Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) for Enhanced Performance Monitoring and Feedback
Legal Citation
Summary of the Inventive Concept
This inventive concept leverages fNIRS technology to monitor and provide personalized feedback on exercise performance, mental workload, and emotional engagement in various industries, including sports, music, aviation, and gaming.
Background and Problem Solved
The original patent focuses on hearing assessment using fNIRS. However, the technology's potential extends beyond this application. The new inventive concept addresses the need for real-time, non-invasive, and accurate monitoring of brain activity and cardiac activity in diverse fields, where performance optimization and early fatigue detection are crucial.
Detailed Description of the Inventive Concept
The inventive concept comprises a wearable fNIRS device and a processing unit that analyze brain activity and cardiac activity data in real-time. The system provides personalized feedback on exercise intensity and recovery time for athletes, detects early signs of fatigue, optimizes musical performance, assesses mental workload in pilots, and enhances gaming experience. The fNIRS device measures changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin levels, correlating them with brain activity and cardiac activity patterns.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The new claims introduce novel applications of fNIRS technology, expanding its use beyond hearing assessment to performance monitoring and feedback in various industries. The inventive step lies in the adaptation of fNIRS to these new use cases, leveraging its non-invasive and real-time capabilities to provide actionable insights.
Alternative Embodiments and Variations
Alternative embodiments may include integrating fNIRS with other physiological measurement tools, such as EEG or ECG, to provide a more comprehensive picture of performance and mental state. Variations could include using fNIRS in different industries, such as education or healthcare, to monitor cognitive load and emotional engagement.
Potential Commercial Applications and Market
The inventive concept has significant commercial potential in the sports, music, aviation, and gaming industries, where performance optimization and early fatigue detection are critical. The market size is substantial, with potential applications in professional sports teams, music schools, flight training centers, and gaming companies.
Section 103 Obviousness Analysis (PHOSITA)
Field of Art
Biomedical engineering and neuroimaging, specifically functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology for physiological monitoring and signal processing
Person of Ordinary Skill (PHOSITA) Profile
A biomedical engineer or neuroscientist with expertise in neuroimaging techniques, signal processing, wearable physiological monitoring devices, and experience in translating medical diagnostic technologies to performance monitoring applications
Obviousness Rationale
A PHOSITA would recognize that the source patent's fNIRS hearing assessment methodology provides a foundational framework for broader physiological monitoring applications. The core technical principles of measuring brain and cardiac activity using non-invasive optical sensing are directly transferable across different performance monitoring contexts. The PTD's variations represent predictable extensions of the source patent's signal processing and measurement techniques to new domain-specific use cases.
Obvious Combinations & Variations
Original Patent Information
| Patent Number | US 11,857,312 |
|---|---|
| Title | Hearing assessment system and method |
| Assignee(s) | THE BIONICS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA |