JP3372043B2 - Brain wave guidance device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electroencephalogram guiding apparatus for efficiently guiding a target electroencephalogram. 2. Description of the Related Art It is known that there is a close relationship between human brain waves and their physiological and psychological states. For example, when you are in a relaxed state, alpha waves (about 8-13Hz)
Occurs frequently, and in the active state, the β wave (about 14-3
0 Hz) and a lot of θ waves (about 4 to 7 Hz) when it becomes sleepy. Conversely, if guidance is performed so as to generate a large number of predetermined brain waves, a corresponding physiological / psychological state is likely to occur. Therefore, conventionally, the interaction between such an electroencephalogram and its physiological and psychological states is utilized,
Inducing α waves by applying stimulation to the body from the outside,
Various devices have been developed to lead the body and mind to a relaxed state, to reduce stress and unify the mind. [0004] For example, there is Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 1-205780 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-70572) filed by the applicant company of the present invention. This is provided with a light-shielding plate for covering the eye surface of the subject at a face position of a headband detachably attached to the head of the subject, a light-emitting unit for photostimulation for guiding brain waves to a predetermined position inside the light-shielding plate, and a subject. An electroencephalogram electrode contacting a predetermined position of the head is provided, and based on the electroencephalogram signal detected by this electrode, a predetermined light stimulus signal corresponding to an electroencephalogram intended for guidance is created and the light emitting unit is formed. And an electroencephalogram signal processing unit to be transmitted. When the headband configured as described above is worn on the subject's head and the face is covered with a light-shielding plate, external light is blocked by the light-shielding plate. Then, the electroencephalogram electrode is brought into contact with a predetermined position on the face to pick up the electroencephalogram of the subject. Then, the electroencephalogram signal processing unit generates a predetermined light stimulus signal corresponding to the electroencephalogram for the purpose of guidance based on the electroencephalogram signal transmitted from the electroencephalogram electrode, and transmits the signal to the light emitting unit. Therefore, the light emitting section blinks in accordance with the light stimulus signal, and gives a light stimulus to the eyelid of the subject whose eyes are closed. [0006] In the above-described conventional electroencephalogram guiding apparatus, a headband must be worn on the head, and the light emitting portion blinks in front of the face. I felt more annoying than light stimulation, and it was hard to be in a relaxed state. Although a black translucent plate was used as the light-shielding plate, the black light-shielding plate allows red light in the disturbance light to pass through. There was a problem that the target brain wave could not be efficiently guided due to the red inside. [0007] The electroencephalogram guiding apparatus of the present invention is intended to solve the above-described problems. The object is to allow a subject to receive a red light stimulus in a natural state while sitting on a chair. Brain wave guidance can be performed in a relaxed state, and since red disturbance light is blocked and only red light stimulation is received from the light emitting part, it is necessary to provide an electroencephalogram guidance device that can efficiently guide the target brain wave. To be. [0008] brain wave inducing apparatus of the present invention SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The intended to St achieve the object mentioned above, the means, chair
A hood that is attached to the child's backrest and covers the subject's face
And a light stimulus that is attached to the inner surface of the hood and induces brain waves
Light-emitting part for detection and EEG attached to subject's forehead
And the detection signal from the electroencephalogram electrode
Select only predetermined frequency components corresponding to brain waves to be induced
Bandpass filter to pass through, and the output of the bandpass filter
Level adjustment to adjust the signal amplitude level to a predetermined level
Means and a predetermined body stimulus by using an output signal of the level adjusting means.
Conversion means for converting the signal into a signal and outputting the signal to the light emitting unit.
An electroencephalogram guiding apparatus comprising: an electroencephalogram processing unit;
Has a red cutoff filter, and the light emitting section emits red light
It is characterized by doing . The electroencephalogram guiding apparatus of the present invention, constructed as described above, has a red stab on the inner surface of the hood attached to the backrest of the chair.
A light-emitting section that emits intense light is attached, and the hood is
With the EEG electrode set on the forehead with the surface covered, the EEG
By driving the signal processing unit, the electrode for brain wave is used.
Guided based on the subject's own brain waves picked up
Create a light stimulus signal corresponding to the brain wave for the purpose of
The light stimulus signal is sent to the light emitting unit to lightly stimulate the subject . Further, the above-mentioned hood blocks the red light.
That by constructing in filters, since the red light in the disturbance to the subject is interrupted, in the eyes of the subject are those irradiated red stimulation light from the light emitting portion. An embodiment of an electroencephalogram guiding apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 in the chair speaker unit is mounted for vibrating the subject on the back of at least the backrest 1a, a chair backrest 1 a and the foot rest 1c are undulating freely formed relative to the seat 1 b. Reference numeral 2 denotes a capsule fixed to the upper end of the backrest 1a of the chair 1 and covers the subject's head. Reference numeral 3 denotes a red filter such as a blue filter rotatably supported at both ends of the outer peripheral surface of the capsule 2. A translucent hood that blocks light is configured to cover the upper surface of the capsule 2 when pushed up, and to cover the face of the subject sitting on the chair 1 when pushed down. And this hood 3
A plurality of red light-emitting diodes or other light-emitting portions 4 that emit red light are mounted in a line on the inner surface side of the opening edge. It is assumed that a driver circuit is incorporated in the light emitting unit 4. Reference numeral 5 denotes a speaker attached to the capsule 2, which is adjustably attached so that it can be arranged at the ear position of the subject sitting on the chair 1. Reference numeral 6 denotes a source for outputting a music signal to the speaker 5 and a speaker unit attached to the back of the backrest 1a , and is attached to the armrest 1d of the chair 1. Next, an electroencephalogram signal processing section for blinking the light emitting section 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 7
a and 7b are a pair of electrodes for picking up brain waves from the forehead of the subject, 8 is a biological amplifier that amplifies the brain wave signals picked up by the electrodes 7a and 7b to a signal level suitable for subsequent processing, and 9 is a band. The filter 10 is an automatic level adjustment circuit. The bandpass filter 9 passes only a signal component corresponding to a target brain wave in the brain wave signal. For example, when an α wave (8 to 13 Hz) is induced, the center frequency f of the pass band is used. ₀ = 10Hz, Q = 10 of the circuit,
When the θ wave (4 to 7 Hz) is induced, f ₀ = 5 Hz, Q =
10, when a β wave (14 to 30 Hz) is induced, f ₀
= 20 Hz, Q = 4, etc. The automatic level adjusting circuit 10 comprises, for example, an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit which always keeps the signal level constant, or a limiter or a clipper which keeps the maximum amplitude below a certain value. A circuit is used. Next, the operation will be described with reference to an example in which an α wave is induced. When an α wave is induced, as described above, the center frequency f ₀ of the pass band of the bandpass filter 9 and the Q of the circuit are set to, for example, f ₀ = 10 Hz and Q = 10. When the subject sits on a chair and turns the hood 3 with respect to the capsule 2 so that the hood 3 covers the face, the brain wave electrodes 7a and 7b are positioned at the optimal positions of the forehead. Set to. Then, when a switch of a device (not shown) is turned on, the electrodes 7 a and 7 b pick up brain waves from the forehead and send them to the biological amplifier 8. The brain wave signal is amplified by the biological amplifier 8 and then sent to the bandpass filter 9 where only the frequency component near 10 Hz corresponding to the target α wave is selected and sent to the automatic level adjustment circuit 10. . The automatic level adjustment circuit 10 adjusts the output signal sent from the bandpass filter 9 to a predetermined level,
Send to light emitting unit 4. The light-emitting unit 4 controls the light-emitting unit 4 such as a light-emitting diode to blink with the α-wave component signal in the vicinity of 10 Hz whose level is adjusted, and irradiates the user with red blinking light synchronized with the α-wave. At this time, since the red light in the external light is blocked by the hood 3 as a filter, the subject sees the red light from the light emitting unit 4. When the subject receives the light stimulus due to the blinking light, the α wave in the brain wave is strongly induced by the pull-in phenomenon. Then, the induced brain waves are again applied to the electrodes 7a,
7b, and sent to the biological amplifier 8,
The above operation is repeated. Therefore, when the induction of the brain wave is started, a closed loop is formed between the apparatus of the present invention and the subject, and a kind of oscillating circuit using the α-wave component signal selected by the bandpass filter 9 as the oscillating frequency is formed. As a result, the α-waves in the brain waves gradually become stronger, and the α-wave content rate and the α-wave peak value increase remarkably. FIGS. 4 and 5 show measured waveforms of α-wave induction. FIG. 4 is a waveform when the light stimulus is performed at an appropriate level in the above embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a waveform when the light stimulus is too strong without performing the level adjustment. As is apparent from a comparison between FIG. 4 and FIG.
If the light stimulus is too strong, the waving phenomenon occurs due to the physiological and psychological defense reactions of the living body described above, and the α wave will be generated intermittently, but if the light stimulus is appropriate,
It can be seen that α waves are continuously induced. Since the device of the present invention forms a kind of oscillation circuit including the subject in a closed loop, the blinking timing of the stimulating light emitted from the light emitting section 4 and the maximum / minimum position of the change in the amplitude of the α-wave. If the phases are aligned so that と coincides with each other, more efficient guidance can be performed. In order to make the phases uniform, the phase may be corrected by the bandpass filter 9, the automatic level adjustment circuit 10, or the light emitting unit 4, or a phase correction circuit may be inserted in the middle of the circuit. The embodiment described above is an example in which an α wave is induced. However, if the pass band frequency of the bandpass filter is changed, a θ wave and a β wave can be similarly induced. Although the brain wave itself is used as the physiological change signal of the body, physiological phenomena such as skin potential, skin vibration, and skin resistance having a certain correlation with the brain wave can be used instead of the brain wave. As described above, the present invention relates to the backrest of a chair.
Mounting a light emitting unit that emits red light on the inner surface of the intake Tagged hood by the hood sets the EEG electrodes on the forehead in a state of being rotated in front of the subject to drive the electroencephalogram signal processing unit Based on the subject's own brain wave picked up by the brain wave electrode, a light stimulation signal corresponding to the brain wave intended for guidance is created, and the light stimulation signal is sent to the light emitting unit to light-stimulate the subject in red. since the way, subjects can receive light stimulus in a relaxed state that is isolated from the surrounding environment by a hood, thus, quickly enters the induced state of interest (e.g. Rira' box state)
It is easy . Further, since a filter in which the the hood blocks the red light, is blocked red light in the ambient light to the subject without being only red from the light emitting portion irradiated, therefore,
It has an effect that a target brain wave can be efficiently induced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair which is a part of an electroencephalogram guiding apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a hood unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electroencephalogram signal processing unit. FIG. 4 is an actually measured waveform diagram of α-wave induction when light stimulation is appropriate. FIG. 5 is an actually measured waveform chart of α-wave induction when light stimulation is too strong. [Description of Signs] 1 Chair 1a Backrest 3 Hood 4 Light emitting units 7a, 7b Electroencephalogram electrode 8 Biological amplifier 9 Bandpass filter 10 Level automatic adjustment circuit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61M 21/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] [Claim 1] The subject's face attached to the backrest of the chair
A hood covering the surface , and a light stimulus attached to the inner surface of the hood for inducing brain waves
Emitting part and EEG electrode attached to the forehead of subject to detect EEG
And an electroencephalogram to be induced from a detection signal from the electroencephalogram electrode.
Selectively pass only predetermined frequency components corresponding to
A bandpass filter and an amplitude level of an output signal of the bandpass filter.
Level adjusting means for adjusting the level to a predetermined level;
Before converting the output signal of the
An electroencephalogram processing unit having a conversion unit for outputting to the light emitting unit.
In the electroencephalogram guiding apparatus provided, the hood has a red cutoff filter, and the light emitting section emits red light .