Patent No. 6102847 Bio-feedback process and device for affecting the human psyche

 

Patent No. 6102847

Bio-feedback process and device for affecting the human psyche (Stielau, Aug 15, 2000)

Abstract

A bio-feedback process for affecting the human psyche and a device for implementing it comprises measuring eye movements, physiological parameters of eye muscles and/or nose root muscles of a person sensors. The measurements are transmitted to an evaluation system, which, by means of the measurements made in the immediate vicinity of the eyes and information stored in the evaluation system, assesses the psychological condition of the person. Depending on the data measured, the person is then stimulated by a stimulation system with relaxing or tensing stimuli. It is thus possible to relax or stimulate a person's psyche in a targeted manner, whereby the person's psychological condition can be easily and accurately measured in the immediate vicinity of the eye.

Notes:

Bio-feedback process and device for affecting the human psyche. Filed June 1998, granted August 2000. Goes into measuring action potentials on surface of skin. Also states that artificial neural networks can learn what pisses someone off or not. The next to last page, page 12, contains a reference to remote activation of medicaments by either a person monitoring the computer or the computer doing it itself.

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a biofeedback process and a device for implementing the biofeedback process.

Nowadays people are suffering more and more from psychological strains which are caused for example through increased professional and private demands. These psychological strains are also called `stress`. It is a generally known fact that the capability of a person is impaired when under the influence of stress. However other psychologically conditioned disorders such as for example difficulty in learning to read and write are also occurring more frequently nowadays.

For this reason processes and devices are required which act on the human psyche and thus help to break down stress or to generally improve performance and capability.

From DE 94 05 523.8 U1 a biofeedback device is known for learning or re-learning muscle activities or for relaxing muscles. Measured values are thereby derived from the electrical activity of the forehead muscles of a person. This has the disadvantage that the relaxation state of a person can only be measured from the forehead muscles. More particularly the eye area which is particularly useful in judging the tension or stressed state of a person is not detected since muscles in the eye area operate independently of the forehead muscles.

From DE 35 46 052 A1 a process and device are known through which the capacity of a person can be increased through the effect of music. The musical rhythm is thereby changed until it is in a harmonic (i.e. whole-numbered) ratio with the heart rhythm of the person. The drawback here is that both the rhythm of the heart and the rhythm of the music have to be monitored which requires a considerable apparatus expense. Also the adjustment of a harmonic ratio between the heart and music rhythms can be difficult since both rhythms are constantly changing.

DE 43 07 790 A1 discloses an apparatus for carrying out various psychotherapeutic methods. A person thereby lies in a relaxed state on a type of couch whereby the person is covered by a cover through which individual parts of the body can be targeted and brought to the right temperature. The couch contains sensors for measuring the skin temperature and the pulse rate and the measured results are sent to a computer-assisted control device. An evaluation of the relaxation state of the person is obtained from the measurements.

From DE 42 34 926 A1 a relaxation device is known where light and sound signals act on a person. In particular this apparatus is characterized in that the phases of the optical and acoustic signals are coupled with each other. Such a coupling is produced for example through matching the light signals to the basic rhythm of the music which is transferred to the patient. With this apparatus there is the drawback that no feedback exists so that the action on the person is carried out regardless of the momentary psychological tension state of the person.

From U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,347 a biofeedback device is known with sensors which receive reflections of a ray of light-emitting diode directed to the eye. Each movement of the eyes thereby causes a change in the output signal of the sensors. If the eye movement exceeds a predefined threshold value then an acoustic or tactile signal is produced. The signal is thereby produced until the eye movement is minimized so far that it lies below the predefined threshold value. If the eye movement lies below the predefined threshold value then no acoustic or tactile signal is produced.

Based on this prior art the object of the present invention is to provide a biofeedback process for producing acoustic and/or optical signals for relaxation purposes and a device for implementing the process which allows a continuous affect on the psyche of a person in targeted manner wherein the psychological state of the person can be measured easily and reliably in the immediate vicinity of the eyes. Furthermore no great apparatus expense is to be necessary for carrying out the measurements and influencing measures and these influencing measures can be readily adapted to the relevant psychological state of each person.

Thus according to the invention the eye movements of a person are measured electrically by detecting the action potentials in the eye or nose root area by means of suitable sensors since it has been shown that from this evidence can be readily gained on the psychological state of a person, particularly on the stressed state. The measured data detected is transferred to an evaluation system which produces on the basis of the measured values and information allotted to the measured values and stored in the evaluation system, control signals for a stimulation system in which acoustic and/or optical signals are continuously produced which are perceived by the person whereby effects are produced on the psychological state of the person (biofeedback).

The invention is based on the new and surprising knowledge that the eye moment as a parameter of the psychological state and as a starting value of a biofeedback process represents a suitable value which can be detected without great apparatus expense. By affecting the eye movement within the scope of the biofeedback process it is possible to influence in targeted manner the psychological state of a person.

The detection and processing of the measured values takes place in the evaluation system. The evaluation system receives and stores not only the measured values but it also has means (e.g. programs or specially programmed processors) which evaluate the measured values with regard to the psychological state. To this end information previously stored in the evaluation system can also be used, e.g. empirically determined results.

Depending on the psychological state of the person which is detected by the measured values in the immediate vicinity of the eyes the evaluation system controls a stimulation system which sends stimulation signals of a predeterminable relaxing or tensing effect to the person. The person perceives the stimulation signals which in turn has effects on the psychological state of the person. Through this biofeedback of the biofeedback process according to the invention the stimulation signals are adapted to the relevant state of the psyche. The evaluation system thereby produces stimulation signals which are always different wherein the effect such as for example the relaxation or stimulation of the person is measured by the sensors and evaluated by the evaluation system.

With the biofeedback process according to the invention, stimulation signals are preferably transferred where a predefinable effect was shown or where such an effect can be predicted. If the biofeedback process is to be used for relaxing a person then preferably such stimulation signals are transferred where it has been shown that they have a relaxing effect on the person.

Depending on the intended use of the biofeedback process stimulation signals can however be transferred which set the person for example into a particularly creative mood.

In a preferred design of the biofeedback process according to the invention correlation means are used for determining a functional connection between the psychological states of the person and the stimulation signals. With such a functional connection it is possible to predict with great probability which effect a stimulation signal will have on the person.

In an advantageous design of the biofeedback process the evaluation system uses means which can be learnt and which generate independently new stimulation signals or complex patterns of stimulation signals. After a training phase the biofeedback process can be adapted particularly well to the person and creates an optimized effect on the psychological state. Such learnable (or adaptive) means use in particular artificial neural networks which are particularly suitable for analyzing connections which cannot be detected deterministically. Also artificial neural networks are particularly suitable for evaluating complex patterns such as for example measuring rows of physiological parameters.

Advantageously with the biofeedback process according to the invention the musculation potentials of the eye muscles and/or the eye movements are measured to determine the general psychological tension state. These measurements are carried out without great expense.

In another advantageous design of the biofeedback process muscle impulses or potentials in the nose root area are to be measured since it has been shown that specific evidence on the stressed state of the person can be obtained from this. These measurements can also be carried out without great expense.

Acoustic stimulation signals can also be used advantageously to affect the psyche. Frequency and/or amplitude-modulated tones are also preferably used. However complex sound patterns can also be used, more particularly filtered rustling noises or vibrations with breaks in between. Natural noises can also be used with advantage, such as for example the sound of the ocean, or spoken words. Acoustic stimulation signals of this kind are simple to produce and modify so that a rapid flexible adaptation of the stimulation signals to the psychological state of the person is possible. It is within the idea according to the invention to combine the various stimulation signals together so that for example the sound of the ocean can be combined with the spoken word.

In an advantageous design of the biofeedback process according to the invention the frequency or frequency spectrum and the volume of the acoustic stimulation signals are directly controlled by the eye movements of a person.

In a further design of the biofeedback process the person can likewise

advantageously act directly on the evaluation system through a control element. Thus the person can consciously indicate whether he finds the stimulation signals acceptable or not acceptable. In connection with the measurements of the physiological parameters a comprehensive picture of the effect of the stimulation signals is thus obtained.

Advantageously the stimulation signals are terminated through a time switch or brought into another phase of a therapy program. It is likewise advantageous if certain boundary values are predetermined in the evaluation system to prevent particularly unacceptable or even damaging stimulation signals from being transferred to the person.

In a further advantageous design of the biofeedback process according to the invention the stimulation system stimulates the person through temperature, smell or color stimulus.

In a particularly expedient design of the biofeedback process the evaluation system exchanges data with an external data processing unit through an interface.

A device according to the invention for carrying out the biofeedback process has sensors for measuring movements and/or physiological parameters of the eyes, the eye muscles and/or muscles at the nose root. These measuring spots are readily accessible; more particularly the person does not have to undress in order to attach the sensors. An evaluation system of the device according to the invention serves to process measured values and evaluate the psychological state of the person and a stimulation system transfers stimulation signals to the person.

The evaluation system preferably has correlation means for determining a functional connection between the evaluations of the psychological states and the stimulation signals. With the correlation means it is possible to obtain a prediction on the effect of the stimulation signals on a person.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment the evaluation system has learnable (or adaptive) means, more particularly artificial neutral networks. Through learnable means the evaluation system can develop independent stimulation signals or patterns of stimulation signals which are each adapted in optimum manner to the psychological state of the person.

The evaluation system advantageously has an interface through which data can be exchanged with external data processing equipment. In this way remote-controlled monitoring of the evaluation system and stimulation system is possible.

These sensors can advantageously be mounted on a spectacles-like frame which has an interface for data lines and is connected through same to the evaluation system.

In a preferred embodiment the stimulation system is designed as a sound generator, more particularly as a synthesizer with which a plurality of sounds and tones can be readily produced. Also with sound generators very compact structural forms are possible.

Advantageously the stimulation system has a random access memory system. It is thereby possible to use for example a CD ROM or hard disc. In particular, natural sounds or spoken words can be stored in the random access memory system. The evaluation system can rapidly and accurately access individual stored information in dependence on the evaluation of the psychological state of the person and transfer this information as stimulation signals to the person.

In a further advantageous embodiment the device according to the invention has elements for producing the right temperature or generators for visual stimulation signals of the person.

A likewise advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention has indicators for the measured physiological parameters.

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The invention is not restricted in its design to the preferred embodiments described above. Rather a number of variations is possible which utilize the biofeedback process according to the invention and the device for carrying out the biofeedback process for affecting the psyche of a person even in fundamentally different designs.