 2 Right front part 3 Center front part 4 Left front part 5 Back side parts 6 (Right side) Measuring electrode (forehead electrode) 7 (Left side) Measuring electrode (forehead electrode) 8 Reference electrode (REF electrode, ear electrode) 9 (Coated) Reference Electrode Lead Wire 10 Power button (operation section) 11 Display LED 12 Charging port 13 Charging port cover 14 (Right side) Anti-slip sheet 15 (Left side) Anti-slip sheet 16 (Right side) Auxiliary band mounting hole 17 (Left side) Auxiliary band mounting hole 18 human head 19 Wearing support band 20 Ring-shaped member 21A Hook and Loop Fastener (Hook) 21B Hook and loop fastener 22 Circuit board housing position 23 Nth measuring electrode (N is 2 or more) 24 Ground electrode (GND electrode) 25 Signal Processing Section 26 Amplification circuit 27 A / D (analog / digital) converter 28 Digital Signal Processing Unit 29 Communications Department 30 Antenna 31 Communication Circuits 32 Power supply unit (lithium ion battery, etc.) 33 Data collection terminal equipment 34 Control section 35 CPU 36 RAM 37 Memory section 38 Measurement Program 39 Various Programs 40 Measurement Data 41 Various Data 42 Communications Department 43 Antenna 44 Communication Circuits 45 Input / output section 46 Keyboard 47 Mouse 48 Display Device 49 Power supply section< / url:>

Claims

1. An electroencephalogram (EEG) measuring device that extends in a band shape along the head of a living body toward the left and right auricles and can be attached to the head of the living body, a storage section that is integrally formed of at least a central front part, a left front part, a right front part, and a rear part, and that has a curved shape so that it can be placed along the living body's head from the left side of the head to the front of the head and the right side of the head when worn, and the rear part has a shape that draws a curve along the living body's head; At least one measurement electrode fixed to the back part and in contact with the forehead when worn; a signal processing unit accommodated in the accommodation unit, which processes an electrical signal obtained via the measurement electrode; Equipped with the stiffnesses of at least two of the central front-side component, the left front-side component, the right front-side component, and the rear-side component are different from each other by having different thicknesses in the normal direction; EEG measuring device.

2. The electroencephalogram measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the measurement electrodes is at least two.

3. The electroencephalogram measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein the left and right front components have higher rigidity than the central front component.

4. 4. The electroencephalogram measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the centers of the surfaces of the measurement electrodes that come into contact with the forehead when worn are spaced apart from each other laterally by 40 mm or more and 90 mm or less, in accordance with the shape of the rear part.

5. 5. The electroencephalogram measuring device according to claim 4, wherein the contour of the surface of the measurement electrode that comes into contact with the forehead when worn has a circular shape with a diameter of 10 mm to 25 mm.

6. The electroencephalogram measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit is disposed between the left front component and the rear component or between the right front component and the rear component.

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