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US3901215A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of testing the senses and cognition of subjects

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-10-03
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Granted: 1975-08-26
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Expires: 1993-10-03
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Abstract

Abstract A patient who may be unable to cooperate is tested for auditory, visual and somatosensory perception and for various cognitive processes. The testing method involves selecting the conditions to be tested and, for each condition, establishing the patient''s evoked response at a base line condition and his evoked response at a changed condition, the difference being automatically statistically analyzed. The method employs a system which includes an electroencephalograph, programmed stimulators, a t test computer including an average response computer and a recorder.

Inventors

  • 👤 Erwin Roy John

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 12:00
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/24; A61B5/316; A61B5/369; A61B5/377; A61B5/16

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 134 words
The method of testing a subject''s ability to respond to different sensory stimuli, comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject''s head, amplifying the subject''s brain waves, providing a controlled timed sequence of external evoking stimuli to the subject, averaging the amplified brain waves over a number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising a base set of evoking stimuli retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; providing a conditional set of evoking stimuli and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional measure set of stimuli, wherein the computational determination of the t test, and displaying the results of said determination.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 134 words
The method of testing a subject''s ability to respond to different sensory stimuli, comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject''s head, amplifying the subject''s brain waves, providing a controlled timed sequence of external evoking stimuli to the subject, averaging the amplified brain waves over a number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising a base set of evoking stimuli retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; providing a conditional set of evoking stimuli and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional measure set of stimuli, wherein the computational determination of the t test, and displaying the results of said determination.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of testing of claim 1 to test a subject''s audiometric ability wherein the base set is silence and the conditional set is a pure tone at a predetermined intensity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 39 words
The method of testing of claim 1 to test the subject''s visual ability wherein the base set is a transmission grid at one grid spacing and the conditional set is a second transmission grid at a different grid spacing.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 161 words
The method of evaluating a subject''s perceptual ability comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject''s head, amplifying the subject''s brain waves, providing a controlled timed sequence of external evoking stimuli to the subject, averaging the amplified brain waves over a number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising base sets consisting of a repetition each of a first tone, a first sound pattern, a first color, and a first shape; retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves to said first sets of stimuli; providing a conditional set of stimuli consisting of a repetition each of a different tone, a different sound pattern, a different color and a different shape; retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response to said different stimuli; and automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional sets of stimuli and displaying the results of the determination.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 161 words
The method of evaluating a subject''s perceptual ability comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject''s head, amplifying the subject''s brain waves, providing a controlled timed sequence of external evoking stimuli to the subject, averaging the amplified brain waves over a number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising base sets consisting of a repetition each of a first tone, a first sound pattern, a first color, and a first shape; retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves to said first sets of stimuli; providing a conditional set of stimuli consisting of a repetition each of a different tone, a different sound pattern, a different color and a different shape; retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response to said different stimuli; and automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional sets of stimuli and displaying the results of the determination.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of testing of claim 4 wherein the computational determination is the t test.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 61 words
The method of Testing of claim 4 to test the subject''s perception of order, wherein an additional base set is an ordered and repetitive set of stimuli in a first pattern and an additional conditional set is an ordered and repetitive set of stimuli in a second and different pattern, including the case in which the second set is randomly ordered.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 164 words
The method of evaluating a subject''s cognitive ability, comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject''s head, providing a controlled and timed sequence of external stimuli to the subject, amplifying the subject''s brain waves, averaging the amplified brain waves over the number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising a base set of stimuli which are associated events which are regular in order or relationship and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; providing a first conditional set of evoking stimuli consisting of unassociated events which are random in order and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; and automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional sets of stimuli to provide an indication of the subject''s ability to assimilate, recall and recognize stimuli, wherein the computational determination is the t test, and displaying the results of said computation.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 164 words
The method of evaluating a subject''s cognitive ability, comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject''s head, providing a controlled and timed sequence of external stimuli to the subject, amplifying the subject''s brain waves, averaging the amplified brain waves over the number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising a base set of stimuli which are associated events which are regular in order or relationship and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; providing a first conditional set of evoking stimuli consisting of unassociated events which are random in order and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; and automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional sets of stimuli to provide an indication of the subject''s ability to assimilate, recall and recognize stimuli, wherein the computational determination is the t test, and displaying the results of said computation.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 207 words
The method of evaluating a subject''s cognitive ability, comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject''s head, providing a controlled and timed sequence of external stimuli to the subject, amplifying the subject''s brain waves, averaging the amplified brain waves over the number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising a base set of stimuli which are associated events which are regular in order or relationship and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; providing a first conditional set of evoking stimuli consisting of unassociated events which are random in order and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; and automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional sets of stimuli to provide an indication of the subject''s ability to assimilate, recall and recognize stimuli, and displaying the results of said computation, wherein to test the subject''s cognitive ability of assimilation said base set of expected events is an ordered and repetitive set of stimuli and said conditional set to provide the absence of expected events is a similar set of stimuli but with certain of the stimuli of the first set ommitted.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 207 words
The method of evaluating a subject''s cognitive ability, comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject''s head, providing a controlled and timed sequence of external stimuli to the subject, amplifying the subject''s brain waves, averaging the amplified brain waves over the number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising a base set of stimuli which are associated events which are regular in order or relationship and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; providing a first conditional set of evoking stimuli consisting of unassociated events which are random in order and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; and automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional sets of stimuli to provide an indication of the subject''s ability to assimilate, recall and recognize stimuli, and displaying the results of said computation, wherein to test the subject''s cognitive ability of assimilation said base set of expected events is an ordered and repetitive set of stimuli and said conditional set to provide the absence of expected events is a similar set of stimuli but with certain of the stimuli of the first set ommitted.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2860627A Cited
US3032029A Cited
US3498287A Cited
US3574450A Cited
US3696808A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-08-25 1979-02-24 1979-08-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-08-25 1983-02-24 1983-08-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-08-25 1987-02-24 1987-08-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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