MEASURING DEVICE FOR MEASURING BIOSIGNALS OF A CREATURE AND CORRESPONDING METHOD

Abstract

What is disclosed is a measuring device for measuring biosignals of a creature comprising a measurement electrode, a stimulation electrode and a control unit. The control unit stimulates by means of the stimulation electrode nerve fibers of the body of the creature at a positioning location of the measurement electrode, such that sweat is produced at the positioning location. The invention also refers to a corresponding method.

Claims

1. A measuring device for measuring biosignals of a creature, comprising: at least one measurement electrode for determining biosignals of a body of the creature, at least one stimulation electrode for stimulating nerve fibers of the body in order to effect a perspiration of the body, and a control unit being coupled with the at least one stimulation electrode, wherein the control unit is configured to stimulate by means of the at least one stimulation electrode nerve fibers of the body at a positioning location of the at least one measurement electrode, such that sweat is produced at the positioning location of the at least one measurement electrode to improve contact between the at least one measurement electrode and the body.

2. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the biosignals are used to perform at least one of an electrocardiogram, an electromyogram, an electrogastrogram, an electrooculogram and an electroencephalogram.

3. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the biosignals are obtained by means of a measurement of electric potential differences due to electrophysiological signals.

4. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the control unit being coupled further with the at least one measurement electrode.

5. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises at least two measurement electrodes.

6. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises at least two stimulation electrodes, and wherein the control unit is configured to stimulate by means of the at least two stimulation electrodes the nerve fibers of the body at the positioning location of the at least one measurement electrode.

7. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement electrode is configured to serve both as a measurement electrode and as a stimulation electrode, and wherein the control unit is configured to supply the at least one measurement electrode with signals in order to stimulate the nerve fibers of the body, such that the measurement electrode acts as the stimulating electrode.

8. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises a sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to provide a sensor signal being dependent on the sweat produced at the positioning location of the at least one measurement electrode.

9. The measuring device of claim 8, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the biosignals by means of the at least one measurement electrode and to stimulate the nerve fibers of the body by means of the at least one stimulating electrode based on the sensor signal of the sensor.

10. The measuring device of claim 8, wherein the at least one measurement electrode and/or the at least one stimulating electrode serve/serves as the sensor.

11. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the biosignals by means of the at least one measurement electrode and to stimulate the nerve fibers of the body by means of the at least one stimulating electrode based on a measurement of the at least one measurement electrode.

12. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to supply the at least one stimulation electrode electric signals for stimulating the nerve fibers.

13. The measuring device of claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to set a frequency and/or an amplitude and/or a signal form and/or a duty cycle and/or a phase of the electric signals.

14. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the biosignals by means of the at least one measurement electrode and to stimulate the nerve fibers of the body by means of the at least one stimulating electrode at the same time.

15. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to stimulate the nerve fibers of the body by means of the at least one stimulating electrode during a predetermined stimulation time interval, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine the biosignals by means of the at least one measurement electrode during a predetermined measuring time interval following the stimulation time interval.

16. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement electrode is a dry electrode.

17. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the improved contact between the at least one measurement electrode and the body reduces a skin-electrode impedance.

18. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the improved contact between the at least one measurement electrode and the body improves the adhesion of the at least one measurement electrode on the body.

19. A method for measuring biosignals of a creature, comprising: stimulating nerve fibers of a body of the creature by means of at least one stimulation electrode in order to effect a perspiration of the body at least at a positioning location of at least one measuring electrode, such that sweat is produced at the positioning location of the at least one measurement electrode to improve contact between the at least one measurement electrode and the body, and determining biosignals of the body by means of the at least one measurement electrode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0081] Embodiments of the present invention will be detailed subsequently referring to the appended drawings, in which:

[0082] FIG. 1 illustrates a measurement using the measuring device;

[0083] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the measuring device;

[0084] FIG. 3 shows a different embodiment of the measuring device; and

[0085] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the measuring device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0086] FIG. 1 illustrates a measurement of biosignals of a body 100 of a creaturehere a human beingusing the measuring device 1.

[0087] In the shown embodiment, the measuring device 1 comprises six electrodes: two measurement electrodes 2 and four stimulation electrodes 3 where two stimulation electrodes 3 are arranged around each measurement electrode 2.

[0088] The measurement electrodes 2 for a single-channel ECG measurement are positioned at two positioning locations P and allow in the shown embodiment the measurement of an electrocardiogram of the body 100. For an improved contact between the measurement electrodes 2 and the body 100, the stimulation electrodes 3 are used.

[0089] The stimulation electrodes 3 stimulate the efferent nerve fibers under the respective measurement electrode 2 by electric impulses, whereby acetylcholine is released which again stimulates the activity of sweat glands. This results in an increased local sweat rate, especially at the positioning locations P. Additionally, circulation of the affected tissue is increased. The sweat serves as natural electrolyte between measuring electrode 2 and skin of the body 100 and results in a more stable measurement of biosignals due to low skin-electrode impedance.

[0090] Hence, in the shown embodiment two stimulation electrodes 3 are used for stimulating perspiration at the positioning location P of each measurement electrode 2. In a differentand not shownembodiment, the stimulation electrodes 3 are located around an array of measurement electrodes 2.

[0091] For the stimulation, the stimulation electrodes 3 are supplied with electric signals, here electric pulses where the signal form, the amplitude and/or the frequency of the pulses are set according to the requirements of the measurement.

[0092] The measuring device 1 of FIG. 2 shows the control unit 4 being connected in this embodiment with two measurement electrodes 2 and two stimulation electrodes 3 for each measurement electrode 2. Additionally, a sensor 5 is located close to one measurement electrode 2. This sensor 5 provides a sensor signal that is dependent on the sweat in its vicinity and, thus, at the positioning location P of the measurement electrode 2. The sensor signal allows the control unit 4 to set the parameters of the signals supplied to the stimulation electrodes 3 in order to achieve desired measurement conditions for the measurement electrodes 2.

[0093] The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 as two measurement and stimulation electrodes 2, 3 are given which serve as measurement electrodes 2 as well as stimulation electrodes 3. Hence, all-in-all four electrodes are used. In the shown embodiment, for each measurement and stimulation electrode 2, 3 a stimulation electrode 3 is located close by. For the stimulation of the perspiration, electric pulses are supplied to the measurement and stimulation electrode 2, 3 and to the respective stimulation electrode 3. For the measurement of the ECG, signals are tapped from the measurement and stimulation electrodes 2, 3.

[0094] The measurement device 1 shown in FIG. 4 comprises just two electrodes which serve both as measurement electrode 2 and stimulation electrode 3 and which are located at the two positioning locations P. For the stimulation purpose, both measurement and stimulation electrodes 2, 3 are supplied with the stimulation signal. For the measurement, both measurement and stimulation electrodes 2, 3 are used for measuring the biosignals of the body 100.

[0095] Although some aspects have been described in the context of an apparatus, it is clear that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding method. Analogously, aspects described in the context of a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block or item or feature of a corresponding apparatus.

[0096] While this invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents which will be apparent to others skilled in the art and which fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and compositions of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.