Patent ID: 11938322
Assignee: SRI INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 8:
9. An apparatus for enhancing slow wave activity (SWA), comprising:
data transmission circuitry configured and arranged to receive a plurality of bio-signals as obtained from a user by sensor circuitry having one or more bio-sensors, the plurality of bio-signals including peripheral nervous system (PNS) bio-signals and central nervous system (CNS) bio-signals;
processing circuitry configured and arranged to:
classify a plurality of sleep stages using a PNS bio-signal of the PNS bio-signals;
calculating a power spectral density (PSD) indicative of oscillations in the PNS bio-signal and detecting a peak in the PSD as a dominant oscillation in the PNS bio-signal, wherein the dominant oscillation is a rhythm of the PNS bio-signal occurring at a dominant frequency, and the dominant frequency including a frequency of the PSD at the peak and wherein the PNS bio-signal is selected from the group consisting of: blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, a pulse wave, and a combination thereof;
characterize properties of the dominant oscillation including a phase, an amplitude, and a frequency of the dominant oscillation by:
decomposing the PNS bio-signal in the dominant frequency as a function of time using a filter to filter out frequency content other than the dominant frequency and identifying the properties from the decomposed PNS bio-signal; and

determine optimal windows based on timings of the phase of the dominant frequency as characterized from the decomposed PNS bio-signal, wherein the optimal windows are selected based on data indicating a stimulation or a series of stimulations improves electroencephalogram (EEG) SWA within the user during the optimal windows, the data comprising past observed responses to prior stimulation including measures of EEG and the PNS signals,
wherein the data transmission circuitry is further configured and arranged to output an indication of the determined optimal windows to stimulation circuitry configured and arranged to deliver stimulation to the user within the optimal window of the determined optimal windows for maximizing EEG SWA generation.