Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting brain electric signal
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-21
2001-05-22
Lacyk, John P. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting brain electric signal
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236884
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system which subjects a test subject or test subjects to certain stimuli, measures a reaction of the test subject or subjects to the stimuli, and subsequently overlappingly records and/or displays in parallel data of both the stimuli and the respective test subject's reaction to the stimuli in synchronization. The recorded data can also then be displayed or replayed to evaluate the test subject's reaction to the stimuli. Test data from a plurality of test subjects can thus be simultaneously recorded and/or stored in parallel.
2. Discussion of the Background
It is often desirable to monitor how a person reacts to certain stimuli, such as an audio presentation, a video presentation, etc. The different ways of monitoring how a patient reacts to such stimuli may be by taking an EKG of the patient, an EEG of the patient, heart rate, etc. As one concrete example, it is often desirable to take EEG measurements of a test subject to determine the brain activity of the test subject. There are many medical applications that require testing and measuring of EEG signals to determine a test subject's medical condition. There are also instances in which it is desirable to measure a test subject's brain activity for other purposes.
One such purpose is to monitor a test subject's brain activity to measure the test subject's reaction or interest to certain stimuli. For example, it may be desirable to be able to measure a test subject's attention level to a particular marketing idea, television commercial, presentation, etc.
One problem with measuring a subject's response to certain stimuli and effectively using that data to provide a meaningful graphical representation of the subject's responses to the certain stimuli occurs when the test giver attempts to accurately correlate the subjects response to the stimuli.
That is, after, as one example, an EEG measurement is taken of a test subject, this data must be evaluated relative to the stimuli to which the test subject was subjected. This is often a very difficult and time consuming operation since it is often very difficult to correspond the test subject's reaction as indicated in the EEG data obtained from monitoring the test subject, with the stimuli to which the test subject was subjected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The Applicant's of the present invention have recognized that in the above-discussed type of analysis, it would be beneficial to synchronize the test subject's response to stimuli along with the stimuli in an integrated overlapping display and/or recording that would enable a person reviewing the test data to observe on a single display both the graphical representation of the test subject's response and the stimuli to which the test subject is responding.
It may also be desirable to integrate into the displayed results other data relating to the test conditions. This data could include, but is not limited to, test parameters such as time and date of the test, demographic data relating to the test subject, and other control data related to the test.
The Applicant's of the present invention have thus further recognized that there is a need for a system and method to accurately synchronize on a single display and/or recording a graphical representation of a test subject's response to stimuli, a display of the stimuli to which the subject is responding, and other data relating to test parameters.
The Applicants of the present invention have further recognized that it may be beneficial to obtain test data from a plurality of test subjects responding to the same stimuli in parallel. This would allow a test giver to obtain test data from a plurality of test subjects response to the same stimuli in a very short period of time.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel system and method to accurately overlap and synchronize on a single display and/or recording a graphical representation of a test subject's response to stimuli and the stimuli to which the subject is responding. The single display and/or recording may also include, if desired, other data relating to test parameters.
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel system and method to easily and efficiently allow for the display and/or recording with minimum input needed from an operator.
The present invention is directed to a system which can subject a test subject to certain stimuli, detect the test subject's response to the stimuli, and then display and/or record in synchronization the stimuli to which the test subject was subjected, and the test subject's detected response to that stimuli. The recorded data can then also be replayed, displayed, etc.
A further object of the present invention is to record as a data file the overlapped and synchronized graphical representation of a test subject's response to stimuli and the stimuli to which the test subject is responding. This recorded data can then be synthesized and processed with other data as desired.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel system and method to easily and efficiently allow for the display and/or recording of stimuli and a plurality of test subject's response to that stimuli in parallel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4955388 (1990-09-01), Silberstein
patent: 5392788 (1995-02-01), Hudspeth
patent: 5495853 (1996-03-01), Yasushi
patent: 5762611 (1998-06-01), Lewis et al.
patent: 6007569 (1999-12-01), Frenkel et al.
Brueggman Richard M.
Gustafson, Jr. Harlan I.
Hunter David B.
McCarraher Kenneth B.
Stenstrom Tomas J.
Capita Research Group Inc.
Lacyk John P.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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