Surgery – Sleep or relaxation inducing therapy – Sensory
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2001-03-27
O'Connor, Cary (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Sleep or relaxation inducing therapy
Sensory
C600S026000, C600S027000, C600S545000, C600S528000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206821
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antenatal training device, and more particularly to a device which releases psychological and physiological stress and tension of a pregnant woman by stimulating her senses of hearing, and in turn induces the woman and her fetus to a mentally serene state during a gestation period.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, all living individuals generate brain waves as kind of vital waves. Such brain waves represent different frequencies in accordance with an awakening state or a degree of a mental stability, and various devices employing this variation in frequency have been developed. Typically, a medical appliance for diagnosis and a lie detector utilizing a variation in brain wave frequency have already been put to practical use, and especially a device for promoting learning effects by creating a psychological serenity has also been developed.
Brain waves are accompanied with a sort of variation in voltage generated rhythmically from a brain part of a human body, which has frequencies of approximately 1 to 60 Hz and voltages of approximately 10 to 100 &mgr;V. Such brain waves are divided into a &dgr; (delta) wave, an &agr; (alpha) wave, a &dgr; (beta) wave in the lower order of a frequency band range. It has been found that the &agr; (alpha) wave of frequencies of 7 to 11 Hz among various brain waves is generated in a condition of the human mind and body being under a stable, comfortable and relaxing state.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,179, dated Feb. 6, 1990, entitled “Device for Detecting, Monitoring, Displaying and Recording of Material and Fetal Vital Signs and Permitting Communication between a Woman and Her Fetus,” there is provided a device for detecting, monitoring, displaying and recording a representation of the heartbeats of a pregnant woman and her fetus. In this prior art device, signals representative of heartbeats and movements of the fetus detected can be recorded for later playback. Also, a microphone and speaker permit a woman to provide an audio stimulation to the fetus (or so called fetal child), and the fetal response to this stimulation can then be monitored.
However, the above-mentioned device allows the woman to provide an audio stimulation to the fetal child, and in particular, replies on only signals representing the heartbeats, thereby causing a failure in an antenatal training through mental and emotional stability of the pregnant woman's herself. Particularly, considering that mental and emotional stability of the pregnant woman is essential for psychological and emotional development of the fetus during a gestation period, the above-mentioned U.S. Patent has a relatively very limited aspect in view of a device for assisting in antenatal training.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an antenatal training device for a pregnant woman including a fetal heart sound generating unit which can generate artificially the same wave as the specific brain wave which makes it possible for the body and mind to be the most stable and comfortable among various brain waves generated from the human body, tune it with the current actual brain wave frequency generated therefrom, and output an audio frequency signal to a pregnant woman, thereby not only inducing her to a psychologically serene state or a relaxing state but also greatly aiding in formation of fetus's character in accordance with her mental stability.
It is another object of the invention to provide an antenatal training device for a pregnant woman including a fetal vital sound generating unit which can record an artificially generated brain wave signal for imparting to a pregnant woman as well as a signal representative of heartbeats and movements of her fetus detected, thereby allowing the woman to later selectively reproduce and hear them, if desired.
In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an antenatal training device for a pregnant woman comprising: a fetal vital sound generating means for collecting and outputting a signal representative of fetal vital sound including detected sound generated from heartbeats and movements of a fetus; and a brain wave sound generating means connected to the fetal vital sound generating means, for generating a brain wave frequency signal generated in a stable and comfortable state of the human body and minds and outputting mixed sound of the fetal vital sound and the brain wave sound.
In accordance with the present invention, an antenatal training device comprises a terminal for converting the generated brain wave sound and collected fetal vital sound to an electrical signal and outputting the converted electrical signal to an exterior recording/reproducing unit which allows a user to hear the desired brain wave sound and the fetal vital sound, if desired.
In the present invention, built-in recording/reproducing functions permit a user to selectively hear the desired brain wave sound and the fetal vital sound, if desired.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4898179 (1990-02-01), Sirota
patent: 4934998 (1990-06-01), Thomas, Jr.
patent: 5063912 (1991-11-01), Hughes
patent: 5109421 (1992-04-01), Fox
patent: 5491756 (1996-02-01), Francais
patent: 5764776 (1998-06-01), Francais
patent: 5913834 (1999-06-01), Francais
Daeyang E & C
Natnithithadha Navin
O'Connor Cary
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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