Apparatus, method, and computer-readable recording medium for generating tactile sensation through non-invasive brain stimulation using ultrasonic waves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015251023-A1
Application number	US-201414285807-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 23, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	Sep 10, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating a tactile sensation through non-invasive brain stimulation by using ultrasonic waves. The apparatus includes: an ultrasonic transducer module for inputting the ultrasonic waves to stimulate a specific part of the brain of a specified user non-invasively through at least one ultrasonic transducer unit; a compensating module for acquiring information on a range of tactile perception areas in the brain of the specified user and compensating properties of ultrasonic waves to be inputted to the specified user through the ultrasonic transducer unit by referring to the acquired information thereon; and an ultrasonic waves generating module for generating ultrasonic waves to be inputted to the specified user through the ultrasonic transducer unit by referring to a compensating value decided by the compensating module.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for creating a tactile sensation through non-invasive brain stimulation by using ultrasonic waves, comprising:
at least one support fixture for fixing the apparatus to a head of a specified user; a brain activity monitoring sensor supported by at least one support fixture, said brain activity monitoring sensor for acquiring information on a range of tactile perception areas in the brain of the specified user; at least one processor in electronic communication with the brain activity monitoring sensor, said processor for determining a compensating value for ultrasonic waves to stimulate a specific tactile sensation upon being inputted to the specified user through the ultrasonic transducer unit based on the acquired information thereon; said at least one processor further for determining properties of ultrasonic waves to stimulate the specific tactile sensation upon being inputted to the specified user by referring to the compensating value determined by the at least one processor; and at least one ultrasonic transducer unit supported by at least one support fixture and in electronic communication with said at least one processor to receive said properties of said ultrasonic waves, said ultrasonic transducer unit for generating and inputting the ultrasonic waves having said properties into the brain of the specified user to stimulate the specific tactile sensation within the brain of the specified user non-invasively.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the brain activity monitoring sensor acquires the information on the range of the tactile perception areas in the brain of the specified user by referring to a first tactile perception location in the tactile perception areas in the brain that perceives stimulation to a first body part of the specified user, when inputted, and a second tactile perception location in the tactile perception areas that perceives stimulation to a second body part, when inputted, and said processor determines properties of the ultrasonic waves to be inputted to the specified user through the ultrasonic transducer unit by referring to the acquired information on the range of the tactile perception areas in the brain of the specified user.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor determines the compensating value for the ultrasonic waves to be inputted to the specified user through the ultrasonic transducer unit by referring to a path from the first tactile perception location to the second tactile perception location along the tactile perception areas in the brain of the specified user.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first body part is a first finger of one hand of the specified user and the second body part is a second finger thereof.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor, based on information from the brain activity monitoring sensor, additionally adjusts a physical location of the ultrasonic transducer unit on the brain of the specified user to adjust the location of the brain of the specified user on which the ultrasonic waves are focused.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the brain activity monitoring sensor acquires information on the range of a specific tactile perception area, among all the tactile perception areas, in the brain of the specified user used to feel a certain tactile sensation or deciding an accurate range of the tactile perception areas in the brain at a present status by monitoring the size of the brain which is changed depending on an emotion and a mental state of the specified user; and the processor adjusts a location of a focal point of the ultrasonic transducer unit which is focused on the brain of the specified user by referring to the information on the range of the specific tactile perception areas and the accurate size of the brain at the present status acquired through the brain activity monitoring sensor.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the brain activity monitoring sensor acquires information on a first tactile perception location in the tactile perception areas in the brain that perceives stimulation to a first body part of the specified user, when inputted, and a second tactile perception location in the tactile perception areas that perceives stimulation to a second body part, when inputted, and acquires the information on the range of the tactile perception areas in the brain of the specified user by referring to the information on the first and the second tactile perception locations.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor adjusts a location on the brain of the specified user on which the ultrasonic waves are focused at a state with three degrees of freedom.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor adjusts the three degrees of freedom with software or adjusts two thereof with hardware, and the other with software.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least some of strengths, frequencies, and phase differences of the ultrasonic waves inputted to the specified user through the ultrasonic transducer unit are adjusted with software, and the physical location of the ultrasonic transducer unit on the brain of the specified user is adjusted with hardware.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor further determining properties of the ultrasonic waves to be inputted to the specified user based on at least some of thickness of the skull of the brain of the specific user and that of skin or internal fat layer thereof.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor further determines properties of the ultrasonic waves to be inputted by referring to the transmission properties of the ultrasonic waves including reflection and/or refraction attributes of the skull of the brain of the specified user.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
a brain map database stored in an electronic memory for recording information on locations on the brain to be stimulated to transmit various senses of touch and the properties of the ultrasonic waves to transmit the senses of touch, and wherein the processor decides data recorded in the brain map database as a reference value and determines the properties of the ultrasonic waves to be inputted to the specified user through the ultrasonic transducer unit by referring to the transmission characteristics of the ultrasonic waves including the reflection and/or refraction of the skull of the brain of the specified user.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the properties of the ultrasonic waves to transmit the tactile sensation recorded in the brain map database include at least some of the strengths, frequencies, and phases of the pulses of the ultrasonic waves.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer unit includes a transducer array composed of multiple transducer units.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer module inputs the ultrasonic waves to the brain of the specified user through a medium for transmitting the ultrasonic waves.

18 . A method for creating a tactile sensation through non-invasive brain stimulation by using ultrasonic waves, comprising the steps of:
(a) acquiring information on a range of tactile perception areas in the brain of a specified user as information required to stimulate a specific part of the brain of the specified user non-invasively through at least one ultrasonic transducer unit included in an ultrasonic transducer module; (b) compensating properties of the ultrasonic waves to be inputted to the specified us

Assignees

• Ct Of Human Ct Ed Interaction For Coexistence
• Korea Inst Sci & Tech
• Catholic Univ Ind Acad Coop

Inventors

• You Bum Jae
• Lee Sung On
• Chung Yong An

Classifications

• A61N2007/0021

  Neural system treatment · CPC title

• A61B5/4064

  Evaluating the brain (for intracranial pressure A61B5/031; for cerebral blood gases A61B5/14553; using EEG A61B5/369) · CPC title

• G06F1/00

  Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 (architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76) · CPC title

• A61N2007/0026

  Stimulation of nerve tissue · CPC title

• A61N7/00 Primary

  Ultrasound therapy (lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 {; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092}) · CPC title