Education and demonstration – Question or problem eliciting response
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-07
2004-02-10
Fernstrom, Kurt (Department: 3712)
Education and demonstration
Question or problem eliciting response
C434S362000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06688890
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a device and a method, as well as a computer program product, for detecting data relating to the psychosomatic state of a subject, in particular for measuring a physical or physiological activity by a subject and for assessing the psychosomatic state of the subject.
Human musculature comprises muscles with transverse and longitudinal strips, which exhibit a tonicity. If a subject is exposed to a sensory stimulus, if for instance they are provided with an image or noise which is linked to positive or negative associations, then tonicity becomes stronger or weaker, according to whether the subject reacts positively or negatively to the sensory stimulus provided. The change in tonicity therefore provides information about the psychosomatic state of the subject.
The method of so-called kinesiology is known in medical diagnosis, in which method a manual muscle test is carried with a subject. Normally, the subject is supposed to try to hold their arm up while another person, for example a physician or therapist, tries to press the outstretched arm down. According to how easy or difficult it is to press the subject's arm down, information is obtained about whether the subject is reacting specifically to what he is being confronted with, or not.
The forces arising have to be subjectively assessed by the physician or therapist. Moreover, the tests in kinesiology are comparatively laborious and time-consuming, since the physician or therapist either has to note the subjectively assessed responses or, when a number of different sensory stimuli are provided, has to note the respective responses intermediately. There thus arises a need for test methods and devices which are more objective and simpler and faster to perform.
The aforementioned tests are also normally comparatively expensive, since a certain diagnosis requires an experienced therapist or physician.
Biofeedback apparatus are known from the prior art, which measure an electrical signal from a physical or physiological activity by a subject, said signal representing for example the subject's current pulse or blood pressure. The signal is electronically processed further and provided to the subject who is then supposed, through feedback, to try to influence the electrical signal and therefore the physical or physiological activity on which it is based. Such apparatus can also be used to improve, through feedback, subjects' stress behaviour.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device and a method, such that data which can serve as the basis for assessing the psychosomatic state of a subject can be detected for the subject simply and reliably. A computer program product for carrying out the method in accordance with the invention on a computer, as well as a reliable and simple allergy testing apparatus, are also to be provided in accordance with the invention.
A device for detecting data relating to the psychosomatic state of a subject, in particular for measuring a physical or physiological activity by a subject and for assessing the psychosomatic state of the subject, is provided in accordance with the invention, said device comprising a stimulus generator presenting the subject with sensory stimuli, a control means which controls the stimulus generator such that the subject is automatically provided with a sequence of different sensory stimuli, a sensor deriving an electrical signal from a physical or physiological activity by the subject in response to a provided sensory stimulus, and a comparator comparing the electrical signal with a pre-settable index value.
It is an advantage that data which can provide information about the psychosomatic state of a subject can be obtained automatically from the subject. Thus, no physician or therapist is required in accordance with the invention, to obtain such data. Rather, the device can carry out tests on the subject automatically. The data thus obtained can serve as the basis for a subsequent assessment of the psychosomatic state of the subject. However, this does not necessarily require a physician or therapist. It also has the advantage that the data can be obtained faster, since the sensory stimuli are provided automatically. It also has the further advantage that the data are more objective, since they can no longer be distorted by the subjective perception of a physician or therapist. Thus, the data allow a more certain diagnosis in accordance with the invention.
All stimuli which are suited to inducing a physical or physiological activity in the subject can be used as sensory stimuli. Visual stimuli, for example images, colours or texts, acoustic stimuli, for example tones, melodies, noises or spoken sequences of words, and tactile stimuli, for example touch stimuli induced by pressure actuators, are preferably used in accordance with the invention. In principle, however, stimuli may also be used which act on the taste nerves or olfactory nerves of the subject, to which end the stimuli can be induced either in a natural form, for example as an odour, or by means of electrodes applied to a suitable location.
A computer or data processing means is particularly preferably used as the control means, in particular a portable computer which can also simultaneously serve as the stimulus generator for generating the sensory stimuli. A particularly simple and cost-effective device is therefore provided in accordance with the invention.
The electrical signal derived from the sensor is compared with an index value by means of a comparator. This index value can be pre-set in accordance with the invention and is particularly preferably individually adjusted to the activity pattern of the subject. While the sequence of sensory stimuli is being provided, the subject has the task of responding to the sensory stimulus in such a way that the strength of the physical or physiological activity corresponds to the index value. The strength of the response is not shown to the subject. A data set can be derived from the difference between the strength of the detected physical or physiological activity in response to a provided sensory stimulus and the pre-set index value, said data set showing whether the activity in response to the provided sensory has turned out comparatively strong or weak. This information can be used in a subsequent assessing step, to assess the psychosomatic state of the subject. In particular, it can be assessed whether the sensory stimulus has induced a positive or negative response in the subject.
Since the subject is provided not with a single sensory stimulus but rather with a sequence of different sensory stimuli, possible fluctuations in the physical or physiological activity by the subject can be filtered out or averaged out. In particular, repetitions of one and the same sensory stimulus may be contained in the sequence, such that an average can be taken over a number of readings for a physical or physiological activity by the subject in response to one and the same sensory stimulus, in order to obtain an average value for the respective activity. Advantageously, the derived data therefore represent an even better basis for assessing the psychosomatic state.
The control means preferably comprises a data base which contains data sets corresponding to those sensory stimuli to be provided which are to be provided to the subject. The data sets can be combined into a specifically pre-set sequence, however they can also be selected in a control menu by an operator, such that an individual sequence can be produced for each subject. The data base can also be in an electronic form and stored in a data memory, for example on a CD-ROM.
An input device may also be expediently provided, inputting further data sets into the data base which stand for sensory stimuli with which the subject is to be provided. If, for example, the subject is to be provided with texts, then further texts may be inputted into the control means via a keyboard. However, an input/output interface to external stimulus generators, for example tone
Corless Peter F.
Edwards & Angell LLP
Fernstrom Kurt
Jensen Steven M.
m-tec AG
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