Method for characterizing an olfactory stimulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12426826-B2
Application number	US-202217989309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2022
Priority date	Nov 17, 2021
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A method for characterizing an olfactory stimulation, including visual stimulation steps each associated with a theme and first steps of recording physiological variables carried out continuously during a first visual stimulation step, so as to obtain first physiological recordings, each first physiological recording being associated with the theme associated with the first visual stimulation step, a second olfactory stimulation step, a second step of recording values of physiological variables carried out continuously during and after the second olfactory stimulation step to obtain a second physiological recording, a step of comparing the first physiological recordings with the second physiological recording to isolate a first physiological recording close to the second physiological recording, and a step of determining a theme associated with the first physiological recording which is isolated during the comparing step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for characterizing an olfactory stimulation, the method comprising:
a plurality of first visual stimulation steps, each first visual stimulation step of the plurality of first visual stimulation steps consisting in carrying out a visual stimulation, the visual stimulation being associated with at least one identified theme;
a plurality of first steps of recording values of physiological variables, each first step of recording values of the plurality of first steps of recording values being carried out continuously during a first visual stimulation step among the plurality of first visual stimulation steps, so as to obtain a first physiological recording, the plurality of first steps of recording values of physiological variables thus resulting in obtaining a plurality of first physiological recordings, each first physiological recording of the plurality of first physiological recordings being associated with an identified theme corresponding to the at least one identified theme associated with the first visual stimulation step;
a second olfactory stimulation step, the second olfactory stimulation step consisting in carrying out an olfactory stimulation;
a second step of recording values of physiological variables, the second step of recording values of physiological variables being carried out continuously during and after the second olfactory stimulation step thus resulting in obtaining a second physiological recording;
a comparing step, the comparing step consisting in comparing the plurality of first physiological recordings with the second physiological recording, so as to isolate at least one first physiological recording of the plurality of first physiological recordings, the at least one first physiological recording being close to the second physiological recording; and
a determining step, the determining step consisting in determining at least one identified theme, the at least one identified theme being the identified theme associated with the first visual stimulation step which is isolated during the comparing step.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising a first step of recording reference measurements, the first step of recording reference measurements being carried out before any one of the stimulation steps and consisting in continuously measuring values of physiological variables in order to obtain a first reference recording.

3. The method for according to claim 2 , the method comprising a second step of recording reference measurements, the second step of recording reference measurements being carried out after or during any one of the stimulation steps and consisting in continuously measuring values of physiological variables in order to obtain a second reference recording.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of first physiological recordings comprise recordings made using a photoplethysmogram placed on a distal phalanx of a middle finger.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of first physiological recordings comprise recordings made using two electrodermal conductance electrodes on medial phalanxes of index and ring fingers.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of first physiological recordings comprise recordings made using a skin temperature sensor on a distal phalanx of a little finger.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of first physiological recordings comprise recordings of respiratory volumes.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the recordings of respiratory volumes comprise a respiratory rhythm as well as inspiration and expiration volumes.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first physiological recordings comprise recordings made using a photoplethysmogram placed on a distal phalanx of a middle finger.

10. The method according to according to claim 9 , wherein a heart rate variability is calculated in frequency and time domain.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first physiological recordings comprise recordings made using two electrodermal conductance electrodes on medial phalanxes of index and ring fingers.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first physiological recordings comprise recordings made using a skin temperature sensor on a distal phalanx of a little finger.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first physiological recordings comprise recordings of respiratory volumes.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the recordings of respiratory volumes comprise a respiratory rhythm as well as inspiration and expiration volumes.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the recordings of respiratory volumes are made using an abdominal belt allowing measuring of a thoracic or abdominal expansion and contraction and thus generating a respiration wave corresponding to variations of a respiratory volume.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each first visual stimulation step of the plurality of first visual stimulation steps comprises a first rest sub-step carried out after the visual stimulation, the first rest sub-step consisting in no longer carrying out stimulation for a first predefined time.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second olfactory stimulation step comprises a second rest sub-step carried out after the olfactory stimulation, the second rest sub-step consisting in no longer carrying out stimulation for a second predefined time.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the physiological recordings are divided and filtered.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein phasic and tonic skin conductances are calculated and represent measurement of electrodermal reaction.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a reference statistical analysis step is carried out by comparing averages of physiological recordings originating from different steps of recording values of physiological variables.

Assignees

• Robertet Sa
• Univ Cote D'Azur
• Centre Nat Rech Scient

Inventors

• Meleqi Xhino
• Pegard Anthony
• Topin Jérémie

Classifications

• A61B5/742

  using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339) · CPC title

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• G16H50/70

  for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients · CPC title

• A61M2230/06

  Heartbeat rate only · CPC title

• A61M2230/04

  Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation · CPC title