Method And System For Detecting And Removing EEG Artifacts

Abstract

A method and system for detecting and removing EEG artifacts is disclosed herein. Each source of a plurality of sources for an EEG signal is separated for a selected artifact type. Each source of the plurality of sources is reconstituted into a recorded montage and an optimal reference montage for recognizing the selected artifact type of each source. The sources with artifacts are removed and the remaining sources are reconstituted into a filtered montage for the EEG signal.

We claim as our invention: 
     
         1 . A method for detecting and removing EEG artifacts, the method comprising:
 separating an EEG recording into a plurality of sources, each of the plurality of sources separated for a selected artifact type;   reconstituting each source of the plurality of sources into a recorded montage and an optimal reference montage for recognizing the selected artifact type of each source of the plurality of sources;   examining a plurality of channels of the optimal reference montage for each source of the plurality of sources to determine if the selected artifact type is the true artifact of each source of the plurality of sources;   removing each source of the plurality of sources for the selected artifact type to generate a plurality of remaining sources; and   reconstituting the plurality of remaining sources into a filtered montage for the EEG signal.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein reconstituting an optimal reference montage comprises automatically transforming the recorded montage into an optimal montage based on the CZ reference electrode; 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein reconstituting an optimal reference montage comprises automatically transforming the recorded montage into an optimal montage based on a non-CZ reference electrode. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3  wherein the non-CZ reference electrode is a vertex electrode. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein reconstituting an optimal reference montage comprises: selecting an optimal montage for the artifact type based on the characteristic of the recordings; and transforming the recorded montage into an optimal montage based on the selected reference electrode. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising utilizing the filtered montage for signal processing. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein reconstituting an optimal reference montage comprises: analyzing a signal at a reference electrode to determine if the reference electrode is an optimal reference electrode and transforming the recorded montage into an optimal montage based on the selected reference electrode. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein reconstituting an optimal reference montage comprises: analyzing a signal at each of a plurality of reference electrodes to determine an optimal reference electrode and transforming the recorded montage into an optimal montage based on the selected reference electrode. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising a system for detecting and removing EEG artifacts, the system comprising:
 a plurality of electrodes for generating a plurality of EEG signals; 
 a processor connected to the plurality of electrodes to generate an EEG recording from the plurality of EEG signals; and 
 a display connected to the processor for displaying an EEG recording; 
 wherein the processor is configured to separate an EEG signal into a plurality of sources, each source of the plurality of sources separated for a selected artifact type; 
 wherein the processor is configured to reconstitute each source of the plurality of sources into a recorded montage and an optimal reference montage for recognizing the selected artifact type of each source of the plurality of sources; 
 wherein the processor is configured to examine a plurality of channels of the optimal reference montage for each source of the plurality of sources to determine if the selected artifact type is the true artifact of each source of the plurality of sources; 
 wherein the processor is configured to determine that the selected artifact type is the true artifact of each source of the plurality of sources; 
 wherein the processor is configured to remove each source of the plurality of sources for the selected artifact type to generate a plurality of remaining sources; and 
 wherein the processor is configured to reconstitute the plurality of remaining sources into a filtered montage for the EEG signal. 
 
     
     
         10 . A method for detecting and removing EEG artifacts, the method comprising:
 separating an epoch of a EEG recording into a plurality of sources utilizing a blind source separation algorithm, each of the plurality of sources separated for a selected artifact type;   reconstituting each source of the plurality of sources into a recorded montage and an optimal reference montage for recognizing the selected artifact type of each source of the plurality of sources;   examining a plurality of channels of the optimal reference montage for each source of the plurality of sources to determine if the selected artifact type is the true artifact of each source of the plurality of sources;   determining that the selected artifact type is the true artifact of each source of the plurality of sources;   removing each source of the plurality of sources for the selected artifact type to generate a plurality of remaining sources; and   reconstituting the plurality of remaining sources into a filtered montage for the EEG signal.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10  further comprising a system for detecting and removing EEG artifacts, the system comprising:
 a plurality of electrodes for generating a plurality of EEG signals; 
 a processor connected to the plurality of electrodes to generate an EEG recording from the plurality of EEG signals; and 
 a display connected to the processor for displaying an EEG recording; 
 wherein the processor is configured to separate an epoch of a EEG recording into a plurality of sources utilizing a blind source separation algorithm, each of the plurality of sources separated for a selected artifact type; 
 wherein the processor is configured to reconstitute each source of the plurality of sources into a recorded montage and an optimal reference montage for recognizing the selected artifact type of each source of the plurality of sources; 
 wherein the processor is configured to examine a plurality of channels of the optimal reference montage for each source of the plurality of sources to determine if the selected artifact type is the true artifact of each source of the plurality of sources; 
 wherein the processor is configured to determine that the selected artifact type is the true artifact of each source of the plurality of sources; 
 wherein the processor is configured to remove each source of the plurality of sources for the selected artifact type to generate a plurality of remaining sources; and 
 wherein the processor is configured to reconstitute the plurality of remaining sources into a filtered montage for the EEG signal. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method for detecting and removing EEG artifacts, the method comprising:
 separating an EEG recording into a plurality of sources, each of the plurality of sources separated for a selected artifact type;   reconstituting a first source of the plurality of sources into a recorded montage and an optimal reference montage for recognizing a first artifact type;   examining a plurality of channels of the optimal reference montage for the first source of the plurality of sources to determine if the first artifact type is the true artifact of first source of the plurality of sources;   removing the first source of the plurality of sources for the first artifact type;   reconstituting a second source of the plurality of sources into a recorded montage and an optimal reference montage for recognizing a second artifact type;   examining a plurality of channels of the optimal reference montage for the second source of the plurality of sources to determine if the second artifact type is the true artifact of second source of the plurality of sources;   removing the second source of the plurality of sources for the second artifact type; and   reconstituting a plurality of remaining sources into a filtered montage for the EEG signal.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein the first artifact type is an eye blink artifact and the second artifact type is a muscle artifact. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein the first artifact type and the second artifact type are selected from the group comprising an eye blink artifact, a muscle artifact, a tongue movement artifact, a chewing artifact, and a heartbeat artifact. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12  further comprising a system for detecting and removing EEG artifacts, the system comprising:
 a plurality of electrodes for generating a plurality of EEG signals; 
 a processor connected to the plurality of electrodes to generate an EEG recording from the plurality of EEG signals; and 
 a display connected to the processor for displaying an EEG recording; 
 wherein the processor is configured to separate an EEG recording into a plurality of sources, each of the plurality of sources separated for a selected artifact type; 
 wherein the processor is configured to reconstitute a first source of the plurality of sources into a recorded montage and an optimal reference montage for recognizing a first artifact type; 
 wherein the processor is configured to examine a plurality of channels of the optimal reference montage for the first source of the plurality of sources to determine if the first artifact type is the true artifact of first source of the plurality of sources; 
 wherein the processor is configured to remove the first source of the plurality of sources for the first artifact type; 
 wherein the processor is configured to reconstitute a second source of the plurality of sources into a recorded montage and an optimal reference montage for recognizing a second artifact type; 
 wherein the processor is configured to examine a plurality of channels of the optimal reference montage for the second source of the plurality of sources to determine if the second artifact type is the true artifact of second source of the plurality of sources; 
 wherein the processor is configured to remove the second source of the plurality of sources for the second artifact type; and 
 wherein the processor is configured to reconstitute a plurality of remaining sources into a filtered montage for the EEG signal.