Ear canal plug for detecting bio-electrical signals
AssigneeT&W Engineering A/S
InventorMikael Andersen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ear plug for arrangement in an ear canal includes at least two electrodes for detecting an EEG signal from a skin surface when the ear plug is arranged in the ear canal. The ear plug further includes a housing having an outer wall made from a resilient material, and a signal acquisition circuit. The electrodes are provided with a skin contact part arranged on an outside surface of the housing and connected through the outer wall of the housing to a supporting member on the inner part of the housing. The skin contact part and the supporting member are arranged for clamping the outer wall.
Claims19
An ear plug for arrangement in an ear canal, the ear plug comprising
- at least two electrodes prepared for detecting an EEG signal from a skin surface when the ear plug is arranged in the ear canal,
- a flexible connection element combining the signals from the at least two electrodes,
- a housing having an outer wall made from a resilient material, and
- at least one amplifying circuit in said housing and connected to said flexible connection element for processing said EEG signal detected by said electrodes,
- the electrodes being provided with a skin contact part arranged on an outside surface of the housing and connected through the outer wall of the housing to a supporting member on an inner part of the housing, the skin contact part and the supporting member being arranged for clamping the outer wall.
A method for manufacturing an EEG monitor comprising the steps of:
- providing an ear plug housing having a resilient outer wall,
- providing at least one EEG electrode, separated into a skin contact part and a supporting member,
- connecting the supporting member to an electronic circuit via a flexible connection element, arranging the supporting member with the electronic circuit inside the ear plug housing,
- connecting the skin contact part from the outside of the ear plug housing to the supporting member through a pre-arranged hole in the outer wall, such that the skin contact part and the supporting member are arranged for clamping the outer wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.