RU2417053C2 - Method for control and management of operator's functional status and apparatus for implementing thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention refers to medical equipment and psychophysiology, and can be used for determining a wakefulness level and preventing falling asleep in operators. A point trajectory of operator's body pressure on a basic surface is recorded. A criterion of a functional status level is level-correlated travel speed of the point of the operator's body pressure on the basic surface. Herewith, an apparatus is involved that comprises sensors designed as a point trajectory sensor assembly of the operator's body pressure on a chair to fix the pressure point travel trajectory. The sensor assembly is connected to a signal parametre evaluator with its output connected to an input of a comparator and command sender which is transferred to an input of an alarm module.

EFFECT: invention extends the range of products for controlling and managing the operator's functional status.

2 cl

Description

The invention relates to medical equipment and psychophysiology. It can be used to control the level of the functional state in the wake-sleep cycle of both sick and conditionally healthy people in a round-the-clock comfortable registration mode. The widest practical use of the invention may be for dispatchers, security guards, operators, attendants, i.e. for professional groups whose work is monotonous with minimal physical and sometimes mental stress, since such work leads to a weakening of attention, fatigue, drowsiness and an alarm is required about the occurrence of these conditions.

The well-known "Encephalographic method of monitoring the functional state (see. Fundamentals of psychophysiology: Textbook. / Ed. Ed. Yu.I. Aleksandrov. - M.: INFRA-M, 1997. - 432 p., S. 27-34), including registration and analysis of electrical signals of the brain from the surface of the skull, and a device for its implementation (see the description of the invention to RF patent No. 2076625, АВВ 5/04, published in 1997), containing a block of discharge electrodes, a multi-channel pre-amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter , A computer with a display and printing device connected to it.

Common features of the known method are registration of the parameters of the functional state, analysis of the psychophysiological signal. Common features of a known device for recording a psychophysiological signal are sensors, an analog-to-digital converter, a computer, with a display and a printing device connected to it.

A disadvantage of the known method and device is that to register a psychophysiological signal, it is necessary to attach discharge electrodes to the head of the person being examined, which cause inconvenience. These inconveniences are insurmountable in cases of almost all types of professional activity, for which the signaling about the functional state of a person is of great importance.

The well-known "Method of awakening a person in a fixed phase of sleep and a device for its implementation" (see the description of the invention to the patent of the Russian Federation N 2061406, CL A61B 5/0476, A61M 21/00, published in 1996), including the registration of bioelectric activity brain, determination of sleep phases, exposure to an awakening signal in various phases and a subjective assessment of sleep quality, empirical determination of sleep phase, awakening in which is associated with the optimal psychophysiological state of subsequent wakefulness, the awakening signal is synchronized with electrical The known device includes a portable electroencephallograph with a rhythm analyzer, with the help of which a person’s EEG is recorded, and in particular, during sleep with the simultaneous automatic analysis of EEG rhythms and the selection of sleep phases, an electronic alarm clock, which provides at a predetermined time the supply of a signal, usually sound, waking up a person.

Common features of the known method are registration of the parameters of the functional state, analysis of the psychophysiological signal, empirical determination of the stages of sleep, exposure to an awakening signal. Common signs of a known device for recording a psychophysiological signal are sensors, an analog-to-digital converter, a computer with a rhythm analysis program and identification of sleep stages, an electronic alarm clock.

The disadvantage of this method and device is that to register a psychophysiological signal, it is necessary to fix the discharge electrodes on the head of the person being examined, which cause inconvenience. These inconveniences are insurmountable in cases of almost all types of professional activity, including those for which the signaling of a functional state is of great importance. A disadvantage of the known method and device is that they are designed to recognize only the stages of sleep in the wake-sleep cycle, which limits their scope.

The well-known "System for monitoring the functional state of a human operator when performing duties in a stationary automated workplace" (see the description of the invention to RF patent N 2247530, class AB 5/0205, 6/04, published on March 10, 2005) including the control object connected to the control and display panel, with the help of which the human operator in the chair fulfills his duties. A functional signal pickup unit is mounted in the operator’s chair, containing sensors of acoustic vibrations, temperature, mechanical pressure on the support and the center of gravity, the outputs of which are connected to the input of the signal preprocessing unit, the output of which is connected to the input of the data processing unit, the output of which is connected to the input of the unit diagnosing a functional state. An information recording device and a control signal control unit are connected to the outputs of the functional state diagnostic unit. The output of the test signal control unit is connected to the control and display panel, as well as to the input of the test signal generation unit, the output of which is connected to the control and display panel.

The functional state of the operator is evaluated based on the values of the operator’s activity efficiency and its intensity based on the Yorks-Dodson law, in the form of “Normal”, “Normal 1” or “Normal 2” signals, which are input to the control signal control unit.

Common features of the known method are registration of the parameters of the functional state, analysis of the psychophysiological signal, an empirical determination of the effectiveness of the functional state, the impact of a command signal. Common features of a known device for recording a psychophysiological signal are sensors, an analog-to-digital converter, and a functional state diagnostic unit.

A disadvantage of the known method and device is that for diagnosing a functional state, it is necessary to record the sequence of actions of the operator on the control panel, measure the speed of his reactions to stimuli and compare the actual actions with the optimal model of the operator’s activity in a particular situation, since for many types of operator activity, for example activities of the dispatcher, security guard, attendant, interaction with the remote control is episodic, and verification signals may have and meaning distracting from the main task.

The closest proposed solution is the "Method of preventing falling asleep operator and a device for preventing falling asleep operator" (see the description of the invention to the patent of the Russian Federation N 2197177, CL AB 5/18, 5/16, publ. In 2003), including registration of distribution the operator’s body on the supporting surface, comparing them with the reference ones and the effect on the operator, while the moment of the onset of the falling asleep phase is fixed by a change in the position of the operator’s body, which is determined by the abrupt redistribution of pressure - load on the supporting surface The device for preventing the operator from falling asleep contains pressure sensors - loads, which are placed in the seat-chair, connected to the measurement processing unit, the output of which is connected to the input of the registration and analysis unit, the output of which is connected to the information and command generation unit.

Common features of the known method are recording the values of the parameters of the functional state, comparing the level of the functional state with the reference and signaling about it. Common features of the known device are sensors of the parameters of the functional state, a signal analysis unit, a unit for comparing and generating a command, an alarm unit.

A disadvantage of the known method and device is that pressure sensors - loads register the onset of the falling asleep phase by a stepwise redistribution of pressure on the supporting surface, that is, at the time of loss of operator balance and a fall in the chair. It is known (see Fundamentals of Psychophysiology: Textbook / Ed. Ed. Yu.I. Aleksandrov. - M.: INFRA-M, 1997. - 432 p., P. 250-251) that loss of consciousness and, as a result, loss of balance occurs in the 2nd stage of slow sleep. In the 1st stage of sleep - in the stage of drowsiness, which can last 10-15 minutes, a healthy person does not fall from the chair yet, but already periodically loses control of the environment due to the occurrence of dreamlike hallucinations. 10-15-minute loss of control for the dispatcher, operator, duty officer or security guard can cause irreparable production and human losses.

In connection with the above disadvantages of analogues and prototype, it is desirable to register the parameters of the functional state without applying electrodes, sensors, etc. inconvenient devices in a state comfortable for the person being examined, and at the same time, as a result of the reference comparison, more quickly, within 1-2 minutes, recognize and control the occurrence of levels of wakefulness or sleepiness, including the drowsiness of the operator during the operator’s professional activity.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that the method of monitoring and controlling the functional state of the operator by recording the current values of the state parameters, comparing the level of the functional state with the reference and signaling about it, is carried out by registering the movement of the pressure point of the body of the operator on the supporting surface, and as a criterion of the level of the functional state use the level value of the speed of movement of the pressure point of the body of the operator on the supporting surface.

The technical result of the method is achieved in that the device including the sensor unit, the output of which is connected to the input of the signal analysis unit, the output of which is connected to the unit for calculating the parameters of the psychophysiological signal, the output of which is connected to the input of the comparison unit and generating a command, the output of which is connected to the signaling unit contains a block of sensors of the trajectory of the pressure point of the operator’s body on the seat of the operator’s chair.

To achieve a technical result in the method of monitoring and controlling the functional state of the operator, including recording the current values of the state parameters, comparing the level of the functional state with the reference and signaling about it, registration of the trajectory of the pressure point of the body of the operator on the supporting surface is introduced, and as a criterion for the level of the functional state, the value of the velocity corresponding to the level of the displacement of the pressure point of the operator’s body on the supporting surface.

To achieve a technical result, a device for implementing the method, including a sensor unit, the output of which is connected to an input of a signal analysis unit, whose output is connected to a unit for calculating the parameters of a psychophysiological signal, whose output is connected to an input of a comparison unit and generating a command, the output of which is connected to an alarm unit, a sensor unit for the trajectory of the pressure point of the operator’s body on the seat of the operator’s chair was introduced.

To implement the proposed method, the following operations are performed: formulate a list of human activities for which the chair is one of the means of their implementation. From this list, one recognizes the type of activity for which it is desirable to inform about the stages of a person’s functional state and manage a functional state in order to keep a person awake. A natural experiment is being conducted for this type of activity. Under the conditions of a natural experiment, the subject is offered to carry out his usual activities using a dynamographic chair, subject to dynamographic registration, video and audio recording and monitoring his behavior. Thus, repeat the experiment to obtain a statistically significant result. Then, based on a comparison of the observation results, video-audio recording and the parameters of the dynamographic signal with the help of a computer, statistically significant correspondences of the characteristics of the parameters of the dynamographic signal to the stages of behavior of the examined person in the course of his activity are found, which are considered as dynamographic reference criteria for the stages of the period of work or inactivity. For each dynamographic criterion in the comparison unit, which is based on a computer, a corresponding command is set in the form of a specific set of signals for the corresponding modal devices of the signaling device. In the operating mode of the examination, experimental video-audio recording and observation are not carried out. The current parameter of the functional state identified on the basis of the dynamographic criterion in the unit for comparing and generating a command is transmitted to the signaling device in the form of appropriate commands for devices, for example, light, video, audio, mechanical, electro, aroma modalities of the signaling device with parallel registration in computer memory.

The presence of a block of sensors moving the pressure point of the operator on the supporting surface allows you to register a dynamographic signal, the parameters of which allow more quickly, within 1-2 minutes, and more differentially: describe the functional state of the operator by levels and stages, including the moment of snoozing - 1st stages of a sleeping state. In this case, the operator does not experience inconvenience, for example, from electrodes attached to the body or regularly occurring test signals.

Tests of the subjects showed that the registration of the dynamographic signal by means of the Stabilan-01-03 torque moment chair by ZAO Ritm Design Bureau of Taganrog (Kononov AF, Khlabustin B.I. Torque chair. Theoretical aspects and principle of operation. Izvestiya SFU. - Taganrog: Publishing House of TTI SFU, 2008. No. 6 (83). - 260 p., Pp. 212-215) in the wake-sleep cycle, including in the process of operator activity, was comfortable and did not cause inconvenience. Analysis of the dynamographic signal by the method of a sliding window lasting 30 seconds allows for a 1-minute trend to identify the speed of a point of pressure of a person’s body on a torque chair:

increased dynamic activity of the subject in the wakeful state, which we empirically considered at a speed above 40 mm / s;

moderate dynamic activity of the subject while awake, which we empirically calculated at a speed of less than 40 mm / s and more than 10 mm / s;

low dynamic activity of the subject while awake, which we empirically considered at a speed of less than 10 mm / s and more than 4 mm / s;

dynamic activity of the subject in a state of slumber, which we empirically calculated at a speed of less than 4 mm / s and more than 2 mm / s;

dynamic activity of the subject in a state of slow sleep, which we empirically calculated at a speed of less than 2 mm / s and more than 0 mm / s;

in the absence of the subject being examined in the torque armchair, the speed during the absence time was 0 mm / s.

In the test experiment, light, video, and audio devices were connected to the signaling device, which informed the experimenter and the subject about the functional state of the subject.

Using the claimed solution in comparison with all known methods and devices for a similar purpose provides the possibility of conditionally contactless and operational, within 1-2 minutes, determining the levels of wakefulness and sleep stages, including the stage of drowsiness in the process of professional activity and control signals to return it to awake state from sleep states, including nap.

Claims (2)

1. The method of monitoring and controlling the functional state of the operator, which consists in registering the current values of the state parameters, comparing the level of the functional state with the reference and signaling about it, characterized in that it records the trajectory of the pressure point of the operator’s body on the supporting surface, and as a level criterion functional state using the corresponding value of the velocity of the point of pressure of the body of the operator on the supporting surface. 2. A device for monitoring and controlling the functional state of the operator, comprising a sensor unit, the output of which is connected to the input of the signal analysis unit, the output of which is connected to the psychophysiological signal parameter calculation unit, the output of which is connected to the input of the comparison and generation unit, the output of which is connected to the signaling unit characterized in that the sensors are made in the form of a block of sensors of the trajectory of the pressure point of the operator’s body on the seat of the operator’s chair.