Dynamic incremental analog-to-digital conversion interfaces for in-ear electrophysiology
In some implementations, the current subject matter relates a system including an in-ear housing configured to fit in an ear of a wearer; a flexible printed circuit mounted within the in-ear housing; and an analog to digital converter comprising a neural interface system-on-chip having dynamic incremental successive-approximation register acquisition to process signals detected by at least one electrode disposed on or near a surface of the in-ear housing. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.
1 . A system, comprising:
an in-ear housing configured to fit in an ear of a wearer;
a flexible printed circuit mounted within the in-ear housing; and
an analog to digital converter comprising a neural interface system-on-chip having dynamic incremental successive-approximation register and a counter to process signals detected by at least one electrode disposed on or near a surface of the in-ear housing,
wherein the dynamic incremental successive-approximation register comprising the counter is set, in a first cycle, to a first index value, wherein the first index value is a previous output result of the analog to digital converter.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein in at least a second cycle, the counter is configured with a second index value, wherein until a voltage of the analog to digital converter crosses a threshold defined by an amplifier voltage, the second index value increases from the first index value by 1 and in response to the cross of the threshold, the second index value decreases by a value of 1, and wherein the in-ear housing comprises a malleable material that compresses for insertion into an ear canal of the wearer to enable contact at one or more points within the ear canal.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes one or more conductive wires, wherein the conductive wires each terminate at a corresponding electrode that senses signals and carry the signals to a common interface, wherein the common interface is coupled to the analog to digital converter.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the analog to digital converter is remote from the in-ear housing.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the analog to digital converter is contained within the in-ear housing.
6 . A system comprising:
an in-ear housing configured to fit in an ear of a wearer;
a flexible printed circuit mounted within the in-ear housing; and
an analog to digital converter comprising a neural interface system-on-chip having dynamic incremental successive-approximation register and a counter to process signals detected by at least one electrode disposed on or near a surface of the in-ear housing, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes arranged as a plurality of conductive rings positioned on the exterior surface of the in-ear housing, wherein the plurality of conductive rings are spaced, between a first end of the in-ear housing and a second end of the in-ear housing along a longitudinal axis of the in-ear housing;
wherein the dynamic incremental successive-approximation register comprising the counter is set, in a first cycle, to a first index value, wherein the first index value is a previous output result of the analog to digital converter; and
wherein in at least a second cycle, the counter is configured with a second index value, wherein until a voltage of the analog to digital converter crosses a threshold defined by an amplifier voltage, the second index value increases from the first index value by 1 and in response to the cross of the threshold, the second index value decreases by a value of 1.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the analog to digital converter is comprised in a processing system including an analog front end, wherein the analog front end couples to a buffer, a filter, and a signal amplifier to process and convert the signals.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the processing system further includes one or more of the following: a temperature sensor to sense temperature of a wearer of the in-ear housing, a heart rate sensor to sense a heart rate of the wearer, an accelerometer, a wireless transceiver, a wired link, a speaker, at least one processor, at least one memory, a source of power.
9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the processing system couples via a wireless link to a remote processing system, wherein the remote processing system includes one or more of the following: a wireless transceiver to communicate with a corresponding wireless transceiver at the processing system, at least one processor, at least one memory, a source of power, a user interface subsystem from which information regarding data processed by the processing system and/or remote processing system may be obtained for further processing or viewing.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the signals comprise one or more of the following: an electroencephalography (EEG) of a wearer, an electrooculography (EOG) of a wearer, a temperature of the wearer, a heart rate of the wearer, sound, and acceleration.
11 . A method comprising:
detecting, by at least one electrode, signals, wherein the at least one electrode is disposed in on or near a surface of an in-ear housing, wherein the in-ear housing configured to fit in an ear of a wearer, wherein the in-ear housing is comprised in a system further including a flexible printed circuit mounted within the in-ear housing and an analog to digital converter comprising a neural interface system-on-chip having dynamic incremental successive-approximation register and a counter, wherein the dynamic incremental successive-approximation register comprising the counter is set, in a first cycle, to a first index value, wherein the first index value is a previous output result of the analog to digital converter; and
converting, by the analog to digital converter comprising the neural interface system-on-chip signals, the detected signals to a digital form.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the in-ear housing comprises a malleable material that compresses for insertion into an ear canal of the wearer to enable contact at one or more points within the ear canal.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes one or more conductive wires, wherein the conductive wires each terminate at a corresponding electrode that senses signals and carry the signals to a common interface, wherein the common interface is coupled to the analog to digital converter.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the analog to digital converter is remote from the in-ear housing.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the analog to digital converter is contained within the in-ear housing.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes arranged as a plurality of conductive rings positioned on the exterior surface of the in-ear housing.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the analog to digital converter is comprised in a processing system including an analog front end, wherein the analog front end couples to a buffer, a filter, and a signal amplifier to process and convert the signals.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the processing system further includes one or more of the following: a temperature sensor to sense temperature of a wearer of the in-ear housing, a heart rate sensor to sense a heart rate of the wearer, an accelerometer, a wireless transceiver, a wired link, a speaker, at least one processor, at least one memory, a source of power.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the processing system couples via a wireless link to a remote processing system, wherein the remote processing system includes one or more of the following: a wireless transceiver to communicate with a corresponding wireless transceiver at the processing system, at least one processor, at least one memory, a source of power, a user interface subsystem from which information regarding data processed by the processing system and/or remote processing system may be obtained for further processing or viewing.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the signals comprise one or more of the following: an electroencephalography (EEG) of a wearer, an electrooculography (EOG) of a wearer, a temperature of the wearer, a heart rate of the wearer, sound, and acceleration.