Brain activity measurement and feedback system

Abstract

A head set (2) comprises a brain electrical activity (EEG) sensing device (3) comprising EEG sensors (22) configured to be mounted on a head of a wearer so as to position the EEG sensors (22) at selected positions of interest over the wearers scalp, the EEG sensing device comprising a sensor support (4) and a flexible circuit (6) assembled to the sensor support. The sensor support and flexible circuit comprise a central stem (4a, 6a) configured to extend along a center plane of the top of the head in a direction from a nose to a centre of the back of a wearers head, a front lateral branch (4b, 6b) configured to extend across a front portion of a wearer's head extending laterally from the central stem, a center lateral branch (4c, 6c) configured to extend across a top portion of a wearer's head essentially between the wearer's ears, and a rear lateral branch (4d, 6d) configured to extend across a back portion of a wearer's head. The sensor support (4) comprises a base wall (401) and side walls (402) extending along edges of the base wall to form an essentially flat “U” shaped channel (403) in which the flexible circuit (6) is inserted and the base wall comprise EEG sensor orifices (404) to allow access to the EEG sensor contacts or electrodes on the flexible circuit.

1 . A head set comprising:
 a brain electrical activity (EEG) sensing device comprising EEG sensors configured to be mounted on a head of a wearer so as to position the EEG sensors at selected positions of interest over the wearers scalp, the EEG sensing device comprising a sensor support and a flexible circuit assembled to the sensor support, the sensor support and flexible circuit comprising a central stem configured to extend along a center plane of the top of a wearer's head in a direction from nasion to inion, a front lateral branch configured to extend across a front portion of the wearer's head extending laterally from the central stem, a center lateral branch configured to extend across a top portion of the wearer's head essentially between the wearer's ears, and a rear lateral branch configured to extend across a back portion of the wearer's head, wherein the sensor support comprises a base wall having a first side to contact the head of the wearer and side walls extending along edges of an opposite side of the base wall to form an essentially flat “U” shaped channel in which the flexible circuit is inserted and the base wall comprise EEG sensor orifices to receive a gel to allow electrical contact to be established between the scalp of the wearer and contacts of EEG sensors on the flexible circuit; further comprising a head-mounted display (HMD) fixed to a head mount frame support, wherein said “U” shaped channel is configured to bend to conform to a generally spherical or ellipsoid three dimensional from corresponding essentially to the general morphology of a top half of a human head; and   a head-mounted display (HMD) fixed to a head mount frame support and configured to be positioned over the eyes of a wearer of the headset, wherein the HMD comprises a display unit having a display comprising an electronic screen configured for positioning in front of the wearer's eyes to present visual information to the wearer, wherein said visual information is provided as part of a VR (virtual reality) environment or an AR (augmented reality) environment, the HMD further comprising a position/motion detection system operable to detect a position/motion of a body part of a user, the position/motion/detection system comprising one or more color cameras, and a depth sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The head set according to  claim 1  wherein each of the lateral branches further comprises extensions the extensions including extensions extending in a front to rear or in a rear to front direction, and wherein EEG sensors are positioned in discrete spaced apart positions along the stem, branches and extensions. 
     
     
         3 . The head set according to  claim 1  wherein a top wall or flexible sealing material is mounted or filled over the flexible circuit in the channel in order to seal in a waterproof manner the electrical circuit tracks and components on the flexible circuit within the channel. 
     
     
         4 . The head set according to  claim 1  wherein the sensor support is a single piece part molded or formed from a flexible polymeric material. 
     
     
         5 . The head set according to  claim 1  wherein the flexible circuit comprises a single piece flexible substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The head set according to any preceding claim wherein the sensor support further comprises tensioner anchors configured to anchor elastic tensioners between positions in the stem, branches and extensions of the EEG sensing device, and also between the EEG sensing device and a head mount frame support wherein the flexible circuit comprises orifices for the tensioning anchors. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The head set according to  claim 1  wherein next to each EEG sensor on the flexible circuit is positioned a discrete EEG signal amplifier configured to amplify the brain electrical activity signal picked up by the corresponding EEG sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The head set according to  claim 1  wherein the EEG sensors comprise electrodes in the form of conductive circuit pads on a surface of a substrate of the flexible circuit intended to face the wearer's scalp. 
     
     
         10 . The head set according to  claim 1  wherein the EEG sensors comprise protruding conductive compressible elements mounted on the flexible substrate and electrically connected to a circuit trace of a substrate of the flexible circuit. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The head set of  claim 1 , further comprising a head movement sensing unit at the HMD. 
     
     
         13 . The head set according to  claim 1  further comprising a wireless communication device to interconnect the HMD to external electronic devices and computing systems in a wireless fashion and an onboard power supply to power the HMD, located at the HMD. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The head set according to  claim 1 , wherein the headset further incorporates a plurality of sensors configured to measure different physiological parameters, selected from a group consisting of ECOG sensors, eye movement sensors, and head movement sensing unit. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The head set according to  claim 11 , wherein the flexible circuit comprises a pluggable electrical connector for plugging to a complementary pluggable electrical connector on the HMD. 
     
     
         18 . The head set according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible circuit comprises orifices adjacent the EEG sensor contacts or electrodes, and wherein the EEG sensor orifices overlap the flexible circuit orifices such that a through passage between a top surface and a bottom surface of the sensing device is provided. 
     
     
         19 . A head set comprising a brain electrical activity (EEG) sensing device comprising EEG sensors configured to be mounted on a head of a wearer so as to position the EEG sensors at selected positions of interest over the wearers scalp, the EEG sensing device comprising a sensor support and a flexible circuit assembled to the sensor support, the sensor support and flexible circuit comprising a central stem configured to extend along a center plane of the top of the head in a direction from nasion to inion, a front lateral branch configured to extend across a front portion of a wearer's head extending laterally from the central stem, a center lateral branch configured to extend across a top portion of a wearer's head essentially between the wearer's ears, and a rear lateral branch configured to extend across a back portion of a wearer's head, wherein the sensor support comprises a base wall comprises EEG sensor orifices to allow access to the EEG sensor contacts or electrodes on the flexible circuit, and wherein the flexible circuit comprises orifices adjacent the EEG sensor contacts or electrodes overlapping the EEG sensor orifices such that a through passage between a top surface and a bottom surface of the sensing device is provided. 
     
     
         20 . A head set comprising a brain electrical activity (EEG) sensing device comprising EEG sensors configured to be mounted on a head of a wearer so as to position the EEG sensors at selected positions of interest over the wearers scalp, the EEG sensing device comprising a sensor support and a flexible circuit assembled to the sensor support, the sensor support and flexible circuit comprising a central stem configured to extend along a center plane of the top of the head in a direction from nasion to inion, a front lateral branch configured to extend across a front portion of a wearer's head extending laterally from the central stem, a center lateral branch configured to extend across a top portion of a wearer's head essentially between the wearer's ears, and a rear lateral branch configured to extend across a back portion of a wearer's head, wherein each of the lateral branches further comprises extensions, the center lateral branches comprising extensions extending both in a front to rear and in a rear to front direction such that the center lateral branches can be elastically tensioned to both the front lateral branches and the rear lateral branches. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A physiological parameter measurement system comprising a head set, a control system, a sensing system; and a stimulation system, the sensing system comprising one or more physiological sensors including at least brain electrical activity sensors mounted in the head set, the EEG sensors configured to be mounted on a head of a wearer at selected positions of interest over the wearers scalp, the headset comprising a sensor support and a flexible circuit assembled to the sensor support, the sensor support and flexible circuit comprising a central stem configured to extend along a center plane of the top of the head in a direction from nasion to inion, a front lateral branch configured to extend across a front portion of a wearer's head extending laterally from the central stem, a center lateral branch configured to extend across a top portion of a wearer's head essentially between the wearer's ears, and a rear lateral branch configured to extend across a back portion of a wearer's head, the stimulation system comprising one or more stimulation devices including at least a visual stimulation system, the control system comprising an acquisition module configured to receive sensor signals from the sensing system, and a control module configured to process the signals from the acquisition module and control the generation of stimulation signals to one or more devices of the stimulation system, wherein the control system further comprises a clock module and wherein the control system is configured to time stamp signals related to the stimulation signals and the sensor signals with a clock signal from the clock module, enabling the stimulation signals to be synchronized with the sensor signals by means of the time stamps, and wherein said time stamped signals related to the stimulation signals comprise content code signals received from the stimulation system; wherein the sensing system comprises physiological sensors selected from a group comprising Electromyogram (EMG) sensors, Electrooculography (EOG) sensors, Electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors, Inertial Sensors (INS), Body temperature sensor, Galvanic skin sensor, pulse oximetry sensor, respiration sensors; and wherein wherein the stimulation system comprises stimulation devices selected from a group comprising audio stimulation device, Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) devices, and haptic feedback devices, said functional electrical stimulation (FES) devices being connected to the control system and operable to electrically stimulate one or more body parts of the user, the FES devices selected from a group consisting of electrodes configured to stimulate nerves or muscles, trans-cranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), direct current stimulation (tDCS), trans-cranial magnetic stimulation (T S) and trans-cranial ultrasonic stimulation. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 22  further comprising a display register configured to receive display content representing a final stage before the display content is activated on the display, the display register being configured to generate a display content code signal for transmission to the control system, a time stamp being attached to the display content code signal by the clock module. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 22  wherein each stimulation device comprises with an embedded sensor whose signal is registered by a synchronization device. 
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 22  further comprising a robotic system for driving movements of a limb of the user and configured to provide haptic feedback. 
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 22  wherein the clock module is configured to be synchronized with clock module of other systems, including external computers. 
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 22  further comprising: an exercise logic unit configured to generate visual display frames including instructions and challenges to the display unit; and/or an events manager unit configured to generate and transmit stimulation parameters to the stimulation unit. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled)