Portable EEG electrode locator headgear

Abstract

The EEG electrode locator headgear allows the user to locate and apply disposable EEG electrodes accurately according to the International 10/20 System without technical assistance, to allow the acquisition of high quality EEG signals. The headgear includes a front forehead pad, a base strap assembly connected to the front forehead pad, a plurality of EEG electrode locators for receiving EEG electrodes, and a plurality of locator straps connected to the front pad of material, the base strap assembly, and to the plurality of EEG electrode locators for accurately positioning the plurality of EEG electrode locators positioned relative to the scalp of a user. A visor can be attached to the front pad of material, and the base strap assembly may include an occipital locator device. A plunger assembly with spreadable fingers for optionally parting the hair of the user's scalp is also provided that is inserted in the electrode locators to optionally prepare the user's scalp and to seat the electrodes. In one embodiment, a spreader portion of the plunger assembly is formed of electrically conductive material, such as electrically conductive silicone. An elastic, stretchable cap portion may also be connected to the EEG electrode locators, for biasing the plurality of electrode locators toward the user's scalp.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electroencephalograph (EEG) electrode locator headgear, comprising: 
 a base strap assembly adapted to be secured comfortably around the circumference of a user's head;    an elastic, stretchable cap portion connected to said plurality of EEG electrode locators;    a plurality of EEG electrode locators mounted to said elastic, stretchable cap portion for accurately positioning said plurality of EEG electrode locators relative to the user's scalp, and for biasing said plurality of electrode locators toward the user's scalp; and    a plurality of EEG electrodes adapted to be received in and cooperate with said plurality of EEG electrode locators, respectively, each of said EEG electrodes including a plunger assembly adapted to prepare the user's scalp and to seat the electrode in one of said EEG electrode locators, said plunger assembly including a plunger member having upper and lower ends, and said plunger assembly including an electrically conductive spreader member mounted to said lower end of said plunger member, said spreader member having a plurality of flexible, resilient fingers having distal ends biased to meet at a common distal central location, and said flexible, resilient fingers being adapted to spread apart by exertion of downward pressure of said plunger assembly against the user's scalp and to thereby part the hair of the user's scalp.    
     
     
         2 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said plunger is adapted to be inserted in the electrode locator to spread the distal flexible, resilient fingers.  
     
     
         3 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said plunger assembly comprises a cap connected to the upper portion of the plunger member.  
     
     
         4 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said spreader member comprises a cushion portion located between said flexible, resilient fingers adapted to rest against the user's scalp after the electrode has been pressed downward to seat the electrode on the user's scalp and spread the flexible, resilient fingers, to cushion the pressure of the electrode on the user's scalp for additional comfort.  
     
     
         5 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 4 , further comprising a conductive gel adapted to contact the user's scalp, said conductive gel disposed adjacent to the cushion portion of the spreader member and between the flexible, resilient fingers.  
     
     
         6 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said plunger assembly comprises an electrical conductor mounted to said plunger member adapted and electrically connected between said electrically conductive spreader member and said EEG electrode locator for conducting EEG signals from said electrodes to an EEG monitor.  
     
     
         7 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said spreader member is formed of electrically conductive silicone.  
     
     
         8 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said elastic, stretchable cap portion comprises at least one elastic locator strap connected to said plurality of EEG electrode locators.  
     
     
         9 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 8 , wherein said at least one elastic locator strap comprises a plurality of elastic locator straps.  
     
     
         10 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of locator straps are made of elastic material.  
     
     
         11 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of locator straps are formed of elasticized fabric.  
     
     
         12 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said elastic, stretchable cap portion comprises a stretch mesh cap of elastic, fabric material.  
     
     
         13 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , further comprising an outer cap shell disposed over said elastic, stretchable cap portion.  
     
     
         14 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said base strap assembly comprises a front pad of material having first and second ends, said front pad of material being adapted to extend across a user's forehead, said base strap assembly having a first end connected to said first end of said front pad of material, and a second end connected to said second end of said front pad of material, said front pad of material and said base strap assembly being adapted to be secured comfortably around the circumference of a user's head.  
     
     
         15 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 14 , further comprising a visor attached to said front pad of material.  
     
     
         16 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said base strap assembly is adjustable.  
     
     
         17 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said base strap assembly comprises a pair of adjustable elastic straps connected at one end to said front pad of material and adjustably connected together at the other end.  
     
     
         18 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said base strap assembly further comprises an occipital locator device adapted to be seated on a region of the user's scalp over the user's occipital bone, said base strap assembly comprising first and second elastic edge straps connected at one end to said front pad of material, and adjustably connected at the other end to said occipital locator device.  
     
     
         19 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of EEG electrode locators each comprise a plurality of slots for receiving at least one locator strap.  
     
     
         20 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein each of said electrode locators comprises an electrode locator electrical conductor adapted to be electrically connected to one of said EEG electrodes inserted in said electrode locator.  
     
     
         21 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 20 , wherein said electrode locator electrical conductor comprises a plurality of electrically conductive spring connectors.  
     
     
         22 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 21 , wherein each of said electrode locators comprises a circuit board base member mounted to said electrode locator electrical conductor, and wherein said plurality of electrically conductive spring connectors are mounted to said circuit board base member.  
     
     
         23 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , wherein each of said electrode locators comprises a plurality of spring loaded detent pins for engagement with said electrode.  
     
     
         24 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 20 , further comprising an operational pre-amplifier electrically connected to said electrode locator electrical conductor to receive EEG signals from said electrode.  
     
     
         25 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 21 , wherein said plunger assembly is adapted to form an electrical connection with said electrically conductive spring connectors.  
     
     
         26 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 24 , wherein the EEG signals from the electrode locators are conducted from said pre-amplifier to an analog to digital converter mounted on the EEG electrode locator headgear.  
     
     
         27 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 26 , further comprising an RF transmitter connected to receive output from the analog to digital converter, said RF transmitter being mounted on the EEG electrode locator headgear for communicating digital EEG signals to apparatus for analyzing the digital EEG signals from the user.  
     
     
         28 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 26 , wherein said apparatus for analyzing the digital EEG signals from the user comprises a data processing unit for analyzing EEG signals from the user, and for providing feedback to the user.  
     
     
         29 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 28 , wherein said data processing unit is battery powered.  
     
     
         30 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 28 , wherein said data processing unit includes a speaker for transmitting audio alert messages to the user.  
     
     
         31 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 27 , wherein said RF transmitter of the EEG electrode locator headgear is a bi-directional RF transmitter-receiver for receiving feedback signals from said apparatus for analyzing the digital EEG signals from the user.  
     
     
         32 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 31 , further comprising a speaker mounted in the EEG electrode locator headgear for communicating audio messages from the apparatus for analyzing the digital EEG signals to the user.  
     
     
         33 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 31 , further comprising storage means mounted in the EEG electrode locator headgear for storing audio messages in analog format.  
     
     
         34 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 1 , further comprising a Faraday shield to shield the pre-amplifiers from external noise and artifacts which may result from the use of the RF transmitter.  
     
     
         35 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 22 , wherein said plunger assembly is adapted to be received in said circuit board base member of the electrode locator.  
     
     
         36 . The EEG electrode locator headgear of  claim 23 , wherein said cylindrical plunger member preferably has a plurality of grooves for engagement with the corresponding spring loaded detent pins in the circuit board member for seating the plunger assembly in the electrode locators.