Abstract: The skin preparation device and sensor of the present invention include an array of rigid tines. The tines serve to “self-prepare” the skin at each electrode site. These tines, when pressed against the skin, penetrate the stratum corneum, thereby reducing skin impedance and improving signal quality. A self-prepping device of the present invention is an optimized array of short non-conductive rigid tines in which the individual tines are created in a geometry that allows for a sharp point at the tip when molding, machining or etching is used as a method of fabrication. This non-conductive array with rigid penetrating structures may, therefore, be used in combination with a conductive medium, preferably an ionic conductive gel. In penetrating the stratum corneum, micro-conduits are created in the layers of the skin enabling the conductive medium to reach the low impedance layers and to transmit bioelectrical signals from the skin to the electrode surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method of assessing the efficacy of treatment of neurological or psychological disorders. The preferred embodiment uses at least two surface electrodes to acquire EEG signals from the surface of a patient's body, a processor for computing from the EEG signals various features and indices that are representative of the patient's neurological or psychological state. Changes in these parameters may be used to assess the efficacy of treatment and to modify the treatment to optimize the resultant patient state.

Abstract: The system and method for predicting and measuring a subject's analgesic state and analgesic adequacy. Biopotential signals are obtained from a subject through electrodes. A processor will compute a measure that is representative of the subject's sedative state and/or muscle activity. A metric representative of such measures is then determined. In the case where a measure is taken of both the subject's sedative state and muscle activity the two measures are combined into an index representative of the subject's analgesic state and analgesic adequacy.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method that produces features and indices that indicate the presence or absence of a disease or condition, or of the progression of a disease or condition. The system and method of the present invention also produce features and indices that predict responsiveness to medication from a premedication baseline. The system and method of the present invention further incorporates a testing methodology to improve the performance characteristics of the features or indices. To obtain such features and indices, time domain, power spectrum, bispectrum and higher order spectrum values are derived from biopotential signals taken from the subject being tested.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the administration of medication to a patient utilizes adaptive feedback to achieve and maintain a target effect in said patient. A sensor package having one or more sensors is used to sense an attribute of the patient and to provide a parameter indicating the attribute being sensed. A medication delivery controller accepts one or more parameters from the sensor package and uses these parameters to determine the effect of a medication on a patient and the concentration level of medication that will achieve a desired effect. The medication delivery controller controls the medication delivery unit to deliver the medication at a rate determined to achieve said target concentration level of said medication in said patient. If the patient's response to a given medication changes as a result of external stimuli, the medication delivery controller can detect this change and determine a new concentration level of medication which will achieve the desired effect.

Abstract: A system for measuring bioelectric impedance in real time, in the presence of interference and noise is disclosed. A small electric current is injected into a biopotential electrode system, and then the measurement is tested for contamination by electrical interference or other noise sources.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for determining and maintaining a concentration level of medication in a patient sufficient to achieve and maintain a desired effect on that patient. Generally speaking, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a medication delivery controller uses a patient response profile to determine a concentration of medication in the patient that will achieve the desired effect on the patient. The patient response profile is a graphical, tabular or analytical expression of the relationship between the concentration of a medication and the effect of the medication at the specific concentration. Using this information, the medication delivery controller provides instructions to a medication delivery unit such as, for example, an infusion pump or inhalation device, to deliver the medication to the patient at a rate that will achieve the desired concentration level of the medication in the patient.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method of deriving and computing features and indices that predict the likelihood of psychological and neurological adverse events such as suicidal thoughts and/or actions. The method of the present invention further predicts the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and/or actions prior to and or during treatment for psychological disease. To obtain such features and indices, power spectrum and time domain values are derived from biopotential signals acquired from the subject being tested. The system and method identify people who are likely to experience changing, especially worsening, symptoms of psychological and neurological adverse events such as suicidal thoughts or actions and who therefore may be at risk (e.g. suicide).

Abstract: The invention provides a method of estimating cerebral sources of electrical activity from a small subset of EEG channels utilizing existing methods to provide a 3-dimensional, discrete, distributed, linear solution to the inverse problem using inputs consisting of a small number of EEG channels (e.g., 4 channels) augmented with synthetic EEG data for the other channels. The resultant image of cerebral electrical activity in the region of the EEG channels from which data is recorded is of comparable spatial resolution in the corresponding region to images of cerebral electrical activity obtained using a complete set of EEG channels (e.g., using 24 channels).

Abstract: A system and method of identifying and removing artifact from radio frequency noise from biopotentials identifies epochs contaminated with radio frequency noise. Contaminated epochs are then replaced with recent uncontaminated epochs stored in a buffer, depending on the current level of artifact and the availability of suitable data. Discontinuities arising at the beginning of the replaced epochs are smoothed by means of a windowing function.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method of assessing the efficacy of and predicting response to treatment of neurological or psychological disorders. The preferred embodiment uses at least two surface electrodes to acquire EEG signals from the surface of a patient's body, a processor for computing from the EEG signals various features and indices that are representative of the patient's neurological or psychological state. Pretreatment indices represent a patient's neurological or psychological state and therefore may be used to predict the response to treatment. Changes in these parameters may be used to assess the efficacy of treatment and to modify the treatment to optimize the resultant patient state.

Abstract: A method for measuring bioelectric impedance in real time, in the presence of interference and noise is disclosed. A small electric current is injected into a biopotential electrode system, and then the measurement is tested for contamination by electrical interference or other noise sources.

Abstract: A method for measuring bioelectric impedance in real time, in the presence of interference and noise is disclosed. A small electric current is injected into a biopotential electrode system, and then the measurement is tested for contamination by electrical interference or other noise sources.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method of assessing the efficacy of treatment of neurological or psychological disorders. The preferred embodiment uses at least two surface electrodes to acquire EEG signals from the surface of a patient's body, a processor for computing from the EEG signals various features and indices that are representative of the patient's neurological or psychological state. Changes in these parameters may be used to assess the efficacy of treatment and to modify the treatment to optimize the resultant patient state.

Abstract: A PTT monitoring system for measuring arousal and responses to stress or pain during sedation or anesthesia. includes ECG electrodes and a PPG probe connected to a computer via signal conditioning and digitizing hardware. Lead I is typically used as the ECG lead while the PPG probe is typically placed on a finger. The ECG and PPG waveforms are continuously analyzed to update and display a current estimate of the subject's PPT from heart to hand. For each cardiac cycle, fiducial points are identified to indicate the pulse onset time (via QRS detection in the ECG) and pulse arrival time (via the point of steepest ascent in the PPG). The onset and arrival times for each cardiac cycle are paired, and the time difference is the interval estimate for that beat. An artifact post-processor (e.g., trim-mean filtering) excludes unlikely intervals from entering the averaged, current estimate of PTT. Finally, the current PTT estimate is displayed numerically and the trend of PTT is updated every second.

Abstract: An array of electrodes is constructed to allow the user to easily adjust to the correct size of the patient's head. The array is self-adhesive, pre-gelled and disposable. The array fits easily over the temple and forehead areas where EEG signals can be acquired by specially designed monitors for purposes of monitoring a number of bodily phenomena, including but not limited to, depth of anesthesia, and/or ischemia, and burst suppression. The array is connected to the monitor via a tab connector that is integral to the disposable device. The tab connector is insertible into a reusable connector that is part of a monitoring system.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method that produces features and indices that indicate the presence or absence of a disease or condition, or of the progression of a disease or condition. The system and method of the present invention also produce features and indices that predict responsiveness to medication from a premedication baseline. The system and method of the present invention further incorporates a testing methodology to improve the performance characteristics of the features or indices. To obtain such features and indices, time domain, power spectrum, bispectrum and higher order spectrum values are derived from biopotential signals taken from the subject being tested.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the administration of medication to a patient utilizes adaptive feedback to achieve and maintain a target effect in said patient. A sensor package having one or more sensors is used to sense an attribute of the patient and to provide a parameter indicating the attribute being sensed. A medication delivery controller accepts one or more parameters from the sensor package and uses these parameters to determine the effect of a medication on a patient and the concentration level of medication that will achieve a desired effect. The medication delivery controller controls the medication delivery unit to deliver the medication at a rate determined to achieve said target concentration level of said medication in said patient. If the patient's response to a given medication changes as a result of external stimuli, the medication delivery controller can detect this change and determine a new concentration level of medication which will achieve the desired effect.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the administration of medication to a patient utilizes adaptive feedback to achieve and maintain a target effect in said patient. A sensor package having one or more sensors is used to sense an attribute of the patient and to provide a parameter indicating the attribute being sensed. A medication delivery controller accepts one or more parameters from the sensor package and uses these parameters to determine the effect of a medication on a patient and the concentration level of medication that will achieve a desired effect. The medication delivery controller controls the medication delivery unit to deliver the medication at a rate determined to achieve said target concentration level of said medication in said patient. If the patient's response to a given medication changes as a result of external stimuli, the medication delivery controller can detect this change and determine a new concentration level of medication which will achieve the desired effect.

Abstract: A system and method of identifying and removing artifact from radio frequency noise from biopotentials identifies epochs contaminated with radio frequency noise. Contaminated epochs are then replaced with recent uncontaminated epochs stored in a buffer, depending on the current level of artifact and the availability of suitable data. Discontinuities arising at the beginning of the replaced epochs are smoothed by means of a windowing function.