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 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: An electrophysiological electrode includes multiple layers of materials to isolate liquid electrolytic gels from the conductive inks on the flexible circuit of the electrode substrate. Such an electrode has a much longer shelf life under normal storage conditions than other electrodes of such construction with high salt content liquid electrolytic gel, and is able to maintain acceptable impedance upon its eventual use.

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: Disclosed is a system and method for providing information to the user of a medical monitoring or diagnostic device to aid in the clinical decision making process. The preferred embodiment uses two estimators or predictors of the same physiological quantity, with each of the estimators being designed to detect specific states or artifacts in the estimated parameter and thus operating at a different point on its respective ROC curve; one chosen to provide high sensitivity, the other chosen to provide high specificity. The divergence between the estimators is indicated by the use of a shaded region between their respective time trends. The use of 2 estimators of the same parameters with different performance characteristics allows the system and method of the present invention to derive additional information about the underlying physiologic process over and above that which would be available from a single estimator.

Abstract: A sensor system which includes a biopotential signal monitor, a smart sensor and the accompanying hardware and software interface which authenticates the source and validity of the smart sensor and also verifies that the smart sensor meets various criteria for use.

Abstract: Disclosed is a physiological electrical signal connector system which one connector connected to an electrode set and another connector connected to a digital signal convertor which leads to a patient monitor. Each type of electrode set has a specific code identified with it and when connected to the digital signal convertor, the connector code is recognized by the digital signal convertor. The connector code is then relayed to the monitor which will self-configure based on the identified code.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrode array (i.e., "sensor") and a method for separating near and far-field signals. In one embodiment a horizontal array is used, and in an alternate embodiment a vertical array is used. The electrode array consists of two well-separated pairs of closely spaced electrodes (and a separate ground element). In a typical application of collecting a channel of EEG, "sensing" electrodes are placed in standard locations (e.g., R and Ctr) with a ground electrode placed elsewhere on the head. The voltage measured between the well-separated sensing electrodes is the far-field dominant (i.e., EEG-dominant) channel. Additional electrodes are placed near each of the two sensing electrodes. (The additional electrodes are immediately lateral to the existing electrodes in the horizontal array, and are immediately above the existing electrodes in the vertical array.) The voltages measured between the pairs of closely spaced electrodes are near-field dominant (i.e., EMG/EOG-dominant) channels.

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: Disclosed is a physiological electrical signal connector system which one connector connected to an electrode set and another connector connected to a digital signal convertor which leads to a patient monitor. Each type of electrode set has a specific code identified with it and when connected to the digital signal convertor, the connector code is recognized by the digital signal convertor. The connector code is then relayed to the monitor which will self-configure based on the identified code.

Abstract: The disclosed filter removes cardiac artifacts from signals representative of a patient's cerebral activity. The filter preferably replaces portions of the signal including artifacts with temporally adjacent artifact free portions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method to derive a diagnostic index indicative of a selected cerebral phenomena which obtains 19 unipolar EEG signals from regions of interest on both the left and right hemispheres of a subject's brain. The system uses high-gain, low-noise amplifiers to maximize the dynamic range for low energy wave components of the signals. Band-pass filtering is used to reduce noise and to avoid aliasing. The system applies commonly used digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to digitize, to low-pass filter (100 Hz), and to decimate the signals. Power spectral, bispectral, and higher-order spectral processing is then performed. In a preferred embodiment, the system divides the most recent 63 seconds of digitized EEG data from each lead into 60 4-second intervals, each with 3 seconds of overlap with the previous interval.

Abstract: A monitor for receiving electrical signals from a living body includes a power supply which is located in a housing for the monitor and a separate acquisition module which acquires signals through one or more electrodes connected to a body. Both data and power are transmitted over the same means between the power supply and the acquisition modules.

Abstract: A monitor which receives electrical signals from a human body includes a portable data acquisition module and a substantially stationary processing module. The EEG signals are acquired and converted to an oversampled stream of digital signals by a sigma-delta modulator located in the data acquisition module. The signals are then filtered by a decimation filter located in the processing module. Additional means are also provided to monitor the electrode leads to detect when the leads become unplugged. The monitor provides all power to the data acquisition module over a single twisted line which transmits data as well.

Abstract: Disclosed is a real time diagnostic apparatus and method quantitatively evaluating, in a noninvasive manner, cerebral phenomena. Surface electroencephalographic (EEG) signals are obtained and filtered in a desired frequency range. Digital EEG data is normalized and the dynamic phase and density relations within the signal are characterized by processing the filtered signals to generate Kth-ordered spectral values where K is an integer greater than 2. A diagnostic index which quantifies the detected cerebral phenomena is then derived from the generated Kth-order spectral values.

Abstract: Disclosed is a disposable self-prepping electrode which utilizes an array or mat of flexile tines which serve to part the high impedance outer layers of skin to expose the low impedance, blood enriched layers without scratching or abrading. The tines are preferably imbedded in a conductive gel layer. In an alternate embodiment, a self prepping layer of flexile tines embedded in gel may be a single disposable self-prepping layer that is mounted over a permanent electrode.