KR102670971B1 - Personalized brain stimulation system and brain stimulation method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A personalized brain stimulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal; And a brain stimulation device that communicates with the terminal; in the system including, through an application installed on the terminal, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) information for evaluating the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user and the First information, which is at least one piece of Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity-Revised (LEIDS-R) information that measures sensitivity to depression, is collected, and the terminal uses the collected first information as the brain stimulation device. The brain stimulation device includes: a control unit that determines that the user is in a first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression, based on the received first information; and a stimulation unit that transmits a stimulus that varies depending on the determined first state to the user's brain in order to synchronize vibration in a plurality of regions of the user's brain. A first stimulus for entraining gamma oscillations synchronized in a plurality of regions of the user's brain, delta, theta, alpha and beta synchronized in a plurality of regions of the user's brain. It may be a second stimulus for tuning one of the vibrations, or a third stimulus combining the first stimulus and the second stimulus.

Description

Personalized brain stimulation system and brain stimulation method using the same {Personalized brain stimulation system and brain stimulation method using the same}

The present invention relates to a personalized brain stimulation system and a brain stimulation method using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a user's depression status based on information for evaluating the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user collected through a terminal application. It relates to a personalized brain stimulation system and a brain stimulation method using the same that can improve the patient's depression state by determining and delivering complex stimulation based on tACS (transcranial alternating current stimulation) to the patient's brain. .

Recently, there has been a transition to an era where diseases are treated with electronic medicine rather than oral medicine. Electronic medicine refers to a medical device that produces new therapeutic effects by causing energy such as electrons, magnetic fields, and ultrasound to act on the cranial nerves, rather than relieving symptoms through biochemical action within the human body like pharmaceuticals. It mainly regulates cranial nerve function. It can be seen as a new field of miniaturized medical devices related to .

In addition, electronic medicine is an electronic device that can treat diseases through electrical stimulation without directly injecting drugs into the patient's body like oral medicine or injections. Its strength is that it is safe for the human body as it can stimulate only the specific area that needs treatment. It is highlighted as In other words, patients who are reluctant to take medication can reduce side effects by replacing it with electronic medication treatment, and can also create treatment synergy by combining it with medication.

Among electronic medicines, an electronic medicine for depression has been released in Korea that treats depression by normalizing the function of the frontal lobe, which is the cause of depression. The stimulation method of electronic medicine for treating depression is tACS (transcranial alternating current electrical stimulation). current stimulation), tDCS (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation), DBS (Deep brain stimulation), tMS (transcranial Magnetic Stimulation), ECT (Electroconvulsive therapy) ), etc.

First, tACS is a method of attaching electrodes and delivering a microcurrent of less than 1 mA to the skull. It is used for non-pharmacological treatment to improve symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, headaches, and various types of pain. It is effective in controlling microglial cells, is safe using microcurrent, and has no side effects, enabling mid- to long-term treatment. In addition, it is a cutting-edge treatment that is highly compatible with existing chemical therapies that promote and/or suppress hormone secretion. In addition, it is possible to induce sleep and improve sleep quality by maintaining a stable DMN in the brain itself, and to promote and/or suppress hormone secretion (serotonin, melatonin). , GABA, etc.), it is possible to induce sleep and improve sleep quality. And it can stimulate brain tissue to return neurochemicals to their pre-stress balance. The stimulation energy of this tACS may be AC (current flow), the stimulation form may be pulse or sinusoidal, and the mechanism (or mechanisms) may be brain entrainment by current, and features include: The advantage of this product is that it has proven safety (0.5 mA or 500 ㎂), resulting in high patient convenience. However, there is no pain due to skin impedance, which is a value that impedes the flow of current when voltage is applied in the circuit, but it has the disadvantage of making it difficult to perceive the stimulation due to weak stimulation transmission.

tDCS is a method of stimulating nerve cells in the cerebral cortex with a weak direct current type electric current by attaching electrodes to the head. It is a method of non-invasive brain stimulation to recover aftereffects from brain damage. It monitors the activity level of cranial nerves through electrical stimulation. It can help improve brain function by controlling . The stimulation energy of tDCS may be DC (electric field), the stimulation form may be direct current (DC), the mechanism is maintaining balance by activating (+)/inhibiting (-) charges at the electrode location, and features include: The advantage is that it can be applied (2 mA) with a simple configuration. However, there is a disadvantage in that the treatment effect for depression is low because the difference between actual stimulation and sham stimulation is not large, and although treatment is simple due to non-invasive stimulation, there is a risk of burns at the electrode attachment site.

DBS is a method of stimulating the activity of nerve cells by placing fine electrode needles in the deep nuclear area of the brain. When electrical stimulation is administered to the nucleus of a specific brain area, it prevents movement disorders by interfering with pathological signals that occur in the brain area. It can be used to treat and improve symptoms of various diseases, including: In addition, fine electrodes are placed in the deep nuclear area of the brain, and the power required for activity is supplied from a pulse generator inserted into the chest in a similar way to a heart pacemaker, thereby blocking depolarization, that is, blocking the neural output of nerve cells located at the electrode site. . And the output of a neuron can be indirectly controlled by synaptic inhibition, that is, by activating axon terminals that have synaptic connections to neurons near the electrode. The stimulation energy of this DBS can be direct current (DC), pulse, infrared (NIR), the stimulation form can be pulse and sinusoidal, and the mechanism is deep brain direct stimulation, which is high frequency stimulation ( 130Hz), and its advantage is that it is more effective in treating depression compared to other electronic drug stimulation methods due to high-frequency stimulation. However, it has the disadvantage of requiring additional surgery to insert the needle into the deep nuclear area of the brain.

tMS is a method of non-invasively stimulating nerve cells in the brain using magnetic energy. It is effective in treating neurological and mental disorders such as Parkinson's syndrome and depression, and generates a strong magnetic field using a conducting electromagnetic coil near the head. When generated, this magnetic field passes through the skull and stimulates nerve cells in the transcranial cortex. At this time, depending on the speed of the magnetic field, the activity of the cerebral cortex can be increased or decreased. For example, in cases where the activity of the cerebral cortex is low, such as in depression. Use high-frequency stimulation, and in cases where the activity is too high, such as anxiety or mania, the activity can be adjusted using low-frequency stimulation. The stimulation energy of this tMS may be an edge current caused by a magnetic field, the stimulation type may be activation with a 10Hz pulse (5Hz iTBS) and inhibition with a 1Hz pulse, and the mechanism is energy supply by a magnetic field. This may result in an increase in the energy of gamma waves (gamma band power), and the advantage is that it does not require a procedure that causes wounds as it is a non-invasive stimulation. However, patient convenience is reduced due to the large equipment, and there are limitations in that high-frequency electrical stimulation is not realistically possible due to non-invasive stimulation.

In ECT, the stimulation energy may be AC (current flow), the stimulation form may be pulse or sine wave, and the mechanism is to reset nerve cells (neurons) by strong electrical stimulation (20 to 70 Hz). However, there is a problem that anesthesia must be performed in order to apply strong electrical stimulation to reset nerve cells.

Meanwhile, tACS, one of the above electromagnetic stimulation methods, unlike the other electromagnetic stimulation methods mentioned above, is capable of monitoring the patient's brain waves (electroencephalogram, EEG) in real time through brain entrainment by electric current, and through this, it is possible to monitor the patient's depression. Depression biomarkers that can confirm the condition can be provided to the practitioner.

In other words, tACS-based electronic medicine for the treatment of depression is expected to be more effective in treating depression in patients by enabling personalized brain stimulation according to the patient's depression state, unlike electronic medicine based on other stimulation methods.

However, in order to provide a tACS-based electronic medicine for the treatment of depression, it is necessary to improve the problem of tACS that stimulation transmission is weak due to skin impedance.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1465597 (registered on November 20, 2014) Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-502900 (published on February 6, 2014)

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to determine the user's depression status based on information for evaluating the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user collected through the terminal application, and tACS (transcranial alternating current electrical stimulation). The aim is to provide a personalized brain stimulation system and a brain stimulation method using the same that can improve the patient's depression state by delivering a complex stimulation based on stimulation to the patient's brain.

Specifically, the present invention provides Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) information provided by a terminal application and Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity-Revised (LEIDS-R) information that measures sensitivity to depression. We aim to provide a personalized brain stimulation system that can determine the user's depression state based on information collected through at least one of the following and a brain stimulation method using the same.

In addition, the present invention includes heart rate variability (HRV) information, electroencephalogram (EEG) information, heart rate information, stress information, body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, and pulse information collected from the terminal application. , a personalized brain stimulation system that can determine the user's depression state by including at least one biometric information among blood pressure information, iris information, voice information, vein information, and electrocardiogram (ECG) information, and a brain stimulation method using the same. We would like to provide

In addition, the present invention provides personalized brain stimulation that can strengthen gamma level brain waves in the patient's brain waves through entrainment of gamma oscillations when the patient's depression-related condition is major depressive disorder (MDD). We aim to provide customized brain stimulation devices.

In addition, the present invention provides a personalized device that can reduce gamma level brain waves in the patient's brain waves through entrainment of any one of delta, theta, alpha, and beta vibrations when the patient's depression-related state is a depressive disorder caused by stress. We aim to provide a personalized brain stimulation device that can stimulate the brain.

In addition, the present invention strengthens the gamma level EEG when the patient's depression-related state is bipolar disorder (BD), and when the gamma level in the patient's EEG is the lowest, and when the gamma level EEG is the highest in the patient's EEG. We aim to provide a personalized brain stimulation device capable of personalized brain stimulation that can reduce gamma level brain waves.

However, the technical problems to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art from the description below. It will be understandable.

A personalized brain stimulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a technical means for achieving the above object, includes a terminal; And a brain stimulation device that communicates with the terminal; in the system including, through an application installed on the terminal, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) information for evaluating the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user and the First information, which is at least one piece of Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity-Revised (LEIDS-R) information that measures sensitivity to depression, is collected, and the terminal uses the collected first information as the brain stimulation device. The brain stimulation device includes: a control unit that determines that the user is in a first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression, based on the received first information; and a stimulation unit that transmits a stimulus that varies depending on the determined first state to the user's brain in order to synchronize vibration in a plurality of regions of the user's brain. A first stimulus for entraining gamma oscillations synchronized in a plurality of regions of the user's brain, delta, theta, alpha and beta synchronized in a plurality of regions of the user's brain. It may be a second stimulus for tuning one of the vibrations, or a third stimulus combining the first stimulus and the second stimulus.

In addition, the first information includes biometric information measured by the brain stimulation device, and the biometric information includes heart rate variability (HRV) information, electroencephalogram (EEG) information, heart rate information, and stress information. , may include at least one of body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, pulse information, blood pressure information, iris information, voice information, vein information, and electrocardiogram (ECG) information.

In addition, the brain stimulation device further includes a sensing unit that measures the user's first brain wave, and the control unit uses the first information and the first brain wave measured by the sensing unit to determine if the user is related to depression. It may be determined that it corresponds to the first state among a plurality of preset states.

In addition, the sensing unit measures the user's second brain wave in a state in which the stimulation is delivered, and then measures the user's third brain wave when the delivery of the stimulation ends, and the brain stimulation device, the terminal First brain wave information, second brain wave information, and third brain wave information can be transmitted.

In addition, the control unit may determine whether a first response that synchronizes vibration in a plurality of regions of the user's brain is derived based on the second brain wave measured by the sensing unit.

In addition, the terminal modifies first information related to the user's depression state based on the first information, first brain wave information, second brain wave information, and third brain wave information, and the modified first information in the control unit. 1 The modified first information may be transmitted to the brain stimulation device so that the user's first state is determined using the information.

Additionally, based on the modified first information, the terminal may provide at least one of music content, video content, and game content for improving the user's depression state through the application.

In addition, the terminal transmits the first information, first brain wave information, second brain wave information, third brain wave information, and the modified first information to a preset external party, and provides feedback information about the delivered information from the external party. It is possible to receive and display depression-related expert-linked content included in the feedback information through the application.

In addition, the stimulation is transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), and the transcranial alternating current electrical stimulation is repeatedly turned on and off according to a preset first frequency, It is a first combined signal that causes a signal turned on according to a first frequency to be applied as a stimulus according to a preset second frequency, and the plurality of preset states related to depression are depressive disorder states caused by stress. , may include major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD).

In addition, the stimulation unit transmits the first stimulation to the user's brain when the first state of the user determined by the control unit is a major depressive disorder state, and the delivery of the first stimulation is carried out by the gamma oscillation. Through tuning, it is possible to strengthen the gamma level brain waves in the user's brain waves.

In addition, the stimulation unit transmits the second stimulation to the user's brain when the first state of the user determined by the control unit is a state of depressive disorder caused by stress, and the delivery of the second stimulation is carried out by the delta , it is possible to reduce the gamma level brain waves in the user's brain waves through tuning the vibration of any one of theta, alpha, and beta.

In addition, the stimulation unit transmits the third stimulation to the user's brain when the first state of the user determined by the control unit is a manic-depressive state, and when the first state of the user is a manic-depressive state, the user's first state is a manic-depressive state. When the gamma level brain wave is the lowest in the brain wave, the first stimulus is delivered to the user's brain to strengthen the gamma level brain wave in the user's brain wave, and the first state of the user is a manic depression state, When the gamma level brain wave is the highest, the second stimulus may be delivered to the user's brain to reduce the gamma level brain wave in the user's brain wave.

Additionally, the first frequency is applied to induce entrainment of synchronized vibration in the plurality of brain regions of the user, and the second frequency is applied to induce a membrane action potential in the plurality of brain regions of the user. and is applied to induce brain oscillation, and may be a higher value than the first frequency.

In addition, the control unit processes the first signal caused by the first complex stimulus among the signals measured by the sensing unit as noise, and based on the second signal excluding the first signal among the signals measured by the sensing unit, the first signal is processed as noise. 1 It is possible to determine whether a response is elicited.

In addition, the control unit, when the first response according to the first complex stimulation is not elicited, the stimulation unit selects the first frequency, the second frequency, and the output, waveform, and period of the stimulation according to the second frequency. The stimulation unit may be controlled to deliver at least one modified second complex stimulation to the user's brain.

In addition, the first response is for entrainment of any one of gamma vibration, delta vibration, theta vibration, alpha vibration, and beta vibration synchronized in a plurality of regions of the user's brain, and the first frequency is, A frequency of 30 Hz to 80 Hz for entraining synchronized gamma oscillations in a plurality of brain regions of the user, including the user's prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus, a frequency of 14 Hz to 29 Hz for entraining the beta oscillations, It may be a frequency of 8Hz to 13Hz for tuning the alpha oscillation, a frequency of 4Hz to 7Hz for tuning the theta oscillation, or a frequency of more than 0Hz and less than 4Hz for tuning the delta oscillation.

Meanwhile, the brain stimulation method performed by the personalized brain stimulation system includes: a terminal; And a brain stimulation device that communicates with the terminal; in the system including, through an application installed on the terminal, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) information for evaluating the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user and the A step of collecting first information, which is at least one piece of Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity-Revised (LEIDS-R) information that measures sensitivity to depression; transmitting, by the terminal, the collected first information to the brain stimulation device; determining that the user is in a first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression, based on the received first information; And a stimulating unit of the brain stimulation device delivering a stimulus that varies depending on the determined first state to the user's brain to synchronize vibration in a plurality of regions of the user's brain, wherein the stimulus is, a first stimulus for entraining gamma oscillations synchronized in a plurality of regions of the user's brain, delta, theta, and alpha synchronized in a plurality of regions of the user's brain ) and beta (beta) may be a second stimulus for tuning any one of the vibrations, or a third stimulus combining the first stimulus and the second stimulus.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the user's depression status is determined based on information for evaluating the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user collected through the terminal application, and tACS (transcranial alternating electrical stimulation) A personalized brain stimulation system that can improve a patient's depression state by delivering complex stimulation based on current stimulation to the patient's brain and a brain stimulation method using the same can be provided.

Specifically, the present invention provides Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) information provided by a terminal application and Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity-Revised (LEIDS-R) information that measures sensitivity to depression. A personalized brain stimulation system capable of determining a user's depression state based on information collected through at least one of the following and a brain stimulation method using the same may be provided.

In addition, the present invention includes heart rate variability (HRV) information, electroencephalogram (EEG) information, heart rate information, stress information, body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, and pulse information collected from the terminal application. , a personalized brain stimulation system that can determine the user's depression state by including at least one biometric information among blood pressure information, iris information, voice information, vein information, and electrocardiogram (ECG) information, and a brain stimulation method using the same. can be provided.

In addition, the present invention provides personalized brain stimulation that can strengthen gamma level brain waves in the patient's brain waves through entrainment of gamma oscillations when the patient's depression-related condition is major depressive disorder (MDD). We can provide customized brain stimulation devices.

In addition, the present invention provides a personalized device that can reduce gamma level brain waves in the patient's brain waves through entrainment of any one of delta, theta, alpha, and beta vibrations when the patient's depression-related state is a depressive disorder caused by stress. A personalized brain stimulation device capable of brain stimulation can be provided.

In addition, the present invention strengthens the gamma level EEG when the patient's depression-related state is bipolar disorder (BD), and when the gamma level in the patient's EEG is the lowest, and when the gamma level EEG is the highest in the patient's EEG. A personalized brain stimulation device capable of personalized brain stimulation that can reduce gamma level brain waves can be provided.

However, the effects that can be obtained from the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. You will be able to.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a personalized brain stimulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a brain stimulation device.
Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining a plurality of preset states related to depression.
Figure 4 is a diagram to explain the EEG signal-based closed loop neuro-feedback tACS stimulation method proposed by the present invention.
Figure 5 is a block diagram of a real-time tACS-EEG Neurofeedback algorithm according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing the clinical protocol of a clinical trial.
Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a brain stimulation device and a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a block diagram showing content provided by an application installed on the terminal of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a flowchart of a brain stimulation method performed by a personalized brain stimulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the stimulus delivery step shown in FIG. 9.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the stimulus delivery step shown in FIG. 9.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the stimulus delivery step shown in FIG. 9.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, since the description of the present invention is only an example for structural or functional explanation, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as limited by the examples described in the text. In other words, since the embodiment can be modified in various ways and can have various forms, the scope of rights of the present invention should be understood to include equivalents that can realize the technical idea. In addition, the purpose or effect presented in the present invention does not mean that a specific embodiment must include all or only such effects, so the scope of the present invention should not be understood as limited thereby.

The meaning of terms described in the present invention should be understood as follows.

Terms such as “first” and “second” are used to distinguish one component from another component, and the scope of rights should not be limited by these terms. For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be named a first component. When a component is referred to as being “connected” to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected to the other component, but that other components may also exist in between. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. Meanwhile, other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "immediately between" or "neighboring" and "directly neighboring" should be interpreted similarly.

Singular expressions should be understood to include plural expressions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and terms such as “comprise” or “have” refer to the specified features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or them. It is intended to specify the existence of a combination, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

All terms used herein, unless otherwise defined, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the related technology, and cannot be interpreted as having an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless clearly defined in the present invention.

Configuration of a personalized brain stimulation system

Hereinafter, the configuration of the preferred embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a personalized brain stimulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the brain stimulation system 1 may include a brain stimulation device 100 and a server 200.

First, the brain stimulation device 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio/video (A/V) input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, and a memory 160. , it may include an interface unit 170, a control unit 180, a power supply unit 190, and a stimulation unit 300.

However, since the components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, the brain stimulation system 1 may be implemented with more or fewer components.

Below, we will look at the above components in turn.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the brain stimulation system 1 and the wireless communication system or between the device and the network in which the device is located.

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For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short-range communication module 114, and a location information module 115.

The broadcast reception module 111 receives broadcast signals and/or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channels may include satellite channels and terrestrial channels. The broadcast management server may refer to a server that generates and transmits broadcast signals and/or broadcast-related information, or a server that receives previously generated broadcast signals and/or broadcast-related information and transmits them to the brain stimulation device 100. . The broadcast signal not only includes a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, and a data broadcast signal, but may also include a broadcast signal in the form of a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal combined with a data broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, broadcast program, or broadcast service provider.

The broadcast-related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it can be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, it may exist in the form of an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) for Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or an Electronic Service Guide (ESG) for Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

For example, the broadcast reception module 111 may be configured for Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMBS), Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO), or Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H). ), DVB-CBMS, OMA-BCAST, and ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial) can be used to receive digital broadcasting signals. Of course, the broadcast reception module 111 may be configured to be suitable for not only the above-described digital broadcasting system but also other broadcasting systems.

Broadcast signals and/or broadcast-related information received through the broadcast reception module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external brain stimulation device 100, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on the transmission and reception of voice call signals, video call signals, or text/multimedia messages.

The wireless Internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless Internet access and may be built into or external to the brain stimulation device 100.

The wireless Internet technology may include wireless LAN (WLAN) (Wi-Fi), wireless broadband (Wibro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), and High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA).

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. The short range communication technology may include Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), and ZigBee.

The location information module 115 is a module for acquiring the location of the brain stimulation device 100, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module. According to current technology, the GPS module 115 calculates distance information and accurate time information from three or more satellites, and then applies trigonometry to the calculated information to create a three-dimensional current according to latitude, longitude, and altitude. Location information can be accurately calculated. Currently, a method of calculating location and time information using three satellites and correcting errors in the calculated location and time information using another satellite is widely used. Additionally, the GPS module 115 can calculate speed information by continuously calculating the current location in real time.

Referring to FIG. 1, the A/V (Audio/Video) input unit 120 is for inputting audio signals or video signals, and may include a camera 121, a microphone 122, etc.

The camera 121 processes image frames, such as still images or moving images, obtained by an image sensor in a shooting mode, and the processed image frames may be displayed on the display unit 151.

Image frames processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted externally through the wireless communication unit 110.

Two or more cameras 121 may be provided depending on the usage environment.

The microphone 122 receives external sound signals through a microphone in recording mode, voice recognition mode, etc., and processes them into electrical voice data.

The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to a mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 and output.

Various noise removal algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in the process of receiving an external acoustic signal.

Next, the user input unit 130 generates input data for the user to control the operation of the brain stimulation system 1.

The user input unit 130 may be composed of a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure/electrostatic), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc.

The sensing unit 140 monitors the open/closed state of the main body of the brain stimulation system (1), the location of the brain stimulation system (1), the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the brain stimulation system (1), acceleration/deceleration of the brain stimulation system (1), etc. Likewise, the current state of the brain stimulation system 1 is detected and a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the brain stimulation system 1 is generated.

The sensing unit 140 may sense whether power is supplied from the power supply unit 190 and whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device.

In particular, the sensing unit 140 according to the present invention may include an EGG sensor 141 and a biometric information sensor 142 for measuring biometric information of a user (patient).

In the present invention, the user's biometric information is not limited, but includes heart rate variability (HRV) information, electroencephalogram (EEG) information, heart rate information, stress information, body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, and pulse. It may include at least one of information, blood pressure information, iris information, voice information, vein information, and electrocardiogram (ECG) information.

In addition, the EGG sensor 141 refers to a sensor for measuring the user's brain wave information, and the biometric information sensor 142 may be a sensor for measuring biometric information other than the brain wave information that can be measured with the EGG sensor 141. there is.

In other words, the sensing unit 140 is preferably understood as a sensor for measuring the biometric information described above.

Brain waves are generated by an individual's thoughts, emotions, and actions through communication between nerve cells in the brain. Brain waves are synchronized electrical waves created when nerve cells in the cerebral cortex transmit signals to each other. Brain waves can be measured through an electroencephalogram (EEG) test that measures the potential difference between surface electrodes placed in specific areas of the scalp. The brain waves shown by the electroencephalogram are the sum of the electrical activity of countless cortical neurons beneath the surface electrodes.

Brain waves appear in various frequency bands, and these frequency bands indicate the state of the brain. Brain waves are classified into delta waves, theta waves, alpha waves, beta waves, and gamma waves depending on the frequency band.

Delta waves have a frequency band of less than 4Hz and have large amplitude. This is a waveform that appears in a state of deep sleep without dreams.

Theta waves are brain waves of 4 to 7 Hz that occur in certain sleep states and are also a waveform that appears during deep meditation. In addition, theta waves are known to be involved in the process of consolidating memories through learning during sleep.

Alpha waves are approximately 8 to 13 Hz and are brain waves that appear in a quietly resting, awake state.

Beta waves are 14 to 29 Hz and are the rhythm of the activated cerebral cortex. This is a waveform that appears when the cerebral cortex performs general cognitive thinking activities in an awake state.

A gamma wave is a waveform of 30 to 80 Hz and is a high-frequency brain wave that appears in a tense or excited state. It is known as a waveform that appears in a state of high concentration.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive technology that measures brain waves. It uses conductive glue to fix planar electrodes to the scalp and then measures the potential difference between the two electrodes.

Several electrodes are attached to standard positions on the scalp, and weak amplitude voltage changes generated from neurons in the cerebral cortex are amplified through a signal amplifier and recorded by an EEG recorder.

Brain waves are generated by synaptic currents in dendrites, which are currents generated during communication between nerve cells in the cerebral cortex located just below the skull.

The synaptic current of a single nerve cell is very weak, and in order for the signal to reach the electrode attached to the scalp, it must pass through several layers of meninges, cerebrospinal fluid, skull, and scalp. The reason why electrical recording of brain waves is possible is because brain waves are the sum of signals generated when thousands of nerve cells are activated together. Therefore, the more the activity of nerve cells is synchronized, the more it appears as a brain wave with a large amplitude and low frequency.

Meanwhile, the output unit 150 is for generating output related to vision, hearing, or tactile sense, and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, a haptic module 154, and a projector. A module 155, a headup display (HUD), a head mounted display (HMD), etc. may be included.

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the brain stimulation system 1.

The display unit 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and a flexible display (flexible display). It may include at least one of a display) and a 3D display.

Some of these displays may be transparent or light-transmissive so that the outside can be viewed through them. This may be called a transparent display, and representative examples of the transparent display include TOLED (Transparant OLED). The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be configured as a light-transmissive structure. Due to this structure, the user can view objects located behind the brain stimulation system (1) body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the brain stimulation system (1) body.

Depending on the implementation form of the brain stimulation system 1, there may be two or more display units 151. For example, in the brain stimulation system 1, a plurality of display units may be spaced apart or arranged integrally on one side, or may be respectively arranged on different sides.

When the display unit 151 and a sensor that detects a touch operation (hereinafter referred to as a 'touch sensor') form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a 'touch screen'), the display unit 151 is used in addition to the output device. It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, or a touch pad.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific part of the display unit 151 or a change in capacitance occurring in a specific part of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor can be configured to detect not only the location and area of the touch, but also the pressure at the time of touch.

When there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal(s) are sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal(s) and then transmits the corresponding data to the control unit 180. As a result, the control unit 180 can determine which area of the display unit 151 has been touched.

The proximity sensor may be placed near the touch screen or in an internal area of the brain stimulation system 1 surrounded by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or an object existing nearby without mechanical contact using the power of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. Proximity sensors have a longer lifespan and are more useful than contact sensors.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmissive photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection photoelectric sensor, a high-frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. When the touch screen is capacitive, it is configured to detect the proximity of the pointer through a change in electric field according to the proximity of the pointer. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., proximity touch distance, proximity touch direction, proximity touch speed, proximity touch time, proximity touch location, proximity touch movement state, etc.). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch motion and proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The audio output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a recording mode, voice recognition mode, broadcast reception mode, etc.

The sound output module 152 also outputs sound signals related to functions performed in the brain stimulation system 1. This sound output module 152 may include a receiver, speaker, buzzer, etc.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal to notify the occurrence of an event in the brain stimulation system 1.

The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in another form, for example, vibration, in addition to a video signal or an audio signal.

The video signal or audio signal can also be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152, so they 151 and 152 may be classified as part of the alarm unit 153.

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A representative example of a tactile effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of vibration generated by the haptack module 154 can be controlled.

For example, different vibrations can be synthesized and output or output sequentially.

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 154 is a pin array that moves perpendicular to the contact skin surface, a blowing force or suction force of air through a nozzle or inlet, grazing the skin surface, contact with an electrode (eletrode), electrostatic force, etc. A variety of tactile effects can be generated, including effects by reproducing hot and cold sensations using elements that can absorb heat or heat.

The haptic module 154 can not only deliver a tactile effect through direct contact, but can also be implemented so that the user can feel the tactile effect through muscle senses such as fingers or arms. Two or more haptic modules 154 may be provided depending on the implementation type of the brain stimulation system 1.

The projector module 155 is a component for performing an image project function using the brain stimulation system 1, and is identical to the image displayed on the display unit 151 according to the control signal from the control unit 180. Or, at least some different images can be displayed on an external screen or wall.

Specifically, the projector module 155 generates an image to be output to the outside using a light source (not shown) that generates light (for example, laser light) for outputting an image to the outside, and the light generated by the light source. It may include an image generating means (not shown) for doing so, and a lens (not shown) for enlarging and outputting the image to the outside at a certain focal distance. Additionally, the projector module 155 may include a device (not shown) that can adjust the image projection direction by mechanically moving the lens or the entire module.

The projector module 155 can be divided into a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) module, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module, and a DLP (Digital Light Processing) module depending on the type of display device. In particular, the DLP module can be advantageous in miniaturizing the projector module 151 by enlarging and projecting an image generated by reflecting light generated from a light source on a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) chip.

Preferably, the projector module 155 may be provided longitudinally on the side, front, or back of the brain stimulation system 1. Of course, it goes without saying that the projector module 155 can be installed at any location in the brain stimulation system 1 as needed.

In addition, a head-up display (HUD, 156) refers to a device that projects the vehicle's current speed, remaining fuel amount, navigation route information, etc. as a graphic image on the windshield directly in front of the driver in a vehicle.

Additionally, a head mounted display (HMD) 157 is a representative device that can output virtual reality information.

Virtual reality is a human-computer relationship that creates three-dimensional 3D content of a specific environment or situation through a computer, making it as if the person using the 3D content is interacting with the actual surrounding situation or environment. General term for interfaces, etc.

In general, the three-dimensional effect perceived by humans is caused by the degree of change in the thickness of the lens depending on the position of the object being observed, the difference in the angle between both eyes and the object, the difference in the position and shape of the object visible to the left and right eyes, and the movement of the object. It is caused by a complex effect of time lag and various psychological and memory effects.

Among them, the most important factor in a person's sense of three-dimensionality is binocular disparity, which occurs when a person's two eyes are about 65 cm apart in the horizontal direction. In other words, due to binocular parallax, the object is viewed with a difference in angle, and due to this difference, the image entering each eye has a different image. When these two images are transmitted to the brain through the retina, the brain combines these two information. By accurately fusing together, you can feel the original 3D stereoscopic image.

These three-dimensional 3D contents have already been used in various media fields and have received favorable reviews from consumers. Examples include 3D movies, 3D games, and experiential displays.

Along with the generalization of virtual reality technology 3D contents, the development of technologies that can provide more immersive virtual reality services is being demanded in various ways.

In general, image display devices use precise optical devices to focus image light generated very close to the eyes so that a virtual large screen can be created at a distance, allowing the user to view an enlarged virtual image. Refers to an image display device.

In addition, the image display device includes a see-close type in which the surrounding environment cannot be seen and only the image light emitted from the display element can be seen, and an image display device in which the surrounding environment can be seen through a window but the image light emitted from the display element can be seen simultaneously. It can be divided into see-through type.

A head mounted display (HMD, 157) according to the present invention refers to various digital devices that can be worn on the head like glasses to provide multimedia content. In accordance with the trend of lighter and smaller digital devices, various wearable computers are being developed, and HMDs are also widely used.

HMD 157 goes beyond simple display functions and can provide various conveniences to users by combining augmented reality technology, N-screen technology, etc.

For example, if the HMD 157 is equipped with a microphone and a speaker, the user can make a phone call while wearing the HMD 157. Additionally, for example, when the far-infrared camera 122 is mounted on the HMD 157, the user can capture an image in a direction desired by the user while wearing the HMD 157.

In addition, the memory unit 160 may store programs for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and temporarily store input/output data (e.g., messages, audio, still images, videos, etc.). It can also perform functions for The frequency of use for each of the data may also be stored in the memory unit 160. In addition, the memory unit 160 can store data on various patterns of vibration and sound output when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory, etc.), or RAM. (Random Access Memory, RAM), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory, ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), magnetic memory, magnetic It may include at least one type of storage medium among disks and optical disks. The brain stimulation system 1 may operate in connection with web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a passageway for all external devices connected to the brain stimulation system 1. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device, receives power and transmits it to each component within the brain stimulation system 1, or transmits data inside the brain stimulation system 1 to an external device. For example, wired/wireless headset ports, external charger ports, wired/wireless data ports, memory card ports, ports for connecting devices equipped with identification modules, audio I/O (Input/Output) ports, A video input/output (I/O) port, an earphone port, etc. may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip that stores various information to authenticate the right to use the brain stimulation system (1), including the user identity module (UIM), subscriber identity module (SIM), and general user authentication module. (Universal Subscriber Identity Module, USIM), etc. A device equipped with an identification module (hereinafter referred to as an 'identification device') may be manufactured in a smart card format. Therefore, the identification device can be connected to the brain stimulation system 1 through the port.

The interface unit becomes a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the brain stimulation system 1 when the brain stimulation system 1 is connected to an external cradle, or various command signals input from the cradle by the user are used. It can be a passage through which information is transmitted to the mobile device. Various command signals or the power input from the cradle may be operated as signals for recognizing that the mobile device is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller (controller, 180) typically controls the overall operation of the brain stimulation system (1).

In the present invention, the control unit 180 may be provided in the brain stimulation device 100, but is not limited thereto, and is preferably provided in a device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, PC) provided by the user of the brain stimulation device 100. It can be implemented as an app (application) that is pre-stored (or installed) in the device (e.g., etc.).

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the control unit 180 and supplies power necessary for the operation of each component.

Various embodiments described herein may be implemented, for example, in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). In some cases, it may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electrical units for performing functions. The described embodiments may be implemented by the control unit 180 itself.

According to software implementation, embodiments such as procedures and functions described in this specification may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein. Software code can be implemented as a software application written in an appropriate programming language. The software code may be stored in the memory 160 and executed by the control unit 180.

Additionally, the stimulation unit 300 provides a function to stimulate the user's brain through neuromodulation techniques, neurofeedback techniques, sensory stimulation techniques, etc.

The stimulation unit 300 according to the present invention may be provided in the brain stimulation device 100 and includes an electrical stimulation unit 310, a magnetic field stimulation unit 320, an ultrasonic stimulation unit 330, an optical stimulation unit 340, and It may include a sensory stimulation unit 350.

First, the electrical stimulation unit 310 may include a DBS stimulation unit 311, a tDCS stimulation unit 312, and a tACS stimulation unit 313.

The DBS stimulation unit 311 uses deep brain stimulation, where fine electrodes are placed in the deep nucleus of the brain to stimulate the activity of nerve cells.

DBS stimulation can be provided in DC form, Pulse form, and NIR form.

In relation to deep brain stimulation (DBS), administering electrical stimulation to the nuclei of specific brain regions can help treat and improve symptoms of various diseases, including movement disorders, by interfering with pathological signals occurring in the brain region.

In deep brain stimulation, tiny electrodes are placed in deep nuclear areas of the brain, and the power needed for activity is supplied from a pulse generator inserted into the chest in a similar way to a heart pacemaker.

Through this, it is possible to block depolarization, that is, block the nerve output of nerve cells located at the electrode site.

Additionally, synaptic inhibition, that is, activating axon terminals that have synaptic connections to neurons near the electrode, can indirectly control the output of neurons.

Next, the tDCS stimulation unit 312 uses transcranial direct current stimulation, in which electrodes are attached to the head to stimulate neurons in the cerebral cortex with a weak direct current.

The tDCS stimulation unit 312 is a method of non-invasive brain stimulation for recovering aftereffects from brain damage, and can help improve brain function by controlling the activity of cranial nerves through electrical stimulation.

The tACS (transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation) stimulation unit 313 attaches electrodes and transmits a microcurrent of less than 1 mA to the skull through this, and is used to treat symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, and headaches, as well as various types of symptoms. It is used as a non-pharmacological treatment to improve pain, etc.

tACS (transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation) stimulation is effective in controlling microglial cells, is safe using microcurrent, and has no side effects, enabling mid- to long-term treatment.

In addition, it is a cutting-edge treatment that is highly compatible with existing chemical therapies that promote and/or suppress hormone secretion.

When applying tACS (transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation) stimulation, it is possible to induce sleep and improve sleep quality by maintaining a stable DMN in the brain itself.

In addition, it is possible to induce sleep and improve sleep quality by improving hormones (serotonin, melatonin, GABA, etc.).

It can also stimulate brain tissue to return neurochemicals to their pre-stress balance.

The magnetic field stimulation unit 320 uses a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) method, called transcranial magnetic stimulation, and non-invasively stimulates nerve cells in the brain using magnetic energy.

It is effective in treating neurological and mental disorders such as Parkinson's syndrome and depression.

When a strong magnetic field is generated with a conductive electromagnetic coil near the head, this magnetic field passes through the skull and stimulates nerve cells in the transcranial cortex.

At this time, depending on the speed of the magnetic field, the activity of the cerebral cortex can be increased or decreased. For example, in cases where the cerebral cortex is low in activity, such as depression, high-frequency stimulation is used, and in cases where the activity is too high, such as in anxiety or mania, the activity of the cerebral cortex can be increased or decreased. The activity is controlled using low-frequency stimulation.

In addition, the ultrasonic stimulation unit 330 utilizes ultrasonic waves for treatment effects and is widely used in obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, dermatology, etc.

Ultrasound refers to sound waves with a frequency that exceeds the limit of human hearing. In general, sound waves that healthy people can hear are at 20kHz, and ultrasound refers to sound waves that exceed this. Ultrasound therapy utilizes ultrasound waves for therapeutic effects and is widely used in obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, dermatology, etc.

Ultrasound treatment can be broadly divided into high-intensity ultrasound of 1000 W/cm ² or more and low-intensity ultrasound in the range of 10 to 50 W/cm ² . High-intensity ultrasound therapy treats tissues by selectively heating them and is mainly used for tumor treatment, while low-intensity ultrasound therapy treats subcutaneous tissues by heating them and is used for musculoskeletal treatment such as skin lifting, fractures, and cartilage cell regeneration. Ultrasound treatment also has the advantage of quick recovery as there is no skin damage.

HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) is a method to necrosize or reduce the size of a tumor without incision or surgery using the heat and energy generated when ultrasound beams sent from multiple directions are focused. It is used to treat uterine fibroids, prostate cancer, bone metastasis cancer, and liver cancer.

LIFU (Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound) is a method that uses heat to achieve a skin lifting effect through necrosis of subcutaneous tissue. The treatment mechanism is similar to high-intensity focused ultrasound, but there is a difference in the intensity and range used.

LIPUS (Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound) is a method of activating cells by stimulating physical vibration by radiating ultrasonic waves to the treatment area and is used for fracture treatment and cartilage cell regeneration treatment.

Sonophoresis is used to deliver drugs to the skin using low-frequency ultrasound.

Additionally, the light stimulation unit 340 can apply the Brain Photo Modulation method by irradiating light to the head to stimulate the brain.

According to the light stimulation unit 340, light of 600-1000 nm penetrates the cell wall and participates in the COX (Cytochrome c oxidase) respiratory chain within the mitochondria.

Through this, synapse creation ↑/ blood vessel formation ↑/ blood flow ↑/ prevention of inflammation/ prevention of apoptosis/ SOD ↑/ neuroexcitotoxicity ↓ are possible.

Additionally, the sensory stimulation unit 350 may include a visual stimulation unit 351 and an auditory stimulation unit 352.

The sensory stimulation unit 350 does not directly stimulate the brain, but indirectly stimulates the brain by applying stimulation to other organs.

The visual stimulation unit 351 refers to radiation that enters the human eye and can cause the sensation of light.

For example, the visual stimulation unit 351 uses a white stroboscope flash of about 100,000 candles, fixes the valve of the stroboscope around 20 cm in front of the eyes of a subject with closed eyes, and irradiates the entire field. do. As a stimulation method, stimulation is given for 10 seconds in order from low frequency to high frequency, and the brain waves or the subject's appearance are observed for the next 10 seconds before moving on to the next stimulation.

Meanwhile, the server 200 can build a database and exchange information with the brain stimulation device 100.

At this time, short-range communication or long-distance communication may be applied between the server 200 and the brain stimulation device 100.

Additionally, the server 200 may form a network with a medical institution to receive information related to the medical staff's judgment and opinion, and transmit it to the brain stimulation device 100.

Structure of brain stimulation device

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a brain stimulation device.

Referring to FIG. 2, the brain stimulation device 100 may be manufactured in a form that can be worn on the head to enable stimulation of the user's brain as shown in FIG. 3.

At this time, the brain stimulation device 100 may have a plurality of sensing units 140 arranged to measure the user's biometric information.

In one embodiment, the brain stimulation device 100 has a plurality of sensing units 140 each implemented as an EGG sensor 141 for measuring the user's electroencephalogram (EEG) information, which is one of the user's biometric information. You can.

In addition, the brain wave information measured by the EGG sensor 141 may be the first brain wave acquired from the user's brain by the EGG sensor 141 before the stimulation unit 300 delivers stimulation to the user's brain, and the EGG sensor 141 may be the first brain wave obtained from the user's brain. In addition to measuring the first brain wave, numeral 141 can also measure the user's second brain wave while the stimulus is transmitted from the stimulation unit 300 to the user's brain.

The sensing unit 140 may be implemented as a biometric information sensor 142 that measures the user's biometric information excluding brain wave (EGG) information, but in one embodiment, the description will be based on the EGG sensor 141. .

Additionally, the brain stimulation device 100 may have a plurality of electrical stimulation units 310 arranged in order to deliver stimulation for improving the user's depression to the user's brain.

The plurality of electrical stimulation units 310 may be tACS stimulation units 313 to deliver tACS-based complex stimulation to the user's brain.

In addition, the plurality of electrical stimulation units 310 are not shown in the drawing, but may include a DBS stimulation unit 311 and a tDCS stimulation unit 312, or at least one of the DBS stimulation unit 311 and the tDCS stimulation unit 312. It can be replaced with one.

The method of delivering stimulation to the user's brain through this brain stimulation device 100 is as follows.

Stimulation method relevant to the present invention

First, the sensing unit 140 can measure the user's biometric information.

Based on the user's biometric information measured by the sensing unit 140, the control unit 180 may determine that the user's state corresponds to the first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression shown in FIG. 3. .

Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining a plurality of preset states related to depression.

In the present invention, the plurality of preset conditions related to depression include depressive disorder caused by stress (stress depression), major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BD), as shown in FIG. 3. Can include status.

Meanwhile, the electrical stimulation unit 310 may deliver stimulation that varies depending on the user's first state determined by the control unit 180 to the user's brain in order to synchronize vibration in a plurality of regions of the user's brain.

In the present invention, the stimulus transmitted to the user's brain is a first stimulus for entraining gamma oscillations synchronized in a plurality of regions of the brain, delta, theta, and theta synchronized in a plurality of regions of the brain. It may be a second stimulus for tuning the vibration of either alpha or beta, or a third stimulus combining the first stimulus and the second stimulus.

The first stimulus, the second stimulus, and the third stimulus may each be transcranial alternating current electrical stimulation (tACS, 400) transmitted from the electrical stimulation unit 310 to the user's brain.

That is, the electrical stimulation unit 310 is preferably composed of a tACS stimulation unit 313 capable of delivering the tACS stimulation 400 to the user's brain.

The tACS stimulation unit 313 may deliver the first stimulation to the user's brain when the user's first state determined by the control unit 180 is a major depressive disorder state.

At this time, the purpose of transmitting the first stimulus is to strengthen the gamma level brain wave in the user's brain wave through tuning the gamma oscillation, as shown in FIG. 3.

The tACS stimulation unit 313 may deliver a second stimulation to the user's brain when the first state of the user determined by the control unit 180 is a state of depressive disorder caused by stress.

At this time, the purpose of transmitting the second stimulus is to reduce the gamma level brain wave in the user's brain wave through tuning one of the vibrations of delta, theta, alpha, and beta, as shown in FIG. 3.

The tACS stimulation unit 313 may deliver a third stimulation to the user's brain when the first state of the user determined by the control unit 180 is manic depression.

More specifically, when the user's first state is a manic-depressive state and the gamma level EEG is the lowest in the user's EEG, the tACS stimulation unit 313 delivers the first stimulus to the user's brain to increase the gamma level EEG from the user's EEG. can be strengthened.

On the contrary, when the user's first state is a bipolar state and the gamma level EEG is the highest in the user's EEG, the tACS stimulation unit 313 transmits the second stimulus to the user's brain to generate gamma level EEG from the user's EEG. can be reduced.

tACS stimulation method proposed by the present invention

In the past, it was impossible to induce entrainment of synchronized gamma oscillation according to the tACS stimulation proposed by the present invention and to sense this in real time.

In other words, for the GET (Gamma Entrainment Therapy) method, technology to monitor brain signals in real time is essential, but gamma oscillation is in the range of about 25-100Hz, and 40Hz is usually the target frequency, but it is also a method of excitation at 40Hz. Therefore, since the excitation frequency and the frequency to be measured through EEG are the same frequency range, real-time monitoring is technically impossible.

For example, when 40Hz stimulation is provided for gamma wave vibration entrainment, sensing through EEG also targets signals in the 40Hz band, so it is difficult to distinguish whether the measured signal is noise from the stimulation or the target EEG signal. Due to problems, the method proposed by the present invention could not be implemented in the prior art.

In contrast, in the present invention, the tACS stimulation method for acquiring real-time EEG signals uses a complex stimulation method of Burst Frequency (Burst) and Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) to separate the EEG frequency and stimulation frequency band.

In addition, the frequency of the complex stimulation follows the Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) in the 30Hz to 50Hz band to induce synchronized vibration in the user's multiple brain regions.

In addition, the complex stimulus is a signal with a size to induce membrane action potential and brain oscillation in multiple brain regions of the user, and this signal is not continuously applied, but is applied according to the PRF. It has the form of a burst signal that is ON/OFF.

In addition, the signal turned on according to the PRF is applied as a stimulus according to the burst frequency, and at this time, the burst frequency (Burst) is set higher than the pulse repetition frequency (PRF).

For example, the ON/OFF PRF uses a low frequency of 40Hz (for the purpose of inducing gamma oscillation entrainment), and the burst frequency of the ON signal uses a high frequency of 10kHz (membrane action potential and brain (for the purpose of inducing oscillation) can be done.

Here, since the signal from the complex stimulation is in the high frequency (10kHz) band, it is separated through a low-frequency pass filter to measure the frequency (40Hz) of the target EEG signal. Additionally, since the size of the electrical signal generated by the PRF is about 100 times lower than the size of the target EEG signal, the EEG signal induced by the PRF of the complex stimulus can be acquired in real time without interference.

In other words, if electrical stimulation is performed at 40Hz to receive 40Hz EEG in real time, real-time monitoring cannot be performed due to interference between the electrical stimulation signal and the EEG signal.

Therefore, in the present invention, gamma entrainment is induced by transmitting high-frequency burst electrical stimulation through a 40Hz PRF.

At this time, since the electrical stimulation signal caused by the burst can be separated into high frequency bands, the desired 40Hz EEG signal can be sensed in real time.

More specific details will be described with reference to FIG. 4 .

Figure 4 is a diagram to explain the EEG signal-based closed loop neuro-feedback tACS stimulation method proposed by the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the brain stimulation device 100 can use the tACS stimulation 400 method as a combined stimulation method of Burst Frequency (Burst) and Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) to separate the EEG frequency and stimulation frequency band. there is.

At this time, the tACS stimulation 400, which is a complex stimulation, is repeatedly turned on and off according to the Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF), which is the applied signal's preset first frequency 410, and the first frequency ( The signal turned on according to 410) is applied as a stimulus according to the Burst Frequency (Burst), which is the preset second frequency (420).

That is, the tACS stimulation 400 may be a first combined signal including a first frequency 410 and a second frequency 420.

As described above, the PRF 410 is applied to induce synchronized vibration in a plurality of brain regions of the user, and the Burst Frequency 420 is a membrane action potential in the plurality of brain regions of the user. ) and is applied to induce brain oscillation.

Here, the Burst Frequency (420) is 10kHz, which is higher than the Pulse Repetition Frequency (410), which has a value of 40Hz.

Burst Frequency (420) causes neurons to move through membrane action potential and induce brain oscillation to communicate with each other.

By stimulating Burst Frequency (420) at a high frequency, membrane activity can be easily induced and oscillation can be quickly induced. Furthermore, in order to distinguish between the EEG signal induced by the PRF (410) of the complex stimulation generated in the brain according to the Pulse Repetition Frequency (410) and the applied complex stimulation, the Burst Frequency (420) is set at a frequency much higher than the 30Hz to 50Hz band. It is set.

In addition, the Pulse Repetition Frequency 410 is applied to induce tuning of the above-mentioned synchronized gamma oscillation, and the activity stimulated by the Burst Frequency 420 is induced to be synchronized and tuned according to the gamma oscillation.

In particular, the Pulse Repetition Frequency 410 provides stimulation with a frequency of 30 Hz to 50 Hz to the user in order to entrain synchronized gamma oscillations in a plurality of brain regions of the user, including the user's prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. It could be a way to convey it.

When complex stimulation is applied to the user's brain, neuron activity is induced by the Burst Frequency (420), irregular communication occurs, and activity is induced by the cycle of the gamma wave region according to the PRF (410). Neurons work in synchronization.

Therefore, in the present invention, brain wave entrainment is induced through high-frequency burst electrical stimulation, and gamma entrainment is induced through 40Hz PRF.

Furthermore, since the Burst Frequency (420) of the applied complex stimulus is set to a much higher frequency than the 30Hz to 50Hz band, it is possible to distinguish between the EEG signal induced by the PRF (410) of the complex stimulus and the applied complex stimulus, and the sensed complex stimulus It is possible to ignore stimulation and distinguish and obtain only the actual target brain waves.

In the past, it was impossible to measure in real time because PRF had to be applied at 40Hz and 40Hz had to be sensed with EEG, but as in the present invention, a burst signal that is turned on/off according to the Burst Frequency (420) When applied as a complex stimulus according to the PRF (410) to induce synchronized vibration in the brain area, there is a difference of more than 40 dB (more than 100 times when converted mathematically), and the signal according to the complex stimulus and the complex It is possible to distinguish between the EEG signals induced by the PRF 410 of stimulation, and to obtain only the targeted EEG signals.

The EGG sensor 141 can measure brain waves induced in response to stimulation, and the control unit 180 outputs a tuned brain wave that appears only when the brain wave measured by the EGG sensor 141 is tuned to gamma oscillation. It is determined whether a response is elicited using whether it corresponds to the waveform.

The control unit 180 calculates the average and standard deviation, gamma/alpha/beta/delta of the power spectrum values in each frequency band from the user's brain waves measured by the EGG sensor 141. By calculating the ratio of each average value according to the brain wave combination of (delta)/theta, the properties of the measured brain waves are extracted.

The EEG sensor 141 according to the present invention measures the EGG signal 500 in real time, for example, for 5 minutes it is an unused signal as the pre EEG signal 510, and for the next 20 minutes it is analyzed in real time. The RT EEG signal 520 used for can be sensed, and after measuring the RT EEG signal 520 for 20 minutes, it can be processed as an unused signal as a post EEG signal 530 for another 5 minutes.

As described above, the purpose of measuring EEG in real time in the present invention is to confirm whether the user (patient) has actually synchronized gamma oscillations in the brain region through the device provided by the present invention.

In general, by applying complex stimulation according to the PRF 410 at 40 Hz, the user (patient) can be tuned to synchronized gamma oscillation.

However, depending on the patient's depression state, synchronized entrainment of gamma oscillations may be achieved at a frequency lower than 40Hz.

Therefore, in the present invention, a second complex stimulus in which at least one of the first frequency 410, the second frequency 420, and the output, waveform, and period of the stimulus according to the second frequency 420 is modified is applied to the user's brain. By transmitting, the actual synchronized gamma oscillation can be induced to be tuned.

As a specific example, if the PRF (410) is initially applied at 40 Hz and gamma oscillation entrainment is not induced, entrainment can be induced by lowering and applying a signal of 38, 36, 34, or 32 Hz, and in this way, the brain stimulation device Through continuous use of (100), the patient's brain function can be improved so that a patient whose entrainment is induced in the 32Hz band can be induced to entrain in the 40Hz band, which is the normal range.

Conversely, since some patients may induce gamma oscillation entrainment at a frequency higher than 40 Hz, it is also possible to modify the complex stimulation to increase the frequency.

Referring to FIG. 4, through the tACS stimulation unit 313, a burst signal that is turned on/off according to the burst frequency 420 is used to induce synchronized vibration in the brain region. A first combined signal may be applied according to the PRF 410 (S1).

Additionally, the EGG sensor 141 can measure the brain wave signal according to the first complex stimulus while the stimulus is transmitted to the user's brain (S2, S3).

At this time, the control unit 180 can distinguish the first signal caused by the first complex stimulus among the signals measured (sensed) by the EGG sensor 141 as noise and ignore it.

In addition, the control unit 180 reacts to synchronize gamma oscillation based on the second signal, which is an EEG signal induced by the PRF 410 of the complex stimulus, among the signals measured by the EGG sensor 141, excluding the first signal. It can be determined whether this is derived (S4).

At this time, if the synchronized gamma oscillation is actually synchronized to elicit the first response according to the first complex stimulus (S4-YES), the control unit 180 improves depression (treatment) according to the patient's depression-related condition (indication). ) It is possible to provide the user with a treatment monitoring reading model that analyzes the correlation between effects (S5) and outputs the analysis results of the correlation in a table, graph, etc. through the display unit 151 (S6).

On the other hand, if the synchronized gamma oscillation is not actually synchronized and the first response according to the first complex stimulus is not elicited (S4-NO), the control unit 180 sets the first frequency 410, the second frequency ( 420), the tACS stimulation unit 313 may be controlled to deliver a second complex stimulation in which at least one of the output, waveform, and cycle of the stimulation according to the second frequency 420 is modified to the user's brain (S7). .

At this time, the first response is to the entrainment of any one of gamma vibration, delta vibration, theta vibration, alpha vibration, and beta vibration synchronized in a plurality of regions of the brain.

In addition, the first frequency 410 is a frequency of 30 Hz to 80 Hz for entraining synchronized gamma oscillations in a plurality of brain regions of the user, including the user's prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus, and the beta oscillations. It may be a frequency of 14Hz to 29Hz for tuning, a frequency of 8Hz to 13Hz for tuning the alpha oscillations, a frequency of 4Hz to 7Hz for tuning the theta oscillations, or a frequency of more than 0Hz and less than 4Hz for tuning the delta oscillations. .

Meanwhile, based on the fact that the size of the first signal is different from the size of the second signal by more than a preset value, signal interference caused by the first complex stimulus can be ignored.

Ultimately, the present invention can improve the patient's depression state through a neurofeedback method that determines whether gamma oscillations actually occur based on EEG signal acquisition technology during real-time tACS stimulation.

Real-time tACS-EEG Neurofeedback Algorithm

Figure 5 is a block diagram of a real-time tACS-EEG Neurofeedback algorithm according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, a real-time tACS-EEG Neurofeedback algorithm can be developed to induce personalized gamma tuning optimized for each patient.

The real-time tACS-EEG Neurofeedback algorithm can be installed in the control unit 180 after going through a learning and verification process.

Additionally, the control unit 180 may preprocess the EEG signal according to the first complex stimulus from the EGG sensor 141 (S10).

In the preprocessing step (S10), when the control unit 180 receives the second signal among the EEG signals according to the first complex stimulus from the EGG sensor 141, it applies a moving average filter on the time axis (S11), and then FFT The process of converting the frequency axis through (S12), removing the rated voltage, and applying a band-pass filter to observe only the gamma band (S13) may proceed sequentially.

And after the preprocessing step (S10), the control unit 180 can analyze the preprocessed second signal (S20).

In the analysis step (S20), the control unit 180 performs frequency power analysis (S21) and analysis of the EGG signal (S22) simultaneously or sequentially to determine whether the first response is derived from the preprocessed second signal. It can proceed.

Additionally, the control unit 180 may induce personalized gamma tuning optimized for each patient after the analysis step (S20) (S30).

In the gamma tuning step (S30), the control unit 180 monitors the gamma tuning (S31) and quantitatively analyzes neuron oscillation for each PRF (410) for gamma tuning optimized for the patient (S32). According to the quantitative analysis results, the PRF 410 of the first complex stimulus may be varied for gamma tuning (S33).

Meanwhile, the control unit 180 stores the monthly stimulation information/EGG data of the patient using the brain stimulation device 100 in the memory 160, and sends the monthly stimulation information/EGG data to the server ( 200) can be transmitted (S40).

Accordingly, the brain stimulation device 100 receives monthly information from the server 200 through the wireless communication unit 110 when the user requests confirmation of monthly stimulation information/EGG data by touching the user input unit 130 or the display unit 150. Stimulation information/EGG data can be received, and monthly stimulation information/EGG data can be provided to the user through the display unit 151.

In addition, the control unit 180 stores the first complex stimulus or second complex stimulus information delivered to the user's brain included in the monthly stimulus information in the memory 160, and stores the first complex stimulus or second complex stimulus information through the wireless communication unit 110. Alternatively, the second complex stimulus information may be transmitted to the server 200.

Accordingly, the brain stimulation device 100 receives information from the server 200 through the wireless communication unit 110 when the user requests confirmation of the stimulation history delivered to the user's brain by touching the user input unit 130 or the display unit 150. The first complex stimulus or the second complex stimulus information delivered to the user's brain may be received, and stimulation history information may be provided to the user through the display unit 151.

clinical trials

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the clinical protocol of a clinical trial.

Referring to FIG. 6, a clinical test was conducted to determine whether it was possible to improve a patient's depression using the brain stimulation device 100.

The purpose of the clinical trial is to verify the neurophysiological, molecular biological, anatomical, and behavioral effects of tACS stimulation on depression.

The subjects of the clinical trial were patients aged 40 or older but younger than 70 with anxiety/depression symptoms.

The sample size of the clinical trial was set at a minimum of 60 people based on a dropout rate of 15% during the exploratory clinical trial process, and the sample size of the confirmatory clinical trial was finally determined based on the exploratory before-and-after comparison clinical results and the Food and Drug Administration approval process during the confirmatory clinical trial process. It was agreed upon.

The randomization of the clinical trial is a test group (brain stimulation device of the present invention with applied parameters), control group (a sham device that has the same internal design as the brain stimulation device but does not actually apply tACS-based complex stimulation due to internal current blocking) ), the stratified block randomization method stratifies gender (women and men) and age (under or over 42 years old), and allows the test group and control group to be assigned in a 1:1 ratio, creating 2 and 4 blocks. It was set by mixing randomly.

The clinical trial's effectiveness evaluation indicators were the BDI-II and LEIDS-R to evaluate depression as the primary indicators, and the secondary indicators were blood tests, SDNN, a heart rate variability indicator, change in LF/HF, and induced slow wave (theta). , delta, and gamma), the brain wave average amplitude and power were measured.

Statistical analysis of clinical trials uses Independent t-test or Chi-square test and Paired t-test to determine whether there are differences in basic demographic variables and baseline test results between the two groups (the test for the mean difference between the two groups is Independent The t-test method was used, and paired t was applied if the two group observations were paired.

As a result of the clinical test, it was confirmed that the test group using the brain stimulation device 100 equipped with the tACS stimulation unit 313 of the present invention was effective in improving depression compared to the control group using the sham device.

Variants of personalized brain stimulation systems

Hereinafter, a modified example of the personalized brain stimulation system 1 will be described in detail based on technical features different from the personalized brain stimulation system 1 of the above-described embodiment.

In other words, it is preferred that technical features not described in the modified example are understood to be the same as those of the personalized brain stimulation system 1 of one embodiment.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a brain stimulation device and a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the personalized brain stimulation system 1 allows the brain stimulation device 100 and the terminal 10 to transmit information to each other through communication.

At this time, the terminal 10 may be implemented as a device (eg, smartphone, tablet, PC, etc.) different from the control unit 180 of the brain stimulation device 100.

In addition, the terminal 10 is installed with the application 11 as shown in FIG. 7. When the application 11 is executed by the user, the control unit 180 determines the first state of the user. 1 A depression screening questionnaire can be provided to the user to collect information.

At this time, the method in which the terminal 10 collects the first information may be based on the user entering data into the depression test questionnaire when the application 11 provides the depression test questionnaire to the user.

In the present invention, the depression screening questionnaire includes the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) test to evaluate the symptoms and degree of depression and the Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity-Revised (LEIDS) to measure sensitivity to depression. -R) It may be a questionnaire to conduct a test.

That is, the first information collected by the terminal 10 may be at least one of Beck depression scale information and Leiden depression susceptibility index information.

When the first information is collected in real time through the application 11, the terminal 10 may transmit the collected first information to the brain stimulation device 100.

The control unit 180 of the brain stimulation device 100 may determine that the user is in the first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression based on the first information received from the terminal 10.

In addition, the tACS stimulation unit 313 of the brain stimulation device 100 provides tACS-based complex stimulation that varies depending on the first state determined by the control unit 180 to synchronize vibration in a plurality of regions of the brain. It can be delivered to .

Meanwhile, the first information received by the brain stimulation device 100 from the terminal 10 may include the biometric information described above.

That is, the first information may be data including at least one of Beck Depression Scale information and Leiden Depression Susceptibility Index information collected in the terminal 10, but in the brain stimulation device 100, Beck Depression Scale information and Leiden Depression Susceptibility Index information. Containing at least one of the following information, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) information, electroencephalogram (EEG) information, heart rate information, stress information, body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, pulse information, blood pressure information, and iris information , may be converted into data including at least one of voice information, vein information, and electrocardiogram (ECG) information.

When the sensing unit 140 measures the user's first brain wave, the control unit 180 can determine that the user is in the first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression using the first information and the first brain wave. there is.

In addition, the sensing unit 140 can measure the user's second brain wave while the stimulation is transmitted from the tACS stimulation unit 313 to the user's brain, and when the stimulation is transmitted to the user's brain, the user's third brain wave is measured. Brain waves can be measured.

In addition, the control unit 180 may determine whether a first response that synchronizes vibration is elicited in a plurality of regions of the user's brain based on the second brain wave measured by the sensing unit 140.

In addition, the brain stimulation device 100 can transmit to the terminal 10 the first brain wave information, the second brain wave information, and the third brain wave information generated by the sensing unit 140 measuring the first, second, and third brain waves, respectively. there is.

Meanwhile, the terminal 10 stores first information related to the user's depression state before transmitting it to the brain stimulation device 100, and the first information and first brain wave information received from the brain stimulation device 100, The first information can be modified based on the second brain wave information and the third brain wave information.

Additionally, the terminal 10 may transmit the modified first information to the brain stimulation device 100 so that the control unit 180 determines the user's first state using the modified first information.

And, based on the modified first information, the terminal 10 can provide the user with various contents for improving the state of depression through the application 11, and the dayaan provided to the user by the application 11 of the present invention. The content is as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8 is a block diagram showing content provided by an application installed on the terminal of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the terminal 10 may provide at least one of music content 11a, video content 11b, and game content 11c for improving the user's depression state through the application 11.

The terminal 10 may transmit the first information before modification, the first brain wave information, the second brain wave information, the third brain wave information, and the modified first information to the outside.

Here, the external to which the terminal 10 transmits information means that a depression-related expert analyzes the received information and provides feedback information that can contribute to improving the user's depression in the depression-related expert linkage content 11d, which will be described later. It may be a device provided by the depression-related expert.

In addition, when the terminal 10 receives feedback information about information delivered from a device equipped with a depression-related expert, the terminal 10 displays depression-related expert-linked content 11d included in the feedback information through the application 11.

Additionally, the terminal 10 may simultaneously provide two types of content to the user depending on the settings of the application 11. More specifically, while displaying content 11d related to experts related to depression, at least one of music content 11a and video content 11b for improving depression may be provided based on a background playback method.

In addition to this, the terminal 10 may provide game content 11c and at least one of music content 11a and video content 11b for improving depression based on a background playback method. The sound of the content 11c may be muted and replaced with at least one sound of the music content 11a and the video content 11b.

Brain Stimulation Methods

Figure 9 is a flowchart of a brain stimulation method performed by the personalized brain stimulation system of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 9, the brain stimulation method (S100) of the present invention includes a first information collection step (S110), a first information transmission step (S120), a first state determination step (S130), and a stimulation delivery step (S140). Includes.

In the first information collection step (S110), when operated by the user, the terminal 10 uses the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck Depression Inventory) to evaluate the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user through the installed application 11. First information, which is at least one of BDI) information and Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity-Revised (LEIDS-R) information that measures sensitivity to depression, may be collected.

In the first information transmission step (S120), the terminal 10 may transmit the collected first information to the brain stimulation device 100.

In the first state determination step (S130), based on the first information received by the control unit 180 of the brain stimulation device 100, the user determines that the first state corresponds to a plurality of preset states related to depression. You can.

In the stimulation delivery step (S140), the tACS stimulation unit 313 of the brain stimulation device 100 provides stimulation that varies depending on the determined first state to the user's brain in order to synchronize vibration in a plurality of regions of the brain. It can be delivered.

Meanwhile, in the stimulus transmission step (S140), at least one of a first stimulus, a second stimulus, and a third stimulus may be transmitted to the user's brain according to the user's first state determined by the control unit 180.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the stimulus delivery step shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 10, in the first stimulus delivery step (S141) of delivering the first stimulus to the user's brain, the control unit 180 of the brain stimulation device 100 sets the user's first state to a major depressive disorder state. can be determined (S141a).

Afterwards, the tACS stimulation unit 313 of the brain stimulation device 100 delivers a first stimulus to the user's brain to improve depression (S141b), and this first stimulus is delivered to the user through entrainment of gamma oscillation. Gamma level brain waves can be strengthened in brain waves (S141c).

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the stimulus delivery step shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 11, in the second stimulus delivery step (S142) of transmitting the second stimulus to the user's brain, first, the control unit 180 of the brain stimulation device 100 determines the user's first state as depressive disorder caused by stress. It can be determined that it is in a state (S142a).

Afterwards, the tACS stimulation unit 313 of the brain stimulation device 100 delivers a second stimulus to the user's brain to improve depression (S142b), and the delivery of this second stimulus is performed in delta, theta, alpha and beta. The gamma level brain waves in the user's brain waves can be reduced through tuning of any one of the vibrations (S142c).

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the stimulus delivery step shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 12, in the third stimulus delivery step (S143) of transmitting the third stimulus to the user's brain, first, the control unit 180 of the brain stimulation device 100 determines the user's first state to be a manic depression state. (S143a).

The third stimulation delivery method of the present invention may vary depending on the user's gamma level brain waves (S143b).

At this time, if the gamma level brain wave in the user's brain wave is the lowest (S143b-YES), the tACS stimulation unit 313 of the brain stimulation device 100 transmits the first stimulus to the user's brain to improve depression and causes gamma vibration. Gamma level brain waves can be strengthened in the user's brain waves through tuning (S143c).

On the other hand, if the gamma level brain wave in the user's brain wave is the highest (S143b-NO), the tACS stimulation unit 313 of the brain stimulation device 100 delivers the second stimulation to the user's brain to improve depression. , gamma level brain waves can be reduced in the user's brain waves through tuning of any one of theta, alpha, and beta vibrations (S143d).

Effects according to the present invention

The present invention determines the user's depression status based on information for assessing the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user collected through a terminal application, and uses a complex method based on tACS (Transcranial alternating current stimulation). A personalized brain stimulation system that can improve a patient's depression by delivering stimulation to the patient's brain and a brain stimulation method using the same can be provided.

Specifically, the present invention provides Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) information provided by a terminal application and Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity-Revised (LEIDS-R) information that measures sensitivity to depression. A personalized brain stimulation system capable of determining a user's depression state based on information collected through at least one of the following and a brain stimulation method using the same may be provided.

In addition, the present invention includes heart rate variability (HRV) information, electroencephalogram (EEG) information, heart rate information, stress information, body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, and pulse information collected from the terminal application. , a personalized brain stimulation system that can determine the user's depression state by including at least one biometric information among blood pressure information, iris information, voice information, vein information, and electrocardiogram (ECG) information, and a brain stimulation method using the same. can be provided.

In addition, the present invention provides personalized brain stimulation that can strengthen gamma level brain waves in the patient's brain waves through entrainment of gamma oscillations when the patient's depression-related condition is major depressive disorder (MDD). We can provide customized brain stimulation devices.

In addition, the present invention provides a personalized device that can reduce gamma level brain waves in the patient's brain waves through entrainment of any one of delta, theta, alpha, and beta vibrations when the patient's depression-related state is a depressive disorder caused by stress. A personalized brain stimulation device capable of brain stimulation can be provided.

In addition, the present invention strengthens the gamma level EEG when the patient's depression-related state is bipolar disorder (BD), and when the gamma level in the patient's EEG is the lowest, and when the gamma level EEG is the highest in the patient's EEG. A personalized brain stimulation device capable of personalized brain stimulation that can reduce gamma level brain waves can be provided.

Meanwhile, the embodiments of the present invention described above can be implemented through various means. For example, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

In the case of hardware implementation, the method according to embodiments of the present invention uses one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Digital Signal Processing Devices (DSPDs), and Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs). , can be implemented by FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, etc.

In the case of implementation by firmware or software, the method according to embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in the form of a module, procedure, or function that performs the functions or operations described above. Software code can be stored in a memory unit and run by a processor. The memory unit is located inside or outside the processor and can exchange data with the processor through various known means.

A detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed above is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or practice the invention. Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, a person skilled in the art may use each configuration described in the above-described embodiments by combining them with each other. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential features of the present invention. Accordingly, the above detailed description should not be construed as restrictive in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. The present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. In addition, claims that do not have an explicit reference relationship in the patent claims can be combined to form an embodiment or included as a new claim through amendment after filing.

Claims (17)

terminal; In a system comprising a brain stimulation device that communicates with the terminal,
Through the application installed on the terminal, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) information to evaluate the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user and the Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity to measure sensitivity to the depression. -Revised, LEIDS-R) At least one piece of first information is collected,
The terminal transmits the collected first information to the brain stimulation device,
The brain stimulation device,
A control unit that determines that the user is in a first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression, based on the received first information; and
A stimulation unit that transmits a stimulus that varies depending on the determined first state to the user's brain in order to synchronize vibration in a plurality of regions of the user's brain,
The stimulus is,
A first stimulus for entraining gamma oscillations synchronized in a plurality of regions of the user's brain, delta, theta, alpha and A second stimulus for tuning the vibration of any one of beta or a third stimulus combining the first stimulus and the second stimulus,
The first information is,
Contains biometric information measured by the brain stimulation device,
The biometric information is,
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) information, electroencephalogram (EEG) information, heart rate information, stress information, body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, pulse information, blood pressure information, iris information, voice information, vein information, and Contains at least one of electrocardiogram (ECG) information,
The brain stimulation device,
It further includes a sensing unit that measures the first brain wave of the user,
The control unit,
Using the first information and the first brain wave measured by the sensing unit, it is determined that the user is in the first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression,
The first information is,
Heart rate variability information, brain wave information, heart rate information, stress information, body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, pulse information, blood pressure information, iris information, and voice information, including at least one of the Beck Depression Scale information and Leiden Depression Susceptibility Index information. , is converted into data containing at least one of vein information and electrocardiogram information,
The sensing unit,
In a state where the stimulus is delivered, the user's second brain wave is measured, and then when the delivery of the stimulus ends, the user's third brain wave is measured,
The brain stimulation device,
Transmitting first brain wave information, second brain wave information, and third brain wave information to the terminal,
The terminal is,
Modifying first information related to the user's depression state based on the first information, first brain wave information, second brain wave information, and third brain wave information,
Transmitting the modified first information to the brain stimulation device so that the control unit determines the first state of the user using the modified first information,
The terminal is,
Based on the modified first information, providing at least one of music content, video content, and game content for improving the user's depression state through the application,
The first information, the first brain wave information, the second brain wave information, the third brain wave information, and the modified first information are transmitted to a preset outside, and feedback information about the transmitted information is received from the outside, and the application Through this, content related to depression-related experts included in the feedback information is displayed,
Provides two types of content to the user simultaneously according to the settings of the application,
Providing at least one of music content and video content for improving the state of depression based on a background playback method while displaying the content linked to experts related to depression,
At the same time as providing the game content, at least one of music content and video content for improving depression is provided based on a background playback method, but the sound of the game content is muted, and at least one sound of the music content and video content is provided. A personalized brain stimulation system characterized by being replaced with . delete delete delete According to claim 1,
The control unit,
A personalized brain stimulation system, characterized in that it determines whether a first response that synchronizes vibration in a plurality of regions of the user's brain is elicited based on the second brain wave measured by the sensing unit. delete delete delete According to claim 1,
The stimulus is,
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS)
The transcranial alternating current electrical stimulation,
A first complex stimulation (ON/OFF) is repeated according to a preset first frequency, and a signal turned on according to the first frequency is applied as a stimulus according to a preset second frequency ( combined signal),
The pre-established conditions related to depression include:
A personalized brain stimulation system characterized by including stress-induced depressive disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BD). According to clause 9,
The stimulation unit,
If the first state of the user determined by the control unit is a major depressive disorder state, transmitting the first stimulus to the brain,
Delivery of the first stimulus is,
A personalized brain stimulation system characterized in that it strengthens the gamma level brain waves in the user's brain waves through tuning the gamma oscillation. According to claim 10,
The stimulation unit,
When the first state of the user determined by the control unit is a state of depressive disorder caused by stress, the second stimulus is transmitted to the brain,
The transmission of the second stimulus is,
A personalized brain stimulation system, characterized in that it reduces gamma level brain waves in the user's brain waves through entrainment of any one of the delta, theta, alpha and beta vibrations. According to claim 11,
The stimulation unit,
When the first state of the user determined by the control unit is a manic depression state, the third stimulus is delivered to the brain,
When the user's first state is a manic depression state and the gamma level brain wave is the lowest in the user's brain wave, the first stimulus is delivered to the brain to strengthen the gamma level brain wave in the user's brain wave,
When the user's first state is a bipolar state and the gamma level brain wave is the highest in the user's brain wave, the second stimulus is transmitted to the brain to reduce the gamma level brain wave in the user's brain wave. A personalized brain stimulation system. According to clause 9,
The first frequency is,
Applied to induce synchronized vibration entrainment in a plurality of brain regions of the user,
The second frequency is,
Applied to induce membrane action potential and brain oscillation in a plurality of brain regions of the user,
A personalized brain stimulation system, characterized in that the value is higher than the first frequency. According to claim 13,
The control unit,
Among the signals measured by the sensing unit, the first signal caused by the first complex stimulus is processed as noise,
A personalized method characterized by determining whether a first response that synchronizes vibration in a plurality of regions of the user's brain is derived based on a second signal excluding the first signal among the signals measured by the sensing unit. Brain stimulation system. According to claim 14,
The control unit,
When the first response according to the first complex stimulation is not elicited, the stimulation unit modifies at least one of the first frequency, the second frequency, and the output, waveform, and period of the stimulation according to the second frequency. 2 A personalized brain stimulation system, characterized in that the stimulation unit is controlled to deliver complex stimulation to the user's brain. According to claim 15,
The first reaction is,
Entrainment of any one of synchronized gamma oscillations, delta oscillations, theta oscillations, alpha oscillations and beta oscillations in a plurality of regions of the user's brain,
The first frequency is,
A frequency of 30 Hz to 80 Hz for entraining synchronized gamma oscillations in a plurality of brain regions of the user, including the user's prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus, a frequency of 14 Hz to 29 Hz for entraining the beta oscillations, A personalized brain stimulation system, characterized in that a frequency of 8 Hz to 13 Hz for tuning the alpha oscillations, a frequency of 4 Hz to 7 Hz for tuning the theta oscillations, or a frequency of more than 0 Hz and less than 4 Hz for tuning the delta oscillations. terminal; In a system comprising a brain stimulation device that communicates with the terminal,
Through the application installed on the terminal, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) information to evaluate the symptoms and degree of depression related to the user and the Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity to measure sensitivity to the depression. -Revised, LEIDS-R) collecting first information, which is at least one piece of information;
The terminal transmitting the collected first information to the brain stimulation device;
determining that the user is in a first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression, based on the received first information; and
A stimulating unit of the brain stimulation device transmitting stimulation depending on the determined first state to the user's brain to synchronize vibrations in a plurality of regions of the user's brain,
The stimulus is,
A first stimulus for entraining gamma oscillations synchronized in a plurality of regions of the user's brain, delta, theta, alpha and A second stimulus for tuning the vibration of any one of beta or a third stimulus combining the first stimulus and the second stimulus,
The first information is,
Contains biometric information measured by the brain stimulation device,
The biometric information is,
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) information, electroencephalogram (EEG) information, heart rate information, stress information, body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, pulse information, blood pressure information, iris information, voice information, vein information, and Contains at least one of electrocardiogram (ECG) information,
The brain stimulation device,
It further includes a sensing unit that measures the first brain wave of the user,
The control unit,
Using the first information and the first brain wave measured by the sensing unit, it is determined that the user is in the first state among a plurality of preset states related to depression,
The first information is,
Heart rate variability information, brain wave information, heart rate information, stress information, body composition information, weight information, oxygen saturation information, pulse information, blood pressure information, iris information, and voice information, including at least one of the Beck Depression Scale information and Leiden Depression Susceptibility Index information. , is converted into data containing at least one of vein information and electrocardiogram information,
The sensing unit,
In a state where the stimulus is delivered, the user's second brain wave is measured, and then when the delivery of the stimulus ends, the user's third brain wave is measured,
The brain stimulation device,
Transmitting first brain wave information, second brain wave information, and third brain wave information to the terminal,
The terminal is,
Modifying first information related to the user's depression state based on the first information, first brain wave information, second brain wave information, and third brain wave information,
Transmitting the modified first information to the brain stimulation device so that the control unit determines the first state of the user using the modified first information,
The terminal is,
Based on the modified first information, providing at least one of music content, video content, and game content for improving the user's depression state through the application,
The first information, the first brain wave information, the second brain wave information, the third brain wave information, and the modified first information are transmitted to a preset outside, and feedback information about the transmitted information is received from the outside, and the application Through this, content related to depression-related experts included in the feedback information is displayed,
Provides two types of content to the user simultaneously according to the settings of the application,
Providing at least one of music content and video content for improving the state of depression based on a background playback method while displaying the content linked to experts related to depression,
At the same time as providing the game content, at least one of music content and video content for improving depression is provided based on a background playback method, but the sound of the game content is muted, and at least one sound of the music content and video content is provided. A brain stimulation method characterized in that it is replaced by .

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