Systems and methods for determining physiological state based on surface biopotentials

Inventors

Kowalczyk, Michael • Ang, Dexter • Valk, Henry • Cipoletta, David • Tan, Xiaofeng • Helbling, Adam • Kasparian, Michael

Assignees

Pison Technology Inc

Abstract

Systems and methods for gesture control are described. In some embodiments, a system for assessing a physiological state of a user. The system may include the wearable device comprising one or more electrodes configured to be disposed adjacent to an external surface of the skin portion. A first timestamp may be determined. The first timestamp may indicate a first time at which a stimulus is presented to the user. A second timestamp indicating a second time at which the biopotential signals indicate an intention by the user to perform a responsive action may be determined. Based at least on the first timestamp and the second timestamp, determine a subject response time for the user. The subject response time may be compared to a baseline response time for the user to generate an assessment of a physiological state of the user.

Core Innovation

The described invention provides a system and method for assessing a physiological state of a user based at least in part on biopotentials detected at an external surface of a skin portion of the user. The wearable device is configured to be worn by the user and includes one or more electrodes disposed adjacent to the external surface of the skin portion, where the skin portion is disposed at a body portion comprising peripheral nerve tissue that is biologically coupled to a central nervous system of the user. The system obtains biopotential signals generated at least in part by the peripheral nerve tissue.

The invention determines a first timestamp indicating a first time at which a stimulus is presented to the user, and determines a second timestamp indicating a second time at which the biopotential signals indicate an intention by the user to perform a responsive action in response to the stimulus. Based at least on the first timestamp and the second timestamp, the system determines a subject response time for the user. The described approach further relates the subject response time to a pre-motor time between stimulus presentation and peripheral nerve activity responsive to the stimulus.

The subject response time for the user, or one or more values based thereon, is compared to a baseline response time determined based at least in part on one or more prior reaction time tests for the user and/or one or more reaction times for a representative population. Based on the comparison, the system generates an assessment of a physiological state of the user. The document describes comparing a user response to baseline values that can be determined from prior reaction time tests, and also describes comparing using an aggregate measure derived from multiple subject measurements.

Claims Coverage

Independent claims are present for a system and for a method, each covering determining timestamps for stimulus presentation and intention indicated by peripheral nerve biopotentials, deriving subject response time, and comparing to a baseline response time to generate an assessment. Across the independent claims, three main inventive features appear: external-surface biopotentials from peripheral nerve tissue, two-timestamp determination using an intention indicator derived from biopotential signals, and baseline comparison to generate a physiological-state assessment.

The independent claims focus on using wearable electrodes on peripheral nerve tissue to obtain biopotentials, timestamping stimulus presentation and intention indicated by those biopotentials to determine a subject response time, and generating a physiological-state assessment by comparing that response time to a baseline response time derived from prior tests or representative population reaction times.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications