Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/40—Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling ; Applying radio-frequency signals
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
  • A61B5/242—Detecting biomagnetic fields, e.g. magnetic fields produced by bioelectric currents
  • A61B5/245—Detecting biomagnetic fields, e.g. magnetic fields produced by bioelectric currents specially adapted for magnetoencephalographic [MEG] signals
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/68—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
  • A61B5/6801—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
  • A61B5/6813—Specially adapted to be attached to a specific body part
  • A61B5/6814—Head
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/68—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
  • A61B5/6887—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
  • A61B5/25—Bioelectric electrodes therefor
  • A61B5/279—Bioelectric electrodes therefor specially adapted for particular uses
  • A61B5/291—Bioelectric electrodes therefor specially adapted for particular uses for electroencephalography [EEG]

Definitions

• a so-called helmet is used, to which applicators for applying the cranial region with electromagnetic waves are attached.
• the device is stationary;
• the helmet is similar to some dry hoods attached to a device with which it can be aligned around the head and stabilized without touching the head.
• DE 41 39 535 A1 describes a method and a device for stimulation by means of electrodes which are preferably applied to the skin in the area of the head and are subjected to an electrical signal of variable frequency.
• EP 0 655 261 A2 describes a device and a method for combating hair loss.
• On the cranial region is a branched, belt-like brackets a running in serpentine form, insulated electrical line is applied, which is current flowing through.
• a helmet is proposed in the padding of which pulsating electric current through which coils are installed for the purpose of transcranial magnetic stimulation.
• sensors and electrodes are installed in the helmet for the purpose of EEG measurement and measurement of ohmic resistances at the head area.
• the magnetic stimulation is set.
• the helmet is connected via cable and, if necessary, radio with power supply and control.
• a textile ie formed from a composite of fibers, a closed loop forming belt is described, which is formed at least on the inner circumferential surface as an electrically conductive contact surface.
• the band comprises fibers of an electrically conductive material, fibers of an electrically insulating material and fibers of an elastomer, all of which are interwoven so that the band is elastically extensible over a wide range.
• the band can be permanently saturated by elastic bias on a part of a human body, because it surrounds.
• the band is equipped with an electrically conductive connecting wire, which should reach to the bottom of the room. It serves to prevent static charge of humans against the ground potential.
• WO 2005079910 A1 shows a bandage formed from a conventional, elastic, textile material which is provided locally with spaced-apart, flat connection electrodes, via which electrical current can be conducted to the person wearing the bandage.
• the connecting wires to the electrodes are guided in the textile material.
• a pad is attached to the bandage on the opposite cross-sectional surface side of the bandage.
• US 2006167526 A1 describes a device for medical purposes. Via a band, which is equipped with strip-shaped permanent magnets, leads are led to electrodes, which rest against the skin of a human and over which a health-promoting electrical stimulus is to be delivered.
• the object underlying the invention is to provide an electromagnetic device based on a current-carrying coil which serves to stimulate areas of the human brain by means of magnetic signal patterns.
• a current-carrying coil which serves to stimulate areas of the human brain by means of magnetic signal patterns.
• the coil is formed as part of a flat, elastic band, which can be applied in the manner of a headband under elastic bias on the head of a human.
• the device is easily applied and usable at a very important body zone. Due to the flatness, a helmet or other headgear can be worn over the band if necessary. By also making the conductor of the coil flat, the magnetic effect can be transmitted to humans in a very efficient manner.
• the coil has only a single turn. It has been shown that with the same effort better effects can be achieved, as by means of coils which have a larger number of turns and accordingly must be flowed through to generate a predetermined magnetic induction with a lower current.
• the device is used in combination with sensors and a controller, whereby parameters of the physiological state of the treated person are detected and the current flow through the coil is adjusted according to the sensor result.
• the sensors are arranged on the elastic band.
• the sensors are already arranged on such a region of the body where the measurable physiological parameters contain many valuable information for the stimulation process.
• results from the arrangement of the sensors on the elastic band a compact and easy to handle design.
• sensors are designed as contact electrodes for the skin of the treated person, these contact electrodes being formed as surface areas isolated from one another on the side of the elastic band facing the treated person.
• optically pumped magnetometers are used as sensors. These can be implemented as small lightweight components and they can produce the smallest fluctuations in a magnetic field, as evidenced, for example, by the activity of a human brain located in close proximity. be able to detect without acting on the brain itself.
• the device according to the invention is used in vehicles which are controlled by the attending person.
• that control which receives from sensors measurement data on the physiological condition of the treated person, is able to act not only on the coil, but also on the vehicle controlled by the person being treated.
• This safety functions can be realized.
• the controller can limit the maximum speed of the vehicle if, based on the sensor result, it can be concluded that the person being treated is overtired.
• Fig. 1 shows an exemplary device according to the invention in overview.
• Fig. 2 shows in sectional view an exemplary band which is part of an exemplary device according to the invention.
• a device consists of at least one, a closed loop forming band 1, which has at least one coil 2 and an insulation 3, and an electronic control unit 11, which acts on the coil of the band via a supply line 10 with electric current.
• the most essential parts of the band 1 are a coil 2 and an insulation 3 of this coil.
• the band in its longitudinal direction in a wide range elastically extensible and that both the cross-sectional area of the band 1 as a whole, and thus the cross-sectional area of the coil 2 are wide and flat.
• the band By being elastically extensible in its longitudinal direction over a wide range, the band can simply be applied around the head like a conventional headband. It holds friction in the respective position, without the need for further resources. It lies full on the head along its entire length. If, on the side of the band 1 facing the user, electrodes 4 are used to make contact with the skin surfaces of the user. are brought so these electrodes 4 are pressed by the elastic effect of the tape well to the skin.
• the length of the band can increase at a tensile force of 5 N by about 20 percent compared to the length in the relaxed state.
• each cross-sectional area of the coil can be close to the head of the person to be treated and the cross-sectional area of the conductor of the coil can nevertheless be relatively large.
• the cross-sectional dimensions of the band are approximately 8 * 1 mm 2 .
• the coil 2 has only a single turn, formed of copper, wherein the conductor cross-sectional area is 1 to 1.5 mm 2 and the width of the conductor cross-section is just under 8 mm.
• the band in its longitudinal direction by low tensile force (less than 10 N) by at least about 5% compared to its length in the relaxed state must be elastically stretchable, of course, the coil 2 must be elastically extensible by low force. To realize this, there are a number of possibilities, of which three are given without any claim to completeness:
• the conductor cross section of the coil 2 may be formed by a fabric of thin, wires, wherein the running in the tape longitudinal direction wires are guided in loops.
• the conductor cross section of the coil 2 may be formed by a thin sheet metal strip which runs in the band 1 in a wavy line or a zigzag line.
• the amplitude of the wavy line or zigzag line is parallel to the direction of the smaller dimension of the cross-sectional area of the band. In this way, the metal strip is stretchable like a bellows.
• the coil 2 may be formed by a composite of different threads, one type of thread being made of an elastomer and the second type of thread being a conductive wire and at least the second type of thread being guided in curves, undulations or loops.
• the insulation 3 can and must, as shown, only envelop the cross-sectional area of the coil from the outside. If the cross-sectional area of the conductor of the coil 2 is composed of a plurality of individual strands of a conductive material, even the individual strands can be sufficiently well sheathed by insulation, so that a common enclosing insulation is not necessarily required.
• the insulation must also have the necessary elastic deformability, so that the band is sufficiently elastically extensible in its longitudinal direction.
• the insulation 3 can be formed, for example, by a tube made of an elastomer or a fabric made of threads of an elastomer.
• the stimulation of areas of the human brain is transcranial magnetic stimulation.
• Magnetic fields are used to induce current flows in the brain according to certain patterns that are similar to brain rhythms.
• the patterns are composed of signal frequencies of 0.5 Hz to 10 kHz (electrical synapse activity). Due to the cross-sectional shape of the band 1 and the coil 2, the pulse delivery happens very close to the surface of the head of the person to be treated. As a result, even with comparatively low energy consumption, a good result can be achieved. If the coil 2 has only a single turn typical currents with which already very good results are achieved, at 40 to 250 mA. The use of only a single turn and the use of a wide flat conductor cross-section, due to the associated lowönsindukt technically rapid current changes and short high current peaks can be realized much better than otherwise comparable application of several turns and round wires.
• the device according to the invention can be used well to improve the concentration ability of the person treated with it. This is the application of the device for such Persons of particular value who carry out activities in which a lack of concentration causes a great deal of dangerous situations. Typically, this concerns the control of vehicles over a longer period of time or even work on dangerous machines or devices such as saws, ovens, etc. over a longer period. If a helmet is worn in such activities can create a inventively executed band as a headband and put on a conventional helmet over it. But it is also possible and quite reasonable to equip the helmet itself, which is otherwise worn as a mechanical protection against injury in potentially dangerous situations, with a band according to the invention.
• the band is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the inner belt of the helmet, that belt which runs along the so-called hat line around the head of the person wearing the helmet and is used for size adjustment.
• the control electronics 11 required to drive the coil can then be accommodated in the rear part of the helmet.
• the device according to the invention can be removed from the helmet so that it can also be used without a helmet.
• An advantageous point for the attachment of a device according to the invention is also the upper part of the backrest or the headrest of the driver's seat of a vehicle.
• the control electronics 11 may be installed in the backrest or the headrest and be supplied with electrical energy, for example via the board network of the vehicle. But it is also an independent power supply by means of battery or battery possible.
• the tape 1 can - if it is not used - be hung on the backrest or the headrest.
• control electronics 11 cooperate with one or more sensors, by which physiological parameters of the treated person can be detected.
• the device can be automatically turned on or off depending on whether or not a person is at the device in question.
• sensors or sensor parts are already arranged on the belt 1.
• these can be, for example, electrical contact electrodes 4, by means of which the electrical resistance can be measured when current flows through the human body.
• the lines 5, via which these contact electrodes 4 are to be connected to the controller can be carried in the band 1.
• these lines must therefore be elastically extensible in the longitudinal direction of the band 1 according to the rules set out above.
• the contact electrodes 4 In order for the contact electrodes 4 to abut well on the skin of the person using the device, typically on the forehead, they are not simply located on the inner circumferential surface of the closed loop formed by the band 1 in the illustrated example, but rather through an intermediate band 1 and the contact electrode 4 arranged cushion 6 lifted slightly.
• optically pumped magnetometer available only recently with sufficient smallness and simple applicability. These can detect minute variations in a magnetic field, such as those caused by the activity of a near-human brain, without acting on the brain itself.
• a plurality of such measuring sensors wherein one or more first sensors are to be mounted close to the brain of a human, so typically on the inside of a helmet or on the front of a headrest and one or more other sensors on the outside of the Helms or at the back of the headrest.
• functions of devices other than the coil 2 can also depend on the measurement results to be influenced.
• a person sitting in the driver's seat of a car could be prevented from starting up the car or, in a less severe case, limiting the maximum speed achievable, at least by affecting the engine control.
• work machines can be turned off, or will issue a warning signal.
• hyperactivity of the brain hyperactivity caused by drugs or mental overload, age-related mental fluctuations can also be detected.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Magnetic Treatment Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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• 2009
  • 2009-04-30 BR BRPI0908300-6A patent/BRPI0908300A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2009-04-30 CA CA2727942A patent/CA2727942A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-04-30 EP EP09737524A patent/EP2303404A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2009-04-30 WO PCT/AT2009/000177 patent/WO2009132372A2/de active Application Filing
• 2010
  • 2010-10-31 IL IL209036A patent/IL209036A0/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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