Electrode for Attention Training Techniques

Abstract

An electrode includes a core of beryllium copper alloy and a safe metal coating. In some embodiments, the beryllium copper alloy comprises more than three percent beryllium, less than three percent other metals and a remaining percent copper. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a headband, and a first and second safe metal coated copper-beryllium alloy electrode. The headband is configured to fit snugly to a head of a subject in an orientation from behind a first ear, across a crown of the subject, to a position behind a second ear. The first electrode and second electrode are disposed in the headband to contact a head of the subject at a first position and a different second position, respectively, without gels. In various embodiments, the headband includes a chip to determine an analog signal and transmit data; and, a system includes the headband and a signal analyzing unit.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus comprising:
 a headband configured to fit snugly to a head of a subject in an orientation from behind a first ear of the subject, across a top of a crown of the subject, to a position behind a second ear of the subject;   a first electrode disposed in the headband to contact a head of the subject at a first position; and   a second electrode disposed in the headband to contact the head of the subject at a different second position.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode extends perpendicular to the headband. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has a contact area on the headband. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first position corresponds about to a Cz location on the subject according to the 10-20 electrode placement system of the International Federation of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the second position corresponds about to a mastoid location on the subject. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode makes electrical contact with the head of the subject with an electrical impedance of less than about 3 kilo ohms upon simple contact pressure provided by the headset and without abrasion or application of a gel or a liquid. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a chip-set disposed on the headband, wherein the chip set is configured to:
 determine an analog signal based on a first signal received from the first electrode and a second signal received from the second electrode; and   transmit, wirelessly, data that indicates the analog signal.   
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein to transmit the digital data further comprises to transmit the digital data over a short distance using BLUETOOTH™ protocol. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the analog signal indicates a common mode noise reduced difference between the first signal and the second signal in a frequency band from at least about four (4) Hertz to at least about twenty (20) Hertz, comprising beta brain waves and theta brain waves. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the analog signal indicates a common mode noise reduced difference between the first signal and the second signal in a frequency band from about one quarter (0.25) Hertz to about forty (40) Hertz, comprising alpha brain waves, beta brain waves, delta brain waves and theta brain waves. 
     
     
         22 . A system comprising:
 an apparatus comprising a headband configured to fit snugly to a head of a subject in an orientation from behind a first ear of the subject, across a top of a crown of the subject, to a position behind a second ear of the subject a first electrode disposed in the headband to contact a head of the subject at a first position; a second electrode disposed in the headband to contact the head of the subject at a different second position; and a chip-set disposed on the headband, wherein the chip set is configured to determine an analog signal based on a first signal received from the first electrode and a second signal received from the second electrode and transmit, wirelessly, data that indicates the analog signal; and   a signal analyzing unit comprising at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,   the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the signal analyzing unit to perform at least the following:
 receive wirelessly the digital data; 
 determine, based on the digital data, at least a first frequency band and a different second frequency band selected from a group comprising an alpha brain wave band, a beta brain wave band, a delta brain wave band and a theta brain wave band, 
 determine a score based on a strength or peak frequency of the first frequency band and a strength or peak frequency of the second frequency band, and 
 cause a stimulus to be presented to the subject based at least in part on the score. 
   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the signal analyzing unit to cause data that indicates the subject and the score to be made available to a client host. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising a client host, wherein the client host comprises:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,   the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the signal analyzing unit to perform at least the following:
 transmit a request message for data corresponding to the subject; 
 in response to transmitting the request, receiving first data that indicates the subject and the score; and 
 presenting, to a human user, second data that indicates the subject and the score. 
   
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 determining a first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace at an active electrode in contact with a first position on a subject;   determining a second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace at a reference electrode in contact with a different second position on the subject, wherein each of the active electrode and reference electrode is disposed in a corresponding position on a headband;   determining, in a chip set disposed in the headband, an analog signal temporal trace based on the first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace and the second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace; and   transmitting, from the chip set disposed in the headband, digital data that indicates the analog signal temporal trace.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claims 25 , wherein transmitting the digital data further comprises transmitting the digital data over a short distance using BLUETOOTH™ protocol. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claims 25 , wherein determining the analog signal temporal trace further comprises determining a common mode noise reduced difference between the first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace and the second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace in a frequency band from at least about four (4) Hertz to at least about twenty (20) Hertz, comprising beta brain waves and theta brain waves. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claims 25 , wherein the analog signal temporal trace indicates a common mode noise reduced difference between the first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace and the second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace in a frequency band from about one quarter (0.25) Hertz to at least about forty (40) Hertz, comprising alpha brain waves, beta brain waves, delta brain waves and theta brain waves. 
     
     
         29 . A method comprising:
 receiving wirelessly data that indicates an analog signal temporal trace based on a first electroencephalogram potential temporal trace of a subject and a different second electroencephalogram potential temporal trace of the subject;   determining, based on the data, at least a first frequency band and a different second frequency band selected from a group comprising an alpha brain wave band, a beta brain wave band, a delta brain wave band and a theta brain wave band;   determining a score based on a strength or peak frequency of the first frequency band and a strength or peak frequency of the second frequency band; and   causing a stimulus to be presented to the subject based at least in part on the score.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claims 29 , further comprising causing the signal analyzing unit to cause data that indicates the subject and the score to be made available to a client host. 
     
     
         31 . A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform one or more steps of  claim 25 . 
     
     
         32 . A computer program product including one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the steps of the method of  claim 25 . 
     
     
         33 . (canceled)