Method and apparatus for brain waveform examination

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 wherein means for determining said characteristic in step (g) determines the characteristic of a plurality of said points in each resultant brain waveform.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1 including the step of feeding signals back to said source each corresponding to a mathematically determinable point of the brain waveforms of the subject to control initiation of the moment of stimulation following random time intervals.

Claim 5

Apparatus for determining the response of a subject to an external stimulus including: detection means capable of being so positioned in relation to a subject as to be able to detect the electrical activity of the brain, said brain activity comprising a plurality of brain waveforms, a source of stimulation adapted to be positioned in an operative position in relation to the subject, control means for causing said source to be activated a number of times in succession to provide a plurality of subject stimuli, pulse generating means electrically connected with said control means and for generating a plurality of successive pulses, spaced from each other in time and fed to said source to cause said source to be activated to produce an individual resultant brain waveform in said electrical activity, first determining means for determining the passage of each of said resultant brain waveforms through at least one particular selected mathematically determinable point, characteristic determining means for determining a characteristic of said particular selected mathematically determinable point in the respective resultant brain waveform, summation means for providing the sum of said characteristic for said plurality of subject stimuli, dividing means for effectively dividing said sum of characteristics by the number of said stimuli and providing an indication of the average value of said characteristic wherein said characteristic is the time interval between activation of said source of stimulation and the second falling zero crossing of the brain waveform, said average value being identified as the A score of the subject, said summation means obtaining the sum of the time intervals from the activation of said source of stimulation and the third falling zero crossing and effectively dividing the latter sum by the number of stimuli to provide an average value of the third falling zero crossings identified as the B score, and utilization means for utilizing said A score and said B score to indicate the condition of the subject.

Claim 6

Apparatus for determining the response of a subject to an external stimulus including: detection means capable of being so positioned in relation to a subject as to be able to detect the electrical activity of the brain, said brain activity comprising a plurality of brain waveforms, a source of stimulation adapted to be positioned in an operative position in relation to the subject, control means for causing said source to be activated a number of times in succession to provide a plurality of subject stimuli, pulse generating means electrically connected with said control means and for generating a plurality of successive pulses, spaced from each other in time and fed to said source to cause said source to be activated to produce an individual resultant brain waveform in said electrical activity, first determining means for determining the passage of each of said resultant brain waveforms through at least one particular selected mathematically determinable point, characteristic determining means for determining a characteristic of said particular selected mathematically determinable point in the respective resultant brain waveform, summation means for providing the sum of said characteristic for said plurality of subject stimuli, dividing means for effectively dividing said sum of characteristics by the number of said stimuli and providing an indication of the average value of said characteristic wherein said characteristic is the time interval between activation of said source of stimulation and the second falling zero crossing of the brain waveform, said average value being identified as the A score of the subject, said summation means obtaining the sum of the time intervals from the activation of said source of stimulation and the third falling zero crossing and effectively dividing the latter sum by the number of stimuli to provide an average value of the third falling zero crossings identified as the B score, and utilization means for utilizing said A score and said B score to indicate the condition of the subject.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said characteristic determining means determines the characteristic of a plurality of said points in each resultant brain waveform.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 4 including feedback means comprising a closed-loop feedback path to feed signals back to said source each corresponding to a mathematically determinable point of the brain waveforms of the subject to control initiation of the moment of stimulation following random time intervals.

Claim 11

Apparatus for determining the response of a subject to an external stimulus including: detection means capable of being so positioned in relation to a subject as to be albe to detect the electrical activity of the brain, said brain activity comprising a plurality of brain waveforms, first determining means for determining the passage of each of said brain waveforms through at least one particular selected mathematically determinable point, characteristic determining means for determining a characteristic of a respective brain waveform at said particular selected mathematically determinable point in the respective brain waveform, summation means for providing the sum of said characteristic for said plurality of brain waveforms, and dividing means for effectively dividing said sum of characteristics by the number of said stimuli and providing an indication of the average value of said characteristic, wherein said characteristic is the time interval to the second falling zero crossing of the brain waveform, said average value being identified as the A score of the subject, said summation means obtaining the sum of the time interval to the third falling zero crossing and effectively dividing the latter sum by the number of brain waveforms to provide an average value of the third falling zero crossings identified as the B score, and utilization means for utilizing said A score and said B score to indicate the condition of the subject.

Claim 12

Apparatus for determining the response of a subject to an external stimulus including: detection means capable of being so positioned in relation to a subject as to be albe to detect the electrical activity of the brain, said brain activity comprising a plurality of brain waveforms, first determining means for determining the passage of each of said brain waveforms through at least one particular selected mathematically determinable point, characteristic determining means for determining a characteristic of a respective brain waveform at said particular selected mathematically determinable point in the respective brain waveform, summation means for providing the sum of said characteristic for said plurality of brain waveforms, and dividing means for effectively dividing said sum of characteristics by the number of said stimuli and providing an indication of the average value of said characteristic, wherein said characteristic is the time interval to the second falling zero crossing of the brain waveform, said average value being identified as the A score of the subject, said summation means obtaining the sum of the time interval to the third falling zero crossing and effectively dividing the latter sum by the number of brain waveforms to provide an average value of the third falling zero crossings identified as the B score, and utilization means for utilizing said A score and said B score to indicate the condition of the subject.