Apparatus for measuring bio-signal

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for measuring a bio-signal. The apparatus for measuring a bio-signal, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, comprises: a patch including a plurality of regions, each region including an electrode for obtaining a bio-signal from a subject to whom the apparatus for measuring a bio-signal is attached; and a main body including modules that are respectively disposed on two or more reference regions among the plurality of regions and electrically connected to one or more of the plurality of electrodes included in the patch, wherein the modules are connected by a bridge and disposed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance or more, and the plurality of electrodes may include a first electrode for acquiring a reference signal for the bio-signal and one or more second electrodes for acquiring one or more channel signals for the bio-signal.

Description

biosignal measuring device

[0001] The present invention relates to a biosignal measuring device, and more specifically, a biosignal measuring device capable of acquiring more channel signals according to a patch attached to the lower part of a main body is disclosed.

[0002] A biosignal measuring device is disclosed, and more particularly, a biosignal measuring device is disclosed in which a module can be positioned independently of the attachment location of another module connected through a flexible bridge.

[0003] Sleep is known to have a significant impact on human health and quality of life. Not only the quantity but also the quality of sleep is important. Sleep quality is influenced by the ability to fall asleep (sleep onset), sleep well, and wake up well (sleep emergence). Sleep quality can be monitored using brain waves, as measured by an electroencephalogram (EEG), and body movements during sleep can be monitored using activity sensors. Sleep disorders such as snoring and sleep apnea can be monitored using microphones that listen for snoring and sensors that measure blood oxygen saturation (SpO2).

[0004] Previous electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements primarily involved attaching multiple electrodes to the human head, such as the forehead, to measure potential differences and identify electrical signal waveforms. Due to the difficulty of wearing these devices and their mechanical complexity, they were primarily implemented in the professional medical device sector rather than the healthcare sector. While wearable devices, designed to be worn by users themselves, have been introduced in some healthcare settings, they have been limited by structural complexity and inefficient electrode placement.

[0005] Brain waves, detected by measuring electroencephalograms (EEGs) during sleep or in real-life situations, can be used to diagnose various diseases. For example, EEGs can be used to monitor sleep or to identify delirium (acute confusional state), a dementia-like condition. Delirium can be a common condition in intensive care units and the elderly. Furthermore, delirium can have various causes, such as before surgery or during recovery after surgery.

[0006] However, conventional electroencephalography (EEG) measurements primarily involved attaching multiple electrodes to the human head, such as the forehead, to measure potential differences and thereby identify the waveform of electrical signals. Due to the difficulty of wearing them and the mechanical complexity involved, they were implemented more in the realm of specialized medical devices than in the healthcare sector. Therefore, conventional EEG measurements were difficult to utilize in everyday life (i.e., during sleep, activity, etc.), and were limited to confirming the onset of a disease after it had already occurred.

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a biosignal measuring device capable of controlling the number of channel signals received by a main body by replacing only a patch attached to the lower part of the main body.

[0008] The present disclosure relates to a biosignal measuring device in which the patch is discarded upon completion of measurement of the biosignal, while the main body can be reused.

[0009] The present disclosure relates to a biosignal measuring device that measures a biosignal using phase difference information on the biosignal.

[0010] The present invention provides a wearable biosignal measuring device that includes a plurality of modules having a small volume and can be worn during sleep or in real life.

[0011] The present invention provides a biosignal measuring device that can be bent according to the curvature of the body by connecting each of a plurality of modules to another module through a flexible bridge.

[0012] A biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a patch comprising a plurality of regions each including an electrode for obtaining a biosignal from a subject to whom the biosignal measuring device is attached, and a main body including modules respectively disposed on two or more reference regions among the plurality of regions and electrically connected to one or more of the plurality of electrodes included in the patch, wherein the modules are connected by a bridge and disposed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and the plurality of electrodes may include a first electrode for obtaining a reference signal for the biosignal and one or more second electrodes for obtaining one or more channel signals for the biosignal.

[0013] An electrode included in each of the remaining regions, excluding the two or more reference regions among the plurality of regions, is electrically connected to one of the two or more reference regions, so that a biosignal obtained from the electrode can be transmitted to one of the two or more reference regions.

[0014] A module positioned on any one of the two or more reference areas can receive a biosignal obtained from an electrode included in any one of the two or more reference areas, and a biosignal obtained from an electrode included in each of the remaining areas electrically connected to any one of the two or more reference areas.

[0015] An electrode included in any one of the two or more reference regions, and an electrode included in each of the remaining regions electrically connected to any one of the two or more reference regions, may be electrically insulated.

[0016] The first electrode may be selected from among the plurality of electrodes as having less influence on the subject being measured.

[0017] The above plurality of electrodes may further include a ground electrode that serves as a ground for the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0018] The above bio-signal may include one or more of an electroencephalogram (EEG), an electromyography (EMG), and an electrooculography (EOG) signal for the subject.

[0019] Noise included in the above EEG signal can be removed based on the above EMG signal and / or the above safety signal.

[0020] The above bridge has relatively high elasticity compared to the above modules, and can bend along the curve of the body part of the subject to which the biosignal measuring device is attached when the device is attached to the subject.

[0021] The number of channel signals received by the main body can be determined based on the number of the plurality of regions.

[0022] The above patch is a disposable element that is discarded when separated from the subject after measurement of the biosignal is completed, and the main body may be a multi-use element that can be attached to multiple patches.

[0023] Phase difference information for the biosignal can be determined based on the one or more channel signals obtained from the one or more second electrodes.

[0024] One of the above modules includes a sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) from the subject, and the reference area in which the module including the sensor is placed may include a hole at a position corresponding to the sensor so that the sensor can measure the blood oxygen saturation.

[0025] A biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a patch comprising a plurality of regions each including an electrode that directly contacts a subject to obtain a biosignal from the subject, and a main body including modules that are respectively arranged on some of the plurality of regions, wherein the modules may include a first module that is arranged on a region including a first channel electrode included in the patch and is electrically connected to the first channel electrode, a second module that is electrically connected to a ground electrode and a second channel electrode included in the patch and is arranged on a region including the ground electrode, and a third module that is arranged on a region including a reference electrode included in the patch and is electrically connected to the reference electrode.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a biosignal measuring device includes a plurality of modules for acquiring a biosignal, and at least one module among the plurality of modules includes a battery for supplying power to the biosignal measuring device and one or more electrodes for acquiring a biosignal from a subject to whom the biosignal measuring device is attached, and each of the plurality of modules may be connected to one or more other modules by a bridge and arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

[0027] One or more modules among the plurality of modules may include a control circuit for controlling the biosignal measuring device and one or more electrodes for obtaining a biosignal from the subject.

[0028] One or more modules among the plurality of modules may include a signal processing circuit for processing a biosignal obtained from the subject and one or more electrodes for obtaining a biosignal from the subject.

[0029] The heaviest module among the plurality of modules may be electrically connected to each of the remaining modules, and each of the remaining modules may be electrically connected to the heaviest module.

[0030] The bridge may include a flexible circuit board electrically connecting the module to another module, and an outer shell including a flexible material surrounding the flexible circuit board.

[0031] The bridge may include a first connecting portion that supports at least a portion of a circuit board included in each module connected to the outer shell and the flexible circuit board with the outer shell, and a second connecting portion that is connected to the circuit board through the flexible circuit board protruding outward from the outer shell.

[0032] The above biosignals include analog signals, and the flexible circuit board may include a first interface through which the analog signals collected from the subject pass, and a second interface through which digital signals converted from the analog signals in the signal processing circuit pass.

[0033] A circuit board included in a module including a signal processing circuit among the plurality of modules and a circuit board included in a module including a control circuit among the plurality of modules may be disposed on a first virtual plane extending from a lower portion of the circuit board included in the module including the signal processing circuit or a lower portion of the circuit board included in the module including the control circuit, and a circuit board included in a module including the battery among the plurality of modules may be disposed on a second virtual plane that is parallel to the first virtual plane and disposed below the first virtual plane.

[0034] The biosignal includes analog signals, and the signal processing circuit converts the analog signals collected from one or more electrodes included in each of the plurality of modules and received by the signal processing circuit through the bridge into digital signals, and the digital signals can be transmitted to a module including a control circuit among the plurality of modules through the bridge and processed by the control circuit.

[0035] One or more electrodes included in one or more modules among the plurality of electrodes may be electrically connected to an extension electrode extending from an area of ​​a patch attached to the bottom.

[0036] The circuit board included in each of the plurality of modules includes one or more cut portions connected to the bridge, and can be connected to the bridge through at least a portion of the cut portions.

[0037] One or more of the above modules may include an LED that displays the severity of the subject's condition using different colors.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a biosignal measuring device includes a first module including a control circuit for controlling the biosignal measuring device and a first electrode for obtaining a biosignal from a subject to whom the biosignal measuring device is attached, a second module including a battery for supplying power to the biosignal measuring device and a second electrode, and a third module including a signal processing circuit for processing a signal collected from the subject and a third electrode, wherein each of the first module, the second module, and the third module is electrically connected to one or more other modules through a bridge, and can transmit and receive the power, the signal, and signals processed by the signal processing circuit through the bridge.

[0039] The bridge may include a soft material so that, when the biosignal measuring device is attached to the subject, each module can be attached to the subject independently of the attachment location of other modules.

[0040] The bridge may include a flexible circuit board electrically connecting one of the first module, the second module, and the third module to another module, and an outer shell including a flexible material surrounding the flexible circuit board.

[0041] The bridge may include a first connecting portion that supports at least a portion of a circuit board included in each module connected to the outer shell and the flexible circuit board with the outer shell, and a second connecting portion that connects the PCB and the circuit board through the flexible circuit board protruding outward from the outer shell.

[0042] The above biosignals include analog signals, and the flexible circuit board may include a first interface through which the analog signals collected from the subject pass, and a second interface through which digital signals converted from the analog signals in the signal processing circuit pass.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a biosignal measuring device is provided in which the number of channel signals received by a main body can be adjusted by replacing a patch.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a biosignal measuring device is provided in which the patch is discarded once the measurement of the biosignal is completed, while the main body is reusable.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a biosignal measuring device provides biosignal measurement using phase difference information for a biosignal.

[0046] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a biosignal measuring device includes a plurality of modules having a small volume and can be worn by a subject during sleep or in real life.

[0047] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the signal measuring device can be attached to a subject regardless of the curvature of the measurement site through a flexible bridge that connects each of a plurality of modules to another module and can bend according to the curvature of the body.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a main body of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0050] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a patch of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, drawings are provided to explain a combined biosignal measuring device of a main body and a patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 9, a drawing is shown to explain a guide that facilitates the combination of a main body and a patch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 10, a drawing is shown to explain the appearance of wearing a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 11, a biosignal measuring device for receiving two-channel biosignals according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 12, a drawing is shown to explain the electrical connection of electrodes and modules according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0056] FIG. 13 is a drawing for explaining a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] FIG. 14 is a drawing for explaining a biosignal measuring device and patch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] FIG. 15 is an exploded view schematically illustrating a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] FIG. 16 is a drawing for explaining a first module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] FIG. 17 is a drawing for explaining a second module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] FIG. 18 is a drawing for explaining electrodes of a second module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] FIG. 19 is a drawing for explaining a third module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] FIG. 20 is a drawing for explaining a patch placed at the bottom of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] FIG. 21 is a drawing for explaining an interface included in a flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] A biosignal measuring device is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the biosignal measuring device includes a patch composed of a plurality of regions, each region including an electrode for obtaining a biosignal from a subject to whom the biosignal measuring device is attached, and a main body including modules respectively disposed on two or more reference regions among the plurality of regions and electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of electrodes included in the patch, wherein the modules are connected by a bridge and disposed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and the plurality of electrodes may include a first electrode for obtaining a reference signal for the biosignal and one or more second electrodes for obtaining one or more channel signals for the biosignal.

[0066] Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments are disclosed for illustrative purposes only and may be modified and implemented in various forms. Accordingly, the embodiments are not limited to the specific disclosed form, and the scope of this specification includes modifications, equivalents, or alternatives that fall within the technical concept.

[0067] Although terms such as "first" or "second" may be used to describe various components, these terms should be interpreted solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component.

[0068] When it is said that a component is "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but there may also be other components in between.

[0069] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, the terms "comprises" or "has" should be understood to indicate the presence of a described feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, but not to exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0070] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0071] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The specific structural and functional descriptions below are provided solely for the purpose of illustrating the embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments to the contents described herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made based on these descriptions. Furthermore, the same reference numerals in each drawing represent the same elements, and well-known functions and structures are omitted.

[0072]

[0073] Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 1, a biosignal measuring device (100) including a main body (110) and a patch (120) is illustrated. The biosignal measuring device (100) may be a device that measures an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal of a subject.

[0075] The biosignal measuring device (100) illustrated in FIG. 1 only illustrates components related to embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the biosignal measuring device (100) may further include other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated therein.

[0076] The main body (110) may include a plurality of terminals (111), a processor (113), and a memory (115).

[0077] The lower part of the main body (110) can be attached to the upper part of the patch (120). When the main body (110) is attached to the patch (120), it can be electrically connected to the patch (120) through a plurality of terminals (111). The main body (110) can be electrically connected to a plurality of electrodes (121) of the patch (120) through the plurality of terminals (111). Specifically, the main body (110) can be directly electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes (121) of the patch through the plurality of terminals (111), and the main body (110) can be electrically connected to the plurality of terminals (111) through conductive patterns (123) connected to the plurality of terminals (111). In other words, the plurality of terminals (111) can be electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes (121) directly and / or through the conductive patterns (123). The main body (110) can receive signals obtained from the subject by the plurality of electrodes (121) through the plurality of terminals (111) that are electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes (121).

[0078] The processor (113) can control the overall biosignal measuring device (100) and perform calculations. For example, the processor (113) can convert the received channel signal into a digital signal. The processor (113) can perform filtering on the received channel signal using a filter designed in software. However, according to one embodiment, although not disclosed in FIG. 1, a filter designed in hardware may also perform filtering on the channel signal. The processor (113) may be a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) and an auxiliary processing unit, as well as dedicated hardware in the form of a system on chip (SoC). An application processing unit (APU) used in wearable devices such as smartphones or smart watches may also be used. In the case of such a general-purpose processor, the operations described below can be performed by firmware, an operating system (OS), and application software (APP), and the application software can be installed using the memory (115). These contents are similar to the configuration and operation of conventional electronic devices, and may be similar to the implementation of electronic devices such as wearable devices known to those skilled in the art.

[0079] The memory (115) may be hardware that stores signals processed and signals to be processed within the biosignal measuring device (100). In addition, the memory (115) may store applications, drivers, etc. to be driven by the biosignal measuring device (100). The memory (115) may include volatile memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or nonvolatile memory.

[0080] The lower part of the patch (120) may be attached to the subject, and the upper part of the patch (120) may be attached to the main body (110). Accordingly, the main body (110) may be attached to the subject via the patch (120). The patch (120) may include a plurality of regions for acquiring a biosignal from the subject to whom the biosignal measuring device (100) is attached. Each of the plurality of regions may include an electrode. The plurality of regions may include two or more reference regions in which the main body (110) is placed. The main body (110) may be placed on the upper part of each of the reference regions.

[0081] The number of the plurality of electrodes (121) may be equal to or less than the number of the plurality of terminals (111). Therefore, depending on the number of the plurality of electrodes (121), the plurality of terminals (111) may not be connected one-to-one with the plurality of electrodes (121). For example, when the number of the plurality of electrodes (121) is four and the number of the plurality of terminals (111) is six, two of the terminals may not be connected to the electrodes of the patch (120).

[0082] In other words, the number of the plurality of electrodes (121) cannot exceed the number of the plurality of terminals (111), and as the number of the plurality of electrodes (121) increases, the main body (110) can receive more signals through the plurality of terminals (111).

[0083] The plurality of electrodes (121) may include a first electrode that obtains a reference signal for a biosignal. Specifically, the reference signal may be any one of the biosignals received from the plurality of electrodes (121). The reference signal may be used as a reference for analysis and interpretation of the remaining biosignals excluding the reference signal among the biosignals received from the plurality of electrodes (121). In other words, the reference signal may be used as a reference for identifying a change in the biosignal by comparing it with one or more channel signals obtained from the second electrode. Accordingly, the first electrode that obtains the reference signal may be selected as the one that is least influenced by the measurement target of the subject among the plurality of electrodes (121).

[0084] The plurality of electrodes (121) may include one or more second electrodes that acquire one or more channel signals for a biosignal. Specifically, the channel signals may be signals other than a reference signal among the biosignals received from the plurality of electrodes (121). The plurality of electrodes (121) may include a ground electrode that serves as a ground for the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0085] The first electrode and ground electrode for obtaining a reference signal may be essential in measuring biosignals.

[0086] Accordingly, among the plurality of electrodes (121), the remaining electrodes excluding the first electrode and the ground electrode can obtain channel signals from the subject. In other words, the number of channel signals obtained by the plurality of electrodes (121) may be the number of the plurality of electrodes (121) minus the first electrode and the ground electrode. For example, when the number of the plurality of electrodes (121) is four, only the remaining two electrodes excluding the first electrode and the ground electrode can obtain channel signals. That is, in this case, the biosignal measuring device (100) can receive biosignals of two channels.

[0087] As will be described later, depending on the number of multiple regions included in the patch (120), the biosignal measuring device (100) can receive a different number of channel signals. That is, the examiner can measure biosignals from the subject using patches having different numbers of regions depending on the purpose of measuring the biosignals. Accordingly, the patch (120) and the main body (110) can be configured to be detachable. In addition, the patch (120) can be a disposable element that is discarded when separated from the subject after the measurement of the biosignal is completed. On the other hand, the main body (110) can be a reusable element to which patches (120) having different numbers of regions can be attached depending on the purpose of measuring the biosignals. The patch (120) that is directly attached to the subject is discarded after single use, and the main body (110) that is indirectly attached to the subject through the patch (120) is recycled, thereby enabling the biosignal measuring device (100) to measure biosignals from the subject more hygienically and economically.

[0088] The patch (120) may include a conductive pattern (123). The conductive pattern (123) may electrically connect some of the plurality of electrodes (121) to the main body (110). The conductive pattern (123) may not be included in the patch (120) depending on the embodiment, and may be included in the patch (120) at least once depending on the embodiment. The conductive pattern (123) may electrically connect the electrodes of the reference region and the modules of the main body (110) arranged on the reference region. In addition, the conductive pattern (123) may electrically connect the electrodes of the remaining region and the modules of the main body (110) arranged on the reference region connected to the remaining region.

[0089] Below, a biosignal measuring device (100) including the above-described components will be described in more detail.

[0090] In addition, in this document, a biosignal measuring device (100) including a main body (110) including two or more modules and a patch (120) including two or more reference areas will first be described, and then application of the description to a biosignal measuring device including a main body including three modules and a patch including three reference areas according to an embodiment will be described. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the description of a biosignal measuring device including a main body including three modules and a patch including three reference areas according to an embodiment described below can be extended and applied to a biosignal measuring device (100) including a main body (110) including two or more modules and a patch (120) including two or more reference areas.

[0091]

[0092] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a main body of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 2, the upper portion of the main body (200) is illustrated. The main body (200) may include modules that are respectively positioned on two or more reference areas among a plurality of areas of a patch (not shown). In other words, the main body (200) may include two or more modules. Each of the modules may include a main board (not shown), and any of the modules may include a processor (not shown) for processing biosignals. The modules may be electrically connected via a bridge. For example, the modules may be electrically connected via wires within the bridge.

[0094] At this time, the modules may be arranged so that they are connected by bridges and spaced apart by a predetermined distance. If the modules are arranged too close together, each electrode within two or more reference areas where the modules are arranged may be identified as a single electrode. Therefore, the modules may need to be arranged so that each electrode within two or more reference areas is spaced apart by a threshold distance (i.e., a predetermined distance) beyond which each electrode is not identified as a single electrode. For example, the predetermined distance may be 10 mm.

[0095] Since each module is positioned at a predetermined distance apart via a bridge, they can be attached to different body parts of the subject when measuring biosignals. For example, the first module (210) can be attached above the forehead, the second module (220) above the eyebrows, and the third module can be attached to the temple. Therefore, in order for each module to be attached to the correct position, the bridge connecting each module can be made of a material having relatively high elasticity compared to the modules. In addition, the bridge can be made of a material that can bend along the curve of the body part of the subject to which the biosignal measuring device is attached when the bridge is attached to the subject. For example, the bridge can be selected from materials such as elastomer, rubber, silicone, or other polymers.

[0096] Below, the upper part of the main body (200) described above will be explained using drawings.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 2, the main body (200) may include a first module (210), a second module (220), and a third module (230). Accordingly, since the main body (200) includes three modules, there may be three reference areas of the patch where the main body (200) is placed. The first module (210) and the second module (220) may be electrically connected through a first bridge (240). The second module (220) may be electrically connected to the third module (230) through a second bridge (250). In other words, each module may be an island-type structure connected through a bridge. The first module (210) and the second module (220) may be placed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance or more through the first bridge (240). The second module (220) and the third module (230) can be arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance via the second bridge (250).

[0098] Referring to FIG. 3, the lower portion of the main body (200) is illustrated. Each of the modules may include one or more terminals at the lower portion. Each of the modules may be electrically connected to one or more of the electrodes of the patch via one or more electrodes.

[0099] Specifically, each module may be connected to an electrode of a reference area positioned below the module via one or more terminals. Furthermore, if a module includes two or more terminals, the module may be connected to electrodes of regions other than the reference areas among the plurality of regions via the remaining terminals, excluding the terminals connected to the electrodes of the reference area.

[0100] Accordingly, each of the modules can receive biosignals from one or more electrodes electrically connected through one or more terminals.

[0101] Below, the lower part of the main body (200) described above will be explained using drawings.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 3, the first module (210) may include a first terminal (311) at the bottom. The second module (220) may include a second terminal (313), a third terminal (315), a fourth terminal (317), and a fifth terminal (319). The third module (230) may include a sixth terminal (321). The first module (210) may be connected to a first channel electrode of a reference region disposed at the bottom of the first module (210) via the first terminal (311). The second module (220) may be electrically connected to a ground electrode and a second channel electrode included in a patch (e.g., a patch (400) of FIG. 4) via the terminals, and may be disposed on a reference region including the ground electrode. The third module (330) may be connected to an electrode of a reference region disposed at the bottom of the third module (230) via the sixth terminal (321). In particular, since the second module (220) includes one or more terminals, it can be connected to electrodes of the remaining regions excluding the reference regions among the plurality of regions through the remaining terminals, excluding the terminals connected to the electrodes of the reference region arranged at the bottom of the second module (220) among the second terminal (313), the third terminal (315), the fourth terminal (317), and the fifth terminal (319).

[0103] Below, the patch placed at the bottom of the main body (200) described above will be described.

[0104]

[0105] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a patch of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 4, the upper portion of the patch (400) is shown.

[0107] The upper portion of the patch (400) may be the surface to which the main body is attached. Since the patch (400) must also be attached to the body of the subject, it may be composed of a material that can flexibly bend according to the curvature of the body. For example, the patch (400) may be selected from materials such as polyethylene terephtalate (PET), rubber, silicone, or other polymers.

[0108] The patch (400) may be composed of a plurality of regions, each including an electrode for acquiring a biosignal from a subject to whom a biosignal measuring device is attached. That is, each of the plurality of regions may include an electrode. Accordingly, the patch (400) may include electrodes corresponding to the number of the plurality of regions. For example, if the number of the plurality of regions is four, each of the regions may include an electrode, and thus the patch (400) may include four electrodes. The electrodes may be composed of a conductive material such as a hydrogel or a metal.

[0109] Among the plurality of regions, the regions on which the modules of the main body are arranged when attached to the subject can be referred to as reference regions. Accordingly, since the modules of the main body are arranged on two or more reference regions, there may be two or more reference regions. The reference regions can be attached to the modules of the main body by various methods, such as an adhesive surface, a bonding structure, and / or a magnet. An electrode included in each of the remaining regions excluding the reference regions among the plurality of regions can be electrically connected to any one of the two or more reference regions. The remaining regions can be electrically connected to any one of the two or more reference regions through a conductive pattern included in the film. Accordingly, a biosignal acquired from an electrode included in each of the remaining regions can be transmitted to any one of the two or more electrically connected reference regions.

[0110] In other words, a module of a main body positioned on any one of two or more reference areas can receive not only a biosignal obtained from an electrode included in any one of the two or more reference areas (i.e., a reference area positioned below the module) but also a biosignal obtained from an electrode included in each of the remaining areas connected to any one of the two or more reference areas (i.e., a reference area positioned below the module).

[0111] At this time, the electrode included in one of the two or more reference areas (i.e., the reference area disposed at the bottom of the module) and the electrode included in each of the remaining areas electrically connected to one of the two or more reference areas (i.e., the reference area disposed at the bottom of the module) may be electrically insulated. That is, the electrode of the reference area and the electrode included in each of the remaining areas connected to the reference area may be electrically insulated. This is because, if they are not insulated, a desired signal may not be received due to a short circuit. However, if one of the electrode of the reference area and the electrode included in each of the remaining areas connected to the reference area is a ground electrode, the ground electrode and the other electrodes may not be electrically insulated.

[0112] The plurality of electrodes included in the patch (400) may include a first electrode that obtains a reference signal for a biosignal. In addition, the plurality of electrodes included in the patch (400) may include second electrodes that obtain one or more channel signals for the biosignal. In addition, the plurality of electrodes included in the patch (400) may include a ground electrode that provides a ground for the first electrode and the second electrodes.

[0113] Since the reference signal can be used as a standard for identifying changes in biosignals as described above in FIG. 1, the first electrode may be selected from among the plurality of electrodes as having the least influence from the measurement subject. In other words, the reference signal may need to be measured at a point unrelated to the measurement subject. Accordingly, since the biosignal measurement device is a device for measuring the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal of the subject, an electrode placed at a point unrelated to the brain activity of the subject may be selected as the first electrode for obtaining the reference signal. In other words, among the plurality of electrodes, the electrode placed at the farthest point from the measurement subject may be selected as the first electrode. For example, an electrode placed on the earlobe may be selected as the first electrode.

[0114] The first electrode is least influenced by the subject's measurement target (i.e., the brain), but like the second electrodes, it can be influenced by other signals (e.g., electromyography (EMG) and / or electrooculography (EOG) signals).

[0115] In addition, since the biosignal measuring device of the present disclosure can be freely attached anywhere on the body of the subject, no arbitrary electrode is fixed as the first electrode.

[0116] The ground electrode may be used to remove noise from channel signals acquired from the second electrodes. The closer the ground electrode is positioned to the second electrodes, the better it can remove noise from the channel signals. Therefore, an electrode positioned closer to the second electrodes may be selected as the ground electrode. However, the ground electrode is not limited to the above-described electrode and may be selected for various purposes.

[0117] Hereinafter, the upper part of the above-described patch (400) will be described using drawings. Referring to FIG. 4, the patch (400) may be placed below the main body (200) illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 when measuring a biosignal. Accordingly, modules of the main body may be placed in each of the first reference area (410), the second reference area (420), and the third reference area (430) among the plurality of areas. In other words, the remaining areas (440) excluding the reference areas among the plurality of areas may not have modules of the main body placed on the upper part.

[0118] Each region may include an electrode. Accordingly, the first reference region (410) may include an electrode (411). The second reference region (420) may include an electrode (421). The third reference region (430) may include an electrode (431). The remaining region (440) may include an electrode (441). The electrode (441) of the remaining region (440) may be electrically connected to any one of the reference regions through a conductive pattern included in the film (450). Accordingly, the electrode (441) may be electrically connected to the second reference region (420). The conductive pattern included in the film (450) may be arranged on the upper portion of the electrode (441) to electrically connect the electrode (441) to the second reference region (420). For example, the conductive pattern may be formed to extend from the electrode (411) toward the second reference region (420). Accordingly, the electrode (441) can be electrically connected to the second reference area (420) through the conductive pattern. The conductive pattern may include a conductive material such as silver paste, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0119] The biosignal acquired from the electrode (441) can be transmitted to the second reference region (420) to which it is electrically connected. Therefore, the module of the main body (e.g., the second module (220) of FIGS. 2 and 3) placed on the second reference region (420) can receive not only the biosignal acquired from the electrode (421) of the second reference region (420) but also the biosignal acquired from the electrode (441) of the remaining region (440) connected to the second reference region (420). At this time, the electrode (421) of the second reference region (420) and the electrode (441) of the remaining region (440) that are electrically connected can be electrically insulated. When the electrode (421) is a ground electrode, the electrode (421) may not be electrically insulated from the electrode (441).

[0120] An electrode (431) positioned at a location spaced apart from other electrodes in the patch (400) may be selected as the first electrode for acquiring a reference signal. When other electrodes acquire channel signals from a measurement target of the subject, the electrode (431) may be positioned at a location spaced apart from the other electrodes so as to be less affected by the measurement target.

[0121] Additionally, in the patch (400), the remaining electrodes, excluding the first electrode (431) among the plurality of electrodes, may include ground electrodes. For example, the electrode (421) may be selected as the ground electrode. Accordingly, the electrodes (411) and (441) may be determined as second electrodes that acquire channel signals.

[0122] Referring to FIG. 5, the lower part of the patch (400) is shown.

[0123] The lower portion of the patch (400) may be a surface that is attached to the skin of the subject. The plurality of regions may include an attachment surface at a portion that is attached to the skin of the subject. The attachment surface may include an adhesive material that prevents the patch (400) from being detached from the skin of the subject. Each of the plurality of regions may include a plurality of electrodes that contact the skin of the subject when the lower portion of the patch (400) is attached to the skin of the subject. The plurality of electrodes may be composed of a conductive material such as a hydrogel or a metal as described above, but various conductive materials may be applied without limitation. Furthermore, according to one embodiment, a conductive pattern may be an electrode.

[0124] The upper surface of the electrode, which does not contact the subject's skin, may be electrically connected to the module or to a conductive pattern. Methods for electrically connecting the electrode to the module or conductive pattern are further described in Fig. 12.

[0125] Hereinafter, the lower portion of the patch (400) will be described using drawings. Referring to FIG. 5, the first reference area (410) may include an attachment surface (511) that is attached to the skin of the subject. The second reference area (420) may include an attachment surface (521) that is attached to the skin of the subject. The third reference area (430) may include an attachment surface (531) that is attached to the skin of the subject. Similarly, the remaining area (440) may include an attachment surface (541) that is attached to the skin of the subject.

[0126] When the patch (400) is attached to the skin of the subject by the adhesive surfaces, a plurality of regions can contact the skin of the subject through the electrodes. The first reference region (410) can contact the skin of the subject through the electrodes (411). The second reference region (420) can contact the skin of the subject through the electrodes (421). The third reference region (430) can contact the skin of the subject through the electrodes (431). The remaining regions (440) can contact the skin of the subject through the electrodes (441).

[0127] And, when the main body is placed on the patch (400), the electrodes (411), (421) and (431) can be electrically connected to the terminals of the corresponding modules. The electrode (441) can be electrically connected to the module of the main body through the conductive pattern.

[0128]

[0129] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, drawings are provided to explain a combined biosignal measuring device of a main body and a patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0130] Below, the description of the main body and patches will be omitted as they have been described above.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 6, a main body (600) and a patch (610) are illustrated. In FIG. 6, the patch (610) includes the same number of regions as the modules of the main body (600). Therefore, the patch (610) can include only three reference regions. Since each of the reference regions includes an electrode, the patch (610) can include three electrodes. Since the first electrode and the ground electrode for obtaining a reference signal are essential, only one of the three electrodes can obtain a channel signal. Therefore, a biosignal measuring device (620) to which the main body (600) and the patch (610) are attached can obtain a channel signal of one channel.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 7, a main body (700) and a patch (710) are illustrated. In FIG. 7, the patch (710) may include one remaining region in addition to three reference regions. In other words, the patch (710) may include four electrodes. Accordingly, two of the four electrodes, excluding the reference electrode and the ground electrode, can acquire channel signals. Accordingly, a biosignal measuring device (720) having the main body (700) and the patch (710) attached thereto can acquire two channel signals.

[0133] In the same way, referring to FIG. 8, a biosignal measuring device (800) that obtains a channel signal of 3 channels and a biosignal measuring device (810) that obtains a channel signal of 4 channels are illustrated.

[0134] When a biosignal measuring device acquires two or more channel signals, phase difference information for the biosignal can be determined based on the two or more channel signals. Specifically, the biosignal measuring device can determine the phase difference information by calculating the phase difference between the channel signals. Then, the biosignal measuring device can pattern the phase difference. The biosignal measuring device can calculate entropy, which can quantitatively express how diversely the phase patterns are distributed, based on the diversity of the patterns, and can evaluate the level of consciousness of the subject (e.g., depth of anesthesia, etc.) based on the calculated entropy. In other words, the biosignal measuring device can utilize the phase difference information determined from the two or more channel signals as an index of consciousness for evaluating the level of consciousness of the subject. In other words, the biosignal measuring device can monitor the state of consciousness of the subject.

[0135] Moreover, biosignal analysis using phase difference information can be more robust to non-biological noise than simple frequency-specific power analysis. Furthermore, biosignal analysis using phase difference information is unaffected by volume conduction effects, allowing for closer electrode spacing, which can be advantageous for miniaturizing biosignal measurement devices.

[0136] According to the above, it can be seen that the number of channel signals acquired by the biosignal measuring device is determined based on the number of the plurality of regions. In other words, the number of channel signals acquired by the biosignal measuring device may be proportional to the number of the plurality of regions. Specifically, the number of channel signals acquired by the biosignal measuring device may correspond to the number of regions excluding the region including the ground electrode and the first electrode among the plurality of regions. In other words, the number of channel signals acquired by the biosignal measuring device may correspond to the number of the second electrodes.

[0137] In addition, in the biosignal measuring device, more biosignals can be acquired by changing only the patch without changing the main body. In particular, the lengths of the electrodes included in each of the remaining regions excluding the reference regions among the multiple regions can be varied to measure biosignals at various locations of the measurement target. In the biosignal measuring device (800) of FIG. 8, the electrode (820) included in the newly added remaining region can be attached to the opposite forehead of the subject to acquire biosignals. In the biosignal measuring device (810) of FIG. 8, the electrode (830) included in the newly added remaining region can be attached to the occipital region of the subject to acquire biosignals.

[0138] Depending on where the plurality of electrodes included in the patch are attached to the subject, the biosignals obtained by each of the plurality of electrodes may include one or more of an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal, an electromyography (EMG) signal, and an electrooculography (EOG) signal. For example, if the electrode is attached near the subject's eyeball, the electrode may include an electroencephalogram signal and an electrooculography signal.

[0139] At this time, the biosignal measuring device can remove noise contained in the EEG signal based on the electromyography signal and / or the safety signal included in the biosignal. The noise in the EEG signal may be due to electrical activity generated by the subject's facial muscle movement and eye movement, rather than electrical activity in the brain. Therefore, noise contained in the EEG signal can be removed based on the safety signal and / or the EEG signal to obtain only signals resulting from the electrical activity of the brain.

[0140]

[0141] Referring to FIG. 9, a drawing is shown to explain a guide that facilitates the combination of a main body and a patch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0142] In order to obtain accurate bio-signals from the subject, the main body (920) may need to be accurately positioned on the patch (910). The bridge connecting the modules of the main body (920) may be made of a material such as a bendable elastomer, and the patch (910) may also be made of a material such as a bendable PET, so attachment of the patch (910) and the main body (920) may not be easy.

[0143] Therefore, when the main body (920) is placed on the patch (910) without a separate guide (900), the main body (920) may not be placed accurately on the patch (910). If the main body (920`) is not placed accurately on the patch (910), a short circuit may occur between the terminal of the main body (920) and the electrode of the patch that is not intended by the inspector. At this time, an unintended signal may be received by the main body (920) due to the short circuit. Therefore, a guide (900) that instructs the inspector to place the main body (920) accurately on the patch (910) may be required.

[0144] The guide (900) may include a groove (901) formed according to the shape of the main body (920) or the patch (910) in a flat shape. The guide (900) may include an indicator (903) that indicates the direction of the patch (910) when the patch (910) is inserted and seated in the groove (901). Additionally, the guide (900) may include a dotted line (905) that indicates the position where the remaining areas are placed when the patch (910) is placed in the groove (901), and the guide (900) may indicate the direction in which the patch (910) is inserted and seated using not only the indicator (903) but also the dotted line (905). The guide (900) may further include a friction surface that prevents the patch (910) from slipping in the groove (901). Likewise, the guide (900) may further include a friction surface on the back side to prevent the guide (900) from slipping.

[0145] The inspector can check the direction in which the patch (910) is inserted and seated in the groove (901) by checking the indicator (903) and / or the dotted line (905) of the guide (900). After checking the direction, the inspector can insert and seat the patch (910) in the groove (901). After the patch (910) is inserted and seated in the groove (901), if there is a film or the like to protect the attachment surface in the reference areas where the module of the main body (920) is placed, the inspector can remove it. Then, the inspector can accurately place the main body (920) on the patch (910) inserted and seated in the guide (900).

[0146] Below, we will explain how to measure biosignals from a subject using a biometric information measurement device.

[0147]

[0148] Referring to FIG. 10, a drawing is shown to explain the appearance of wearing a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0149] Referring to FIG. 10, a biometric measurement device is shown for monitoring sleep of a subject while worn by the subject. However, using a biometric measurement device to monitor sleep of a subject is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that a biometric measurement device can acquire biosignals of a subject not only while the subject is sleeping but also during the subject's daily activities.

[0150] According to one embodiment, the biosignal measuring device (specifically, the main body) may further include a sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) from a subject to check for sleep disorders such as snoring or sleep apnea. Any one of the modules of the main body may include the sensor. A reference area of ​​a patch in which a module including a sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation from a subject is placed may further include a hole at a position corresponding to the sensor so that the sensor can measure blood oxygen saturation. The sensor may be brought into close contact with the skin of the subject through the hole to measure blood oxygen saturation.

[0151]

[0152] Referring to FIG. 11, a biosignal measuring device for receiving two-channel biosignals according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0153] Referring to Fig. 11, a biosignal measuring device (1100) is illustrated. The biosignal measuring device may include a patch and a main body. Referring to Fig. 11, a biosignal measuring device (1100) having a main body disposed on a patch is illustrated. Fig. 11 may be a top view of the biosignal measuring device (1100) having a main body disposed on a patch. Descriptions of the patch and the main body, which have been described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 10, will be omitted.

[0154] In a biosignal measuring device (1100), a main body including three modules may be placed on a patch including four areas. The main body may include a first module (1110), a second module (1120), and a third module (1130). The first module (1110) may be electrically connected to the second module (1120) via a first bridge (1140). The second module (1120) may be electrically connected to the third module (1130) via a second bridge (1150).

[0155] The patch may include a first reference region (not shown), a second reference region (not shown), a third reference region (not shown), and a remaining region (1160). The first reference region may include a first channel electrode (not shown). The second reference region may include a ground electrode (not shown) and may be electrically connected to a second channel electrode (1161) of the remaining region (160) via a conductive pattern (not shown). The third reference region may include a reference electrode (not shown).

[0156] The biosignal measuring device (1100) may have a first module (1110) disposed on a first reference area, a second module (1120) disposed on a second reference area, and a third module (1130) disposed on a third reference area. Accordingly, the first module (1110) may be electrically connected to a first channel electrode of the first reference area. The second module (1120) may be electrically connected to a ground electrode and a second channel electrode of the second reference area. The third module (1130) may be electrically connected to a reference electrode of the third reference area.

[0157]

[0158] Referring to FIG. 12, a drawing is shown to explain the electrical connection of electrodes and modules according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0159] Referring to FIG. 12, various embodiments for explaining the electrical connection of a module (1200) and an electrode (1202) are illustrated. Specifically, referring to the first method (1210), the second method (1220), and the third method (1230) according to various embodiments, cross-sections of an electrically connected module (1200) and an electrode (1202) are illustrated. Descriptions of the module (1200), terminal (1201), electrode (1202), and attachment surface (1203) will be omitted as they have been described above. For convenience of explanation, the electrical connection will be described below based on one module and one area.

[0160] Referring to the first method (1210), a module (1200) and an electrode (1202) are illustrated. The module (1200) may include a terminal (1201) in contact with the electrode (1202) at the bottom. Since the electrode (1202) is included in an area disposed at the bottom of the module (1200), it may be an electrode (1202) of a reference area. The reference area may further include an attachment surface (1203). According to the first method (1210), the module (1200) may receive a biosignal through a terminal (1201) that is directly electrically connected to the electrode (1202) of the reference area.

[0161] Referring to the second method (1220), the module (1200) and the electrode (1202) can be electrically connected through a conductive pattern (1205). The conductive pattern (1205) can be a pattern formed on the lower part of the film (1204). The film (1204) can be selected from the same material as the patch, such as polyethylene terephtalate (PET), rubber, silicone, or other polymers. The conductive pattern (1205) can be a pattern made of a conductive material, such as silver paste, as described above with reference to FIG. 4. Since the electrode (1202), the conductive pattern (1205), and the terminal (1201) are all conductive, the module (1200) can receive a biosignal acquired by the electrode (1202) through the conductive pattern (1205) and the terminal (1201).

[0162] Referring to the third method (1230), the module (1200) and the electrode (1202) may be electrically connected via a conductive pattern (1205). At this time, the electrode (1202) may not be an electrode included in an area disposed at the bottom of the module (1200). In other words, the electrode (1202) may be an electrode included in an area other than the reference area among a plurality of areas other than the reference area. In order for the module (1200) to receive a biosignal acquired in an area other than the reference area, the conductive pattern (1205) formed on the film (1204) may be used. Accordingly, the module (1200) may receive a biosignal acquired from the electrode (1202) in the remaining area via the conductive pattern (1205) and the terminal (1201). At this time. The conductive pattern (1205) serves as a passage through which biosignals are transmitted, and thus can be formed long in the direction from the electrode (1202) to the module (1200) that is electrically connected to the electrode (1202).

[0163] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the method by which the module is electrically connected to multiple areas is not limited to the above-described method, and that the module can be electrically connected by various methods such as vias and holes.

[0164]

[0165] FIG. 13 is a drawing for explaining a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0166] Referring to FIG. 13, a biosignal measuring device (1300) is illustrated. The biosignal measuring device may include multiple modules. For convenience of explanation, the following description will focus on a case in which three modules are included. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the description of the present disclosure can also be applied to cases in which two or more modules are included.

[0167] The biosignal measuring device (1300) may include a first module (1310), a second module (1320), and a third module (1330). The components included in the modules illustrated in FIG. 13 are only those components necessary for the description of the present disclosure. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other general-purpose components may be included in addition to the components illustrated in each module.

[0168] It may include one or more control circuits and one or more electrodes among a plurality of modules. The first module (1310) may include a control circuit (1311) and a first electrode (1313). The control circuit (1311) may control and perform calculations on the overall biosignal measuring device (1300). For example, the control circuit (1311) may include a processor and a memory. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the control circuit (1311) may include various components for controlling the biosignal measuring device (1300) in addition to the processor and the memory.

[0169] The processor may be a dedicated hardware system on a chip (SoC), or a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) and auxiliary processing unit. Furthermore, it may also be an application processing unit (APU) used in wearable devices such as smartphones or smartwatches. In the case of such general-purpose processors, the operations described below can be performed by firmware, an operating system (OS), and application software (APP). The contents described in this document are similar to the configuration and operation of conventional electronic devices, and may be similar to the implementation of electronic devices such as wearable devices known to those skilled in the art.

[0170] The memory may be hardware that stores signals processed and signals to be processed within the biosignal measuring device (1300). In addition, the memory may store applications, drivers, etc. to be driven by the biosignal measuring device (1300). The memory may include volatile memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or nonvolatile memory.

[0171] The first electrode (1313) can collect biosignals from the subject. The collected biosignals may include different signals depending on the measurement site. For example, if the biosignal measuring device (1300) is attached to the head, the biosignals may include EEG. If the biosignal measuring device (1300) is attached around the eyes, the biosignals may include EOG (electrooculography) as well as EEG. According to various embodiments of the biosignal measuring device (1300), the first module (1310) may include one or more first electrodes.

[0172] One or more of the plurality of modules may include a battery and one or more electrodes. The second module (1320) may include a battery (1321) and a second electrode (1323). The battery (1321) may supply power to the biosignal measuring device (1300). The battery (1321) may be replaceable or rechargeable depending on the embodiment. The second electrode (1323) may collect biosignals from the subject. The description of the electrodes is omitted because the description of the first electrode (1313) is applicable to them.

[0173] One or more of the plurality of modules may include a signal processing circuit and one or more electrodes. The third module (1330) may include a signal processing circuit (1331) and a third electrode (1333). The signal processing circuit (1331) may process signals collected from each module. The signals collected from each module may be biosignals collected from a subject. The biosignals collected from the subject may be analog signals. In other words, the signal processing circuit (1331) may convert analog signals collected from each module into digital signals. For example, the signal processing circuit (1331) may be an analog front end (AFE). The description of the third electrode (1333) is omitted because the description of the first electrode (1313) is applicable as is.

[0174] According to one embodiment, each module included in the biosignal measuring device (1300) may include one or more electrodes. For example, the first module (1310) may include a plurality of first electrodes. For example, the second module (1320) may include a plurality of second electrodes. For example, the third module (1330) may include a plurality of third electrodes. Any one of the plurality of electrodes included in the biosignal measuring device (1300) may be used as a ground electrode that serves as a ground for the remaining electrodes. Any one of the plurality of electrodes excluding the ground electrode may be used as a reference electrode that collects a reference signal. The reference signal may be a signal that serves as a reference for analyzing and interpreting biosignals collected from the channel electrodes. The plurality of electrodes excluding the ground electrode and the reference electrode may be used as channel electrodes that collect biosignals.

[0175] Below, we will describe a biosignal measuring device and a patch attached to the bottom of the biosignal measuring device.

[0176]

[0177] FIG. 14 is a drawing for explaining a biosignal measuring device and patch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0178] Referring to FIG. 14, a biosignal measuring device (1400) and a patch (1410) are illustrated. The biosignal measuring device (1400) may include a first module (1401), a second module (1403), and a third module (1405). Each of the plurality of modules may be electrically connected to one or more other modules via a bridge. Each of the modules of the biosignal measuring device (1400) may be connected to one or more other modules via a bridge (1407, 1409) and may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. For example, the first module (1401) may be connected to the second module (1403) via the bridge (1407). The second module (1403) can be connected to the first module (1401) via a bridge (1407) and to the third module (1405) via a bridge (1409).

[0179] The bridges (1407, 1409) may include a soft material. That is, the bridges (1407, 1409) may be bendable. When the biosignal measuring device (1400) is attached to a subject, the bridges (1407, 1409) may naturally bend along the curvature of the attachment site of the subject, thereby allowing the biosignal measuring device (1400) to be in close contact with the subject. In addition, even if each module is spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance due to the length of the bridges (1407, 1409) due to the bending of the bridges (1407, 1409), each module may be attached closer than the predetermined distance when attached to the subject. That is, each module may be attached to the subject independently of the attachment location of other modules connected through the bridges (1407, 1409).

[0180] A biosignal measuring device (1400) can be attached to a subject via a patch (1410). Each module of the biosignal measuring device (1400) can be placed on a corresponding area of ​​the patch (1410). The patch (1410) can further include one or more extension areas (1411) including extension electrodes in addition to the areas on which modules are placed. When the patch (1410) further includes one or more extension electrodes, the biosignal measuring device (1400) can collect more biosignals.

[0181] The patch (1410) will be further described in FIG. 20. Below, the biosignal measuring device (1400) will be described in detail.

[0182]

[0183] FIG. 15 is an exploded view schematically illustrating a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0184] A biosignal measuring device (1500) is illustrated with a first module (1510), a second module (1520), and a third module (1530) connected to one or more other modules by a bridge (1540, 1550).

[0185] The first module (1510) may include a control circuit (1511) and a first electrode (1513). The control circuit (1511) and the first electrode (1513) may be arranged on a circuit board included in the first module (1510). The control circuit (1511) may control the overall operation of the biosignal measuring device (1500). The control circuit (1511) may determine the severity of a subject's condition through various algorithms using the collected biosignals. The control circuit (1511) may determine the condition of the subject using the collected biosignals. For example, the control circuit (1511) may determine whether the subject is in a state of delirium using the collected biosignals.

[0186] The first module (1510) may further include a communication module on the circuit board. The first module (1510) may communicate with an external terminal (e.g., a smart phone) of the biosignal measuring device (1500) through the communication module. For example, the first module (1510) may communicate with the external terminal using Bluetooth communication supported by the communication module. The biosignal measuring device (1500) may receive commands (e.g., ON / OFF commands of the biosignal measuring device (1500)) from the external terminal. The biosignal measuring device (1500) may transmit the collected signal to the external terminal. The external terminal may use the received signal to determine the severity of the subject's condition.

[0187] The second module (1520) may include a battery (1521) and a second electrode (1523). The battery (1521) and the second electrode (1523) may be disposed on a circuit board. The second module (1520) may supply power to the biosignal measuring device (1500) using the battery (1521). Unlike other modules, the second module (1520) may include a plurality of second electrodes. For example, the second module may include four second electrodes. The second module (1520) may be electrically connected to an extension electrode extending from an area of ​​a patch attached to the lower portion of the second module (1520) through one or more of the plurality of second electrodes.

[0188] The third module (1530) may include a signal processing circuit (not shown) and a third electrode (1531). The third module (1530) may receive signals collected from each module of the biosignal measuring device (1500) and process them in the signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit may convert analog signals among the signals collected from each module into digital signals. According to one embodiment, the third module (1530) may include a plurality of sensors. The plurality of sensors may include sensors such as a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation (e.g., an spO2 sensor).

[0189] The first module (1510) and the second module (1520) may be connected via a bridge (1540). The third module (1530) and the second module (1520) may be connected via a bridge (1550). The second module (1520) may be connected to the first module (1510) and the third module (1530) via bridges (1540, 1550). The lengths of the bridges (1540) and (1550) may be different. Accordingly, the third module (1530) may be positioned further away from the second module (1520) than the first module (1510). Each bridge may include a flexible circuit board and an outer shell. The outer shell may include a soft material (e.g., an elastomer) that surrounds the flexible circuit board. In other words, the bridge can bend because it contains soft components.

[0190] When attaching the biosignal measuring device (1500) to the subject, the center of gravity of the biosignal measuring device (1500) should be close to the center of the biosignal measuring device (1500) to ensure stability. Therefore, the arrangement order of the first module (1510), the second module (1520), and the third module (1530) may also be important. The heaviest module among the first module (1510), the second module (1520), and the third module (1530) should be located in the middle so that the center of gravity of the biosignal measuring device (1500) can be close to the center of the biosignal measuring device (1500). In other words, the heaviest module among the plurality of modules may need to be electrically connected to each of the remaining modules, and each of the remaining modules may be electrically connected to the heaviest module. For example, the second module (1520) including the battery (1521) may be the heaviest module, and the second module (1520) may be positioned in the center. Accordingly, the second module (1520) may be electrically connected to the first module (1510) and the third module (1530). Each of the first module (1510) and the third module (1530) may be electrically connected to the second module (1520), which is the heaviest module.

[0191] The biosignals collected from each module of the biosignal measuring device (1500) may be analog signals. In order to utilize the biosignals collected from each module, they may need to be converted into digital signals. The signal processing circuit of the third module (1530) may convert analog signals into digital signals. Accordingly, the biosignals (i.e., analog signals) collected from each module may be transmitted to the signal processing circuit of the third module (1530). For example, the analog signals collected from the first module (1510) may be transmitted to the signal processing circuit of the third module (1530) through the bridge (1540), the second module (1520), and the bridge (1550). The analog signals collected from the second module (1520) may be transmitted to the signal processing circuit of the third module (1530) through the bridge (1550).

[0192] Analog signals collected from each module transmitted to the signal processing circuit can be converted into digital signals and transmitted to the control circuit (1511). The digital signals can be processed in the control circuit (1511) of the first module (1510). The control circuit (1511) can determine the condition of the subject through processing such as calculation based on the digital signals. For example, the digital signals converted in the signal processing circuit can be transmitted to the control circuit (1511) of the first module (1510) through the bridge (1550), the second module (1520), and the bridge (1540).

[0193] When the biosignal measuring device (1500) is divided into multiple modules as described herein and components are mounted so that each module performs a different role, the volume can be significantly reduced compared to when all components are mounted on a single module. In addition, the total weight is distributed to each module spaced apart by a predetermined distance or more, thereby distributing the weight applied to the subject, so that even if the biosignal measuring device (1500) is worn for a long time, it is less burdensome and can be used during sleep or in daily life.

[0194] The descriptions and bridges for each module are described in more detail in Figures 16 to 19.

[0195]

[0196] FIG. 16 is a drawing for explaining a first module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0197] Referring to FIG. 16, a first module (1600) and a first connecting portion (1630) of a bridge connected to the first module (1600) are illustrated.

[0198] The first module (1600) may include a housing upper portion (1605) and a housing lower portion (1610). The housing upper portion (1605) and the housing lower portion (1610) may include a corresponding interlocking structure. The housing upper portion (1605) and the housing lower portion (1610) may be strongly coupled through the interlocking structure. The housing upper portion (1605) and the housing lower portion (1610) may include a groove corresponding to the shape of the first connecting portion (1630) so as to be coupled with the first connecting portion (1630). When the housing upper portion (1605) and the housing lower portion (1610) are coupled, the shape of the hole may correspond to the cross-section of the first connecting portion (1630). The first module (1600) and the first connecting portion (1630) may be fixed through the hole.

[0199] The lower housing (1610) may include a hole into which a first electrode (1625) is inserted and seated when coupled with the upper housing (1605) and the circuit board (1615). The first electrode (1625) may be inserted and seated in the hole, thereby electrically connecting to an area of ​​a patch disposed on the lower portion of the first module (1600) when the biosignal measuring device is coupled with the patch.

[0200] The first module (1600) may include a circuit board (1615). A control circuit (1620) and a first electrode (1625) may be placed on the circuit board (1615). To secure space for the control circuit (1620) to be placed on the circuit board (1615), the first electrode (1625) may be placed offset to one side. For example, the first electrode (1625) may be placed offset toward the cutting portion connected to the first connecting portion (1630).

[0201] The circuit board (1615) may include a cut portion connected to the first connection portion (1630) of the bridge. If the circuit board (1615) does not include a cut portion, the size of the circuit board (1615) may increase, resulting in a larger module size, which may make attachment to the test subject difficult. In addition, if the circuit board (1615) does not include a cut portion, the flexible circuit board of the bridge may be excessively bent when connected to the bridge.

[0202] The circuit board (1615) may be connected to the first connection portion (1630) through at least a portion of the cut portion. The first connection portion (1630) may be included in a bridge. The bridge may include a flexible circuit board that electrically connects each module included in the biosignal measuring device to other modules. The bridge may include an outer shell including a flexible material that surrounds the flexible circuit board. In other words, although not shown, the first connection portion (1630) may include a flexible circuit board inside. The bridge may be manufactured through insert injection.

[0203] The first connector (1630) may support at least a portion of the circuit board included in each module connected to the outer shell and the flexible circuit board. In other words, the outer shell of the first connector (1630) may partially support the circuit board (1615). The bridge may include a second connector on the other side of the first connector (1630). The second connector will be further described in FIGS. 17 and 18 .

[0204] According to one embodiment, the first module (1600) may further include an LED (1635). The LED (1635) may use various colors to indicate the status of the biosignal measuring device. The LED (1635) may use different colors to indicate the charging status of the battery of the biosignal measuring device. For example, the LED (1635) may use yellow to indicate that the battery of the biosignal measuring device is being charged. The LED (1635) may use green to indicate that the battery of the color signal measuring device is fully charged. In addition, the LED (1635) may use different colors to indicate the severity of the subject. The LED (1635) may use different colors to indicate the severity of the subject determined by the control circuit (1620) or an external terminal communicating with the biosignal measuring device. For example, the LED (1635) may be displayed in blue when the severity of the subject is "low." The LED (1635) may be displayed in red when the severity of the subject is "high." However, for the convenience of explanation, in the present disclosure, it is assumed that the LED (1635) is included in the first module (1600). However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the LED (1635) may be included in a second module or a third module in addition to the first module (1600).

[0205] Below, we will explain the second module connected to the first module via a bridge.

[0206]

[0207] FIG. 17 is a drawing for explaining a second module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0208] Referring to FIG. 17, a second module (1700) connected to two bridges is illustrated.

[0209] The second module (1700) may include a housing upper portion (1705) and a housing lower portion (1710). The description of the housing upper portion (1605) and the housing lower portion (1610) of FIG. 16 can be applied to the housing upper portion (1705) and the housing lower portion (1710) as is, and therefore, the description is omitted.

[0210] The second module (1700) may be electrically connected to the first module and the second module via two bridges. Accordingly, the upper housing portion (1705) and the lower housing portion (1710) may each include two grooves. When the upper housing portion (1705) and the lower housing portion (1710) are joined, two holes are created, and the shape of each hole may correspond to the cross-section of the second connection portion connected to the second module (1700).

[0211] The lower portion of the housing (1710) may include a hole into which a second electrode (not shown) is inserted and secured. The hole in the lower portion of the housing (1710) will be further described in FIG. 18.

[0212] The second module (1700) may include a circuit board (1715). A battery (1720) and a second electrode (not shown) may be disposed on the circuit board (1715). The circuit board (1715) may include a plurality of holes into which magnets (1735) for attaching a charger for the battery (1720) are inserted. Although not shown in FIG. 17, the battery (1720) may be connected to a protection circuit. Since the second module (1700) has a thick battery (1720) disposed therein, a plurality of holes are formed in the circuit board (1715) to insert the magnets (1735) in order to minimize the influence of the thickness of the magnets (1735) on the thickness of the second module (1700).

[0213] The circuit board (1715) may include a cut portion connected to the second connection portion of the bridge. Since the circuit board (1715) is connected to the second connection portions of each of the two bridges, it may include two cut portions. A description of the cut portions will be omitted as it has been described above with reference to FIG. 16.

[0214] For convenience of explanation, the second module (1700) will be described below based on the second connection (1730) of the bridge connected to the first module, although it is connected to two second connection portions. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the description of the second connection portion (1730) can be directly applied to the second connection portion of the bridge connected to the third module.

[0215] The circuit board (1715) may be connected to the second connection portion (1730) through at least a portion of the cut portion. The second connection portion (1730) may be included in a bridge. The description of the bridge will be omitted as it has been described above with reference to FIG. 16. Referring to FIG. 17, the flexible circuit board (1725) may protrude outside the outer shell at the second connection portion (1730). The flexible circuit board (1725) protruding outside the outer shell may be connected to the circuit board (1715). The circuit board (1715) and the flexible circuit board (1725) may be connected at a certain angle.

[0216] The second connection portion (1730) may not be supported by the outer shell, unlike the circuit board connected to the first connection portion of the bridge, since it is connected to the flexible circuit board (1725) protruding outside the outer shell. That is, the circuit board (1715) may not be supported by the outer shell, and may be connected to the flexible circuit board (1725) protruding outside the outer shell at a certain angle.

[0217] The circuit board of the first module and the circuit board of the third module may be arranged on a first virtual plane extending from the lower portion of the circuit board of the first module or the circuit board of the third module. However, the circuit board (1725) of the second module (1700) may be arranged on a second virtual plane that is parallel to the first virtual plane but is arranged lower than the first virtual plane. In other words, the circuit board (1715) of the second module (1700) may be positioned lower than the circuit boards of the first and second modules. This may be because the second module (1700) includes a thick battery (1720).

[0218] Below, the holes in the lower part of the housing (1710) and the electrodes of the second module (1700) will be described in more detail.

[0219]

[0220] FIG. 18 is a drawing for explaining electrodes of a second module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0221] Referring to Fig. 18, a second module (1700) is illustrated. In Fig. 18, the electrodes (1800, 1810) of the second module (1700) and the holes in the lower part of the housing (1710), which were not described in Fig. 17, will be described.

[0222] Referring to FIG. 18, electrodes (1800, 1810) may be arranged on the lower portion of the circuit board (1715). Unlike the first and second modules, a control circuit or a signal processing circuit may not be arranged on the circuit board (1715) of the second module (1700). Therefore, the circuit board (1715) may have more space than the circuit board of the first module and the circuit board of the second module. Therefore, unlike the first and second modules which include one electrode, the circuit board (1715) of the second module (1700) may have a plurality of second electrodes (1800) and two charging electrodes (1810). According to one embodiment, one of the plurality of second electrodes (1800) may be a ground electrode.

[0223] The plurality of second electrodes (1800) may be electrically connected to an area of ​​a patch disposed at the bottom of the second module (1700). If the area of ​​the patch attached to the bottom of the second module (1700) is electrically connected to one or more extension electrodes, the plurality of second electrodes (1800) may additionally measure a biosignal through the one or more extension electrodes when the second module (1700) is combined with the patch. In other words, the plurality of second electrodes (1800) may expand the number of channels for measuring a biosignal. For example, referring to FIG. 18, the number of the plurality of second electrodes (1800) may be four. Since one of the plurality of second electrodes (1800) is a ground electrode, the number of channels may be expanded by three.

[0224] Accordingly, when the biosignal measuring device is combined with the patch, the number of channels for measuring the biosignal can increase from 1 to 3 if there are extension electrodes in the area of ​​the patch placed under the second module (1700) in comparison to the case where there are no extension electrodes in the area of ​​the patch placed under the second module (1700) when the biosignal measuring device is combined with the patch, if there are no extension electrodes in the area of ​​the patch placed under the second module (1700), the biosignal measuring device can collect 1 biosignal (i.e., 1 channel) through the first electrode of the first module (i.e., channel electrode), the ground electrode among the plurality of second electrodes of the second module, and the third electrode of the third module (i.e., reference electrode). On the other hand, when the biosignal measuring device is combined with the patch, if an extension electrode exists in the area of ​​the patch placed at the bottom of the second module (1700), the biosignal measuring device can collect two biosignals (i.e., two channels) to four biosignals (i.e., four channels) through the first electrode of the first module (i.e., the channel electrode), the electrode electrically connected to the ground electrode and the extension electrode among the plurality of second electrodes of the second module, and the third electrode of the third module (i.e., the reference electrode).

[0225] Two charging electrodes (1810) may need to be connected to the charger for charging the battery (1720). Accordingly, the lower portion of the housing (1710) may further include holes into which a plurality of second electrodes (1800) and two charging electrodes (1810) are inserted and seated. On the other hand, the magnet (1735) may not need to be directly connected to the charger since it only needs to secure the charger using magnetic force. Accordingly, the lower portion of the housing (1710) may include a groove into which the magnet (1735) is seated.

[0226] Below, the third module connected to the second module (1700) will be described.

[0227]

[0228] FIG. 19 is a drawing for explaining a third module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0229] Referring to FIG. 19, a third module (1900) is illustrated. The third module (1900) can be connected to the first connection portion (1930) of the bridge connected to the second module. Descriptions of the first connection portion (1930) and the connection between the first connection portion (1930) and the circuit board (1915) have been described above, and thus will be omitted. The third module (1900) can include a housing upper portion (1905) and a housing lower portion (1910). Descriptions of the housing upper portion (1905) and the housing lower portion (1910) have been described above, and thus will be omitted. Descriptions of the cut portion of the circuit board (1915) have been described above, and thus will be omitted.

[0230] The circuit board (1915) may include a third electrode (1925). In one embodiment, the third electrode (1925) may be a reference electrode.

[0231] A sensor (1920) for measuring blood oxygen saturation and a third electrode (1925) may be placed on a circuit board (1915). The third electrode (1925) may be placed offset to one side of the circuit board (1915) so that the sensor (1920) for measuring blood oxygen saturation and a signal processing circuit (not shown) may be placed thereon. For example, the third electrode (1925) may be placed offset to the other side of the cut portion of the circuit board (1915).

[0232] The sensor (1920) for measuring blood oxygen saturation can sense blood oxygen saturation more accurately the closer it is to the skin of the subject. Therefore, the sensor (1920) for measuring blood oxygen saturation can be positioned to protrude from the bottom of the circuit board (1915). The lower part of the lower housing (1910) can further include holes into which the sensor (1920) for measuring blood oxygen saturation and the electrode (1925) are inserted and fixed. The third module (1900) can further include a cover (1935) for protecting the sensor (1920) for measuring blood oxygen saturation. The third module (1900) can include various sensors in addition to the sensor (1920) for measuring blood oxygen saturation. For example, the third module (1900) can include various sensors as needed, such as a PPG sensor and an acceleration sensor.

[0233] Below, we will look at patches attached to biosignal measuring devices.

[0234]

[0235] FIG. 20 is a drawing for explaining a patch placed at the bottom of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0236] Referring to FIG. 20, a patch (2000) is illustrated that includes one extension electrode to enable measurement of two channels of biosignals.

[0237] The patch (2000) may include a first region (2010), a second region (2020), and a third region (2030) that are positioned at the bottom of each module when coupled to a biosignal measuring device. Each of the first region (2010), the second region (2020), and the third region (2030) may be positioned at the bottom of the first module, the second module, and the third module.

[0238] The first region (2010), the second region (2020), and the third region (2030) may include five layers. The five layers may include a first layer (2050), a second layer (2060), a third layer (2070), a fourth layer (2080), and a fifth layer (2090).

[0239] The first layer (2050) may be a layer directly attached to the body of the subject. The first layer (2050) may include an adhesive tape (2051) that attaches the patch (2000) to the body of the subject and a conductive pad (2053) that collects biosignals. For example, the conductive pad may be a pad containing hydrogel.

[0240] The second layer (2060) may be an electrode (2065) placed on the pad (2053).

[0241] The third layer (2070) may be a film (2075) representing the overall shape of the patch (2000).

[0242] The fourth layer (2080) may be an electrode (2085) that conducts electricity to electrodes included in modules placed on each area.

[0243] The electrode (2065) of the second layer (2060) and the electrode (2085) of the fourth layer (2080) can conduct electricity through a via hole formed in the film (2075). However, in the case of the second region (2020), the via hole may be formed only at a position corresponding to the ground electrode among the plurality of second electrodes of the second module disposed on the upper portion of the second region (2020). In other words, a via hole may not be formed at a portion where the conductive pattern (2021) formed by extending the electrode (2041) of the extended region (2040) comes into contact with the second region (2020).

[0244] The fifth layer (2090) may be a layer attached to a module of a biosignal measuring device. It may include an adhesive tape (2091) (e.g., non-woven tape) and a conductive tape (2093) for attaching the fifth layer (2090). The adhesive tape (2091) may further include a hole for the conductive tape (2093) to conduct electricity with the electrode (2085). The biosignal may be transmitted to the module through the pad (2053), the electrode (2065), the electrode (2085), and the conductive tape (2093).

[0245] The third region (2030) may be positioned at the bottom of a third module containing a sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation. Accordingly, the layers of the third region (2030) may include holes corresponding to the sensor so that the sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation is in close contact with the subject's skin.

[0246] The extended region (2040) may include fewer layers than the first region (2010), the second region (2020), and the third region (2030). The extended region (2040) may include a first layer (2050), a third layer (2070), and a fourth layer (2080). An electrode (2041) corresponding to the fourth layer (2080) of the extended region (2040) may extend into the second region (2020) to form a conductive pattern (2021). The conductive pattern (2021) may be electrically conductive with a channel electrode of a second module disposed on the second region (2020).

[0247] Below, we will explain the flexible circuit board included in the bridge.

[0248]

[0249] FIG. 21 is a drawing for explaining an interface included in a flexible circuit board according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0250] The first module (2100) and the second module (2110) can be electrically connected via a bridge (2130). The second module (2110) can be electrically connected to the third bridge (2120) via a bridge (2140).

[0251] The bridge may include a flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board may include a plurality of interfaces. The flexible circuit board may include a first interface through which analog signals collected from the subject are passed. The flexible circuit board may include a second interface through which digital signals converted from analog signals are passed in a signal processing circuit of the third module.

[0252] In one embodiment, the first interface and the second interface may need to be shielded, as the digital signal and the analog signal may act as mutual noise. Alternatively, the first interface and the second interface may need to be spaced apart from each other by a critical distance. The flexible circuit board may include a third interface for transmitting power.

[0253]

[0254]

[0255] The embodiments described above may be implemented using hardware components, software components, and / or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices, methods, and components described in the embodiments may be implemented using one or more general-purpose computers or special-purpose computers, such as, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing instructions and responding to them. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. The processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing device is sometimes described as being used alone; however, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the processing device may include multiple processing elements and / or multiple types of processing elements. For example, a processing unit may include multiple processors, or a processor and a controller. Other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible.

[0256] Software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, which may configure a processing device to perform a desired operation or may, independently or collectively, command the processing device. The software and / or data may be permanently or temporarily embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium or device, or transmitted signal wave, for interpretation by the processing device or for providing instructions or data to the processing device. The software may also be distributed over networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. The software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

[0257] The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The program commands recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and configured for the embodiment or may be those known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands, such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of the program commands include not only machine language codes generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiment, and vice versa.

[0258] The components described in the embodiments may be implemented by hardware components including one or more of a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Processor, a Controller, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Programmable Logic Element (FPGA) such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), other electronic devices, and combinations thereof. At least some of the functions or processes described in the embodiments may be implemented by software, and the software may be recorded on a recording medium. The components, functions, and processes described in the embodiments may be implemented by a combination of hardware and software.

[0259] Although the embodiments described above have been described with limited drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various technical modifications and variations can be applied based on the above. For example, appropriate results can still be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. are combined or combined in a different manner than described, or are replaced or substituted with other components or equivalents.

Claims

1. In a biosignal measuring device, A patch comprising a plurality of regions, each region including an electrode for obtaining a biosignal from a subject to whom the biosignal measuring device is attached; and A main body including modules each disposed on two or more reference areas among the plurality of areas and electrically connected to one or more of the plurality of electrodes included in the patch. Including, The above modules are, They are placed so that they are connected by bridges and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, The above plurality of electrodes are, A first electrode for obtaining a reference signal for the biosignal and one or more second electrodes for obtaining one or more channel signals for the biosignal, Biosignal measuring device.

2. In paragraph 1, An electrode included in each of the remaining regions excluding the two or more reference regions among the plurality of regions is electrically connected to one of the two or more reference regions, so that a biosignal obtained from the electrode is transmitted to one of the two or more reference regions. Biosignal measuring device.

3. In paragraph 2, A module placed on any one of the above two or more reference areas A biosignal obtained from an electrode included in any one of the two or more reference areas; and A biosignal obtained from an electrode included in each of the remaining regions electrically connected to one of the two or more reference regions above. Receiving, Biosignal measuring device.

4. In paragraph 3, An electrode included in any one of the two or more reference areas; and An electrode included in each of the remaining regions electrically connected to one of the two or more reference regions above. is electrically insulated, Biosignal measuring device.

5. In paragraph 1, The above first electrode, Among the above plurality of electrodes, one that is selected as having less influence on the subject's measurement target, Biosignal measuring device.

6. In paragraph 1, The above plurality of electrodes are, Further comprising a ground electrode that serves as a ground for the first electrode and the second electrode. Biosignal measuring device.

7. In paragraph 1, The above biosignals are, Including at least one of electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography (EMG), and electrooculography (EOG) signals for the subject. Biosignal measuring device.

8. In paragraph 7, The noise included in the above EEG signal is which is removed based on the above EMG signal and / or the above safety signal, Biosignal measuring device.

9. In paragraph 1, The above bridge, It has relatively high elasticity compared to the above modules, and when the biosignal measuring device is attached to the subject, it bends along the curve of the body part of the subject to which it is attached. Biosignal measuring device.

10. In paragraph 1, The number of channel signals received by the main body is determined based on the number of the plurality of areas. Biosignal measuring device.

11. In paragraph 1, The above patch is a disposable element that is discarded when separated from the subject after the measurement of the above biosignal is completed. The above main body is a multi-use element that can be attached to multiple patches. Biosignal measuring device.

12. In paragraph 1, Phase difference information for the biosignal is determined based on the one or more channel signals obtained from the one or more second electrodes. Biosignal measuring device.

13. In paragraph 1, One of the above modules includes a sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) from the subject, The reference area where the module including the above sensor is placed is Including a hole at a location corresponding to the sensor so that the sensor can measure the blood oxygen saturation, Biosignal measuring device.

14. In a biosignal measuring device, A patch comprising a plurality of regions, each region including an electrode that directly contacts a subject and obtains a biosignal from the subject; and A main body including modules each arranged on some of the above multiple areas Including, The above modules are A first module disposed on an area including a first channel electrode included in the patch and electrically connected to the first channel electrode; A second module electrically connected to the ground electrode and the second channel electrode included in the above patch and disposed on an area including the ground electrode; and A third module disposed on an area including a reference electrode included in the above patch and electrically connected to the reference electrode. Including Biosignal measuring device.

15. In a biosignal measuring device, The above biosignal measuring device includes a plurality of modules for acquiring biosignals, At least one module among the plurality of modules includes a battery for supplying power to the biosignal measuring device and one or more electrodes for obtaining a biosignal from a subject to whom the biosignal measuring device is attached, Each of the above plurality of modules is connected to one or more other modules by a bridge and arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. Biosignal measuring device.

16. In paragraph 15, One or more of the above multiple modules, A control circuit for controlling the biosignal measuring device and one or more electrodes for obtaining a biosignal from the subject, Biosignal measuring device.

17. In paragraph 15, One or more of the above multiple modules, A signal processing circuit for processing a biosignal obtained from the subject and one or more electrodes for obtaining a biosignal from the subject, Biosignal measuring device.

18. In paragraph 15, The heaviest module among the above multiple modules is electrically connected to each of the remaining modules, Each of the above remaining modules is electrically connected to the heaviest module, Biosignal measuring device.

19. In paragraph 15, The above bridge, A flexible circuit board that electrically connects modules to other modules; and An outer shell comprising a soft material that surrounds the above flexible circuit board; A biosignal measuring device comprising:

20. In paragraph 19, The above bridge, A first connecting portion supporting at least a portion of a circuit board included in each module connected to the outer shell and the flexible circuit board by the outer shell; and A second connecting portion connected to a circuit board through the flexible circuit board protruding outside the outer shell A biosignal measuring device comprising:

21. In paragraph 19, The above biosignals include analog signals, The above flexible circuit board is, A first interface through which the analog signals collected from the subject pass; and A second interface through which the converted digital signals of the analog signals pass in the signal processing circuit. A biosignal measuring device comprising:

22. In paragraph 15, A circuit board included in a module including a signal processing circuit among the plurality of modules and a circuit board included in a module including a control circuit among the plurality of modules are arranged on a first virtual plane extending from a lower portion of the circuit board included in the module including the signal processing circuit or a lower portion of the circuit board included in the module including the control circuit. The circuit board included in the module including the battery among the plurality of modules is A second virtual plane is disposed parallel to the first virtual plane and is disposed below the first virtual plane, Biosignal measuring device.

23. In paragraph 17, The above biosignals include analog signals, The above signal processing circuit, Converting the analog signals collected from one or more electrodes included in each of the plurality of modules and received by the signal processing circuit through the bridge into digital signals, The above digital signals are, Transmitted to a module including a control circuit among the plurality of modules through the bridge and processed by the control circuit, Biosignal measuring device.

24. In paragraph 22, One or more electrodes included in one or more modules among the plurality of electrodes, Electrically connected to an extension electrode extending from the area of ​​the patch attached to the bottom, Biosignal measuring device.

25. In paragraph 15, The circuit board included in each of the above multiple modules is: comprising at least one cutting portion connected to the bridge, and connected to the bridge through at least a portion of the cutting portion; Biosignal measuring device.

26. In paragraph 15, One or more of the above multiple modules, Including an LED that displays the severity of the subject's condition using different colors, Biosignal measuring device.

27. In a biosignal measuring device, A first module including a control circuit for controlling the biosignal measuring device and a first electrode for obtaining a biosignal from a subject to whom the biosignal measuring device is attached; A second module including a battery and a second electrode for supplying power to the biosignal measuring device; and A third module including a signal processing circuit for processing signals collected from the subject and a third electrode Including, Each of the first module, the second module and the third module is electrically connected to one or more other modules through a bridge, and transmits and receives the power, the signal and the signals processed by the signal processing circuit through the bridge. Biosignal measuring device.

28. In paragraph 27, The above bridge, A biosignal measuring device comprising a soft material so that, when the biosignal measuring device is attached to the subject, each module can be attached to the subject independently of the attachment location of other modules.

29. In paragraph 27, The above bridge, A flexible circuit board electrically connecting one of the first module, the second module and the third module to another module; and An outer shell comprising a soft material that surrounds the above flexible circuit board; A biosignal measuring device comprising:

30. In paragraph 29, The above bridge, A first connecting portion supporting at least a portion of a circuit board included in each module connected to the outer shell and the flexible circuit board by the outer shell; and A second connection part connected to the PCB and the circuit board through the flexible circuit board protruding outside the outer shell. A biosignal measuring device comprising:

31. In paragraph 29, The above biosignals include analog signals, The above flexible circuit board is, A first interface through which the analog signals collected from the subject pass; and A second interface through which the digital signals converted from the analog signals pass in the signal processing circuit. A biosignal measuring device comprising:

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