Conductivity compensation factor for assessing bioelectric measurements

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for capturing and assessing bioelectric measurements. A method includes receiving a skin resistance measurement for a skin site of a user from an electrodermal sensor and determining a standard skin conductivity value. The method includes calculating a compensation factor for the user based at least in part on the skin resistance measurement and the standard skin conductivity value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 an electrodermal sensor; and   one or more processors in electrical communication with the electrodermal sensor and configurable to execute instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable storage media, the instructions comprising:
 receiving a skin resistance measurement for a user from the electrodermal sensor; 
 determining a standard skin conductivity value; and 
 calculating a compensation factor for the user based on the skin resistance measurement and the standard skin conductivity value. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the skin resistance measurement for the user comprises receiving a plurality of skin resistance measurements from a plurality of skin sites on the user, and wherein the instructions further comprise averaging the plurality of skin resistance measurements to calculate a mean skin conductivity value for the user. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein calculating the compensation factor for the user comprises calculating based on the standard skin conductivity value and the mean skin conductivity value for the user. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a grounding device in electrical communication with the one or more processors and configured to ground the user for capturing the skin resistance measurement. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrodermal sensor comprises a plurality of probe tips for sensing resistivity of tissue, wherein each of the plurality of probe tips is independent and makes an independent measurement of resistivity of a tissue. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the instructions further comprise averaging independent measurements for resistivity of the skin of the user from each of the plurality of probe tips. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a display in electrical communication with the one or more processors and configured to display the compensation factor. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrodermal sensor further comprises a sensor hood and a grounding pad disposed within the sensor hood. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are such that:
 receiving the skin resistance measurement for the user comprises receiving a measurement for a non-meridian skin site on the user; and   determining the standard skin conductivity value comprises retrieving from memory a certain standard skin conductivity value that is predetermined based on test subjects with similarity to the user with respect to one or more of age, gender, racial background, or location of residence.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
 receiving from the electrodermal sensor a meridian resistivity measurement for a meridian pathway of the user; and   calculating a conductivity value for the user based at least in part on the compensation factor and the meridian resistivity measurement.   
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 receiving a skin resistance measurement for a skin site of a user from an electrodermal sensor;   determining a standard skin conductivity value; and   calculating a compensation factor for the user based on the skin resistance measurement and the standard skin conductivity value.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein receiving the skin resistance measurement for the user comprises receiving a plurality of skin resistance measurements from a plurality of skin sites on the user, and wherein the instructions further comprise averaging the plurality of skin resistance measurements to calculate a mean skin conductivity value for the user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein calculating the compensation factor for the user comprises calculating based on the standard skin conductivity value and the mean skin conductivity value for the user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving a plurality of independent skin resistance measurements for the skin site of the user captured by a plurality of probe tips of the electrodermal sensor; and   averaging the plurality of independent skin resistance measurements to calculate a mean skin resistance measurement for the skin site;   wherein calculating the compensation factor for the user comprises calculating based at least in part on the mean skin resistance measurement for the skin site and the standard skin conductivity value.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving from the electrodermal sensor a meridian resistivity measurement for a meridian pathway of the user; and   calculating a conductivity value for the user based at least in part on the compensation factor and the meridian resistivity measurement.   
     
     
         16 . Non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions to be executed by one or more processors, the instructions comprising:
 receiving a skin resistance measurement for a skin site of a user from an electrodermal sensor;   determining a standard skin conductivity value; and   calculating a compensation factor for the user based on the skin resistance measurement and the standard skin conductivity value.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are such that:
 receiving the skin resistance measurement for the user comprises receiving a measurement for a non-meridian skin site on the user; and   determining the standard skin conductivity value comprises retrieving from memory a certain standard skin conductivity value that is predetermined based on test subjects with similarity to the user with respect to one or more of age, gender, racial background, or location of residence.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
 receiving from the electrodermal sensor a meridian resistivity measurement for a meridian pathway of the user; and   calculating a conductivity value for the user based at least in part on the compensation factor and the meridian resistivity measurement.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein:
 receiving the skin resistance measurement for the user comprises receiving a plurality of skin resistance measurements from a plurality of skin sites on the user;   the instructions further comprise averaging the plurality of skin resistance measurements to calculate a mean skin conductivity value for the user; and   calculating the compensation factor for the user comprises calculating based on the standard skin conductivity value and the mean skin conductivity value for the user.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
 receiving a plurality of independent skin resistance measurements for the skin site of the user captured by a plurality of independent test probes of the electrodermal sensor; and   averaging the plurality of independent skin resistance measurements to calculate a mean skin resistance measurement for the skin site;   wherein calculating the compensation factor for the user comprises calculating based at least in part on the mean skin resistance measurement for the skin site and the standard skin conductivity value.