Ambulatory electroencephalography system

Claim 1

A system for unattended ambulatory neurological monitoring of a patient comprising a neurological signal recording apparatus adapted to be worn by a patient during a monitoring procedure and operable when worn without electrical connection to any apparatus not worn by the patient, said recording apparatus including: an input means for receiving a plurality of analog EEG signals, each derived from one pair of a plurality of pairs of electrodes coupled to a patient's head; an A/D converter means having a converter input coupled to the apparatus input means and a converter output, said A/D converter means producing digital signals at said converter output which represent the waveforms of analog signals received at said converter input; a digital memory means coupled to said converter output for storing digital data representing the waveforms of said analog EEG signals, said memory means storing all stored signals in digital form; a controller means for controlling the storage of data in said memory means, said controller means causing temporary storage of data in said memory means representing the waveforms of EEG signals occurring over a predetermined interval of time representing a pre-event data storage interval and causing the periodic updating of the temporarily stored data to correspond with the data occurring in the predetermined interval immediately preceding each updating, said controller means further causing, upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, the permanent storage of data in said memory means including the temporarily stored data which represents the waveforms of EEG signals occurring over the pre-event data storage interval of time immediately preceding the event and data representing the waveforms of EEG signals occurring over an interval of time immediately following the event; a self-contained power source means for providing operating power for said recording apparatus; and an output means coupled to said memory means for outputting digital waveform data derived from said stored data.

Claim 2

A system for unattended ambulatory neurological monitoring of a patient comprising a neurological signal recording apparatus adapted to be worn by a patient during a monitoring procedure and operable when worn without electrical connection to any apparatus not worn by the patient, said recording apparatus including: an input means for receiving a plurality of analog EEG signals, each derived from one pair of a plurality of pairs of electrodes coupled to a patient's head; an A/D converter means having a converter input coupled to the apparatus input means and a converter output, said A/D converter means producing digital signals at said converter output which represent the waveforms of analog signals received at said converter input; a digital memory means coupled to said converter output for storing digital data representing the waveforms of said analog EEG signals, said memory means storing all stored signals in digital form; a controller means for controlling the storage of data in said memory means, said controller means causing temporary storage of data in said memory means representing the waveforms of EEG signals occurring over a predetermined interval of time representing a pre-event data storage interval and causing the periodic updating of the temporarily stored data to correspond with the data occurring in the predetermined interval immediately preceding each updating, said controller means further causing, upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, the permanent storage of data in said memory means including the temporarily stored data which represents the waveforms of EEG signals occurring over the pre-event data storage interval of time immediately preceding the event and data representing the waveforms of EEG signals occurring over an interval of time immediately following the event; a self-contained power source means for providing operating power for said recording apparatus; and an output means coupled to said memory means for outputting digital waveform data derived from said stored data.

Claim 34

A method of determining the neurological condition of a patient comprising the steps of: a. when a patient is in a first location, securing a plurality of electrodes to the patient, said electrodes producing analog neurological electrical signals relating to said patient; b. securing a recording apparatus including a digital memory to said patient; c. coupling said electrodes to said recording apparatus; d. when the patient is in a second location different from the first location, recording digital data in said memory including data responsive to said analog neurological electrical signals produced by said patient; e. when the recording apparatus is in a third location, transferring digital data stored in recording step d to a computer system including a graphic display generator; and f. generating a graphic digital display representing data transferred to said computer system in step e.

Claim 35

A method of determining the neurological condition of a patient comprising the steps of: a. when a patient is in a first location, securing a plurality of electrodes to the patient, said electrodes producing analog neurological electrical signals relating to said patient; b. securing a recording apparatus including a digital memory to said patient; c. coupling said electrodes to said recording apparatus; d. when the patient is in a second location different from the first location, recording digital data in said memory including data responsive to said analog neurological electrical signals produced by said patient; e. when the recording apparatus is in a third location, transferring digital data stored in recording step d to a computer system including a graphic display generator; and f. generating a graphic digital display representing data transferred to said computer system in step e.