Non Contacting Bioelectric Array for Sleep Monitoring

描述（由申请人提供）： 该项目的目标是开发一种非接触式生物电极阵列，用于监测头部的EEG、EOG、EMG和ECG。非接触是指生物电极不与皮肤接触，但可以通过小的气隙分开，或者位于患者佩戴的帽子或贴片的外表面上。 拟议中的新系统建立在一种新型传感器的基础上，这种传感器可以测量微伏级自由空间的电势。2002年9月的临床试验表明，当通过棉衬衫操作时，基于新传感器的小生物电极与传统皮肤接触电极的相关性> 99%。该计划的目的是研究和克服与在头部附近使用这些传感器相关的伪影，开发一个使用最少数量传感器的完整睡眠监测系统，并在斯坦福大学的睡眠研究实验室测试该技术。 拟议的生物电极阵列是全新的，为生理信号的间隔测量提供了一种新的模式，提供了在最少或不需要皮肤准备的情况下工作的能力，并提高了安全性（电极不进行电接触）。应该可以将电极构建在帽子或衬衫的外部，以提供大大增加的舒适性和耐磨性。该系统将为睡眠研究提供舒适度的重大改进，为患者提供最小的干扰和长期在家监测的能力。此外，新系统还将在涉及ECG、EEG和EMG信号的长期和短期监测的临床护理的许多其他领域中得到广泛应用，并且应该使用于门诊监测的新系统成为可能。 潜在的应用包括用于睡眠监测的研究和临床仪器，用于家庭睡眠监测的系统，EEG和ECG活动的连续生理监测，用于烧伤患者的非接触式生物电极，用于紧急响应团队的快速应用ECG检测器，以及用于家庭护理的自应用ECG传感器。更多的机会应该存在于警觉性监测、运动设备和视频游戏中。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this program is to develop a non-contacting array of bioelectrodes for monitoring EEG, EOG, EMG and ECG on the head. By non-contacting we mean that the bioelectrodes are not in contact with the skin but can be separated by a small air gap, or located on the outer surface of a cap or patch worn by the patient. The proposed new system builds on a new class of sensor that can measure the electric potential of free-space at the microvolt level. A September 2002 clinical trial showed that when operating through a cotton shirt small bioelectrodes based on the new sensor have > 99% correlation with a conventional skin contact electrode. The aims of this program are to study and overcome artifacts associated with using these sensors in close proximity to the head, to develop a complete system for sleep monitoring using the minimum number of sensors, and to test the technology in the Sleep Research Laboratory at Stanford University. The proposed bioelectrode array is completely new and offers a new modality for standoff measurement of physiologic signals, providing the capability to work with minimal or no skin preparation, and increased safety (the electrodes do not make electrical contact). It should be possible to build the electrodes onto the outside of a cap or shirt to provide greatly increased comfort and wearability. The system would provide a major improvement in comfort for sleep studies, providing minima disturbance to the patient and the capability for long term at-home monitoring. In addition, the new system will also find wide application in many other areas of clinical care that involve long and short term monitoring of ECG, EEG, and EMG signals, and should make possible a new of new systems for outpatient monitoring. Potential applications include research and clinical instrumentation for sleep monitoring, systems for at-home monitoring of sleep, continuous physiologic monitoring of EEG and ECG activity, non-contact bioelectrodes for burn victims, rapidly applied ECG detectors for emergency response teams, and self-applied ECG sensors for home care. Further opportunities should exist in alertness monitoring, sporting equipment, and video games.