Patent Document ID: 8951202
Application ID: 12658897
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for recognizing conscious or unconscious pain sensation in a subject comprising the steps of: a) acquiring, using an optical imaging system, optical imaging data from at least one cortical region of the brain of the subject over a time period; b) measuring, using the optical imaging data, at least one hemodynamic parameter in the at least one cortical region of the brain of the subject; c) identifying a variation pattern in the measured hemodynamic parameters; d) comparing the variation pattern to at least one predetermined variation pattern associated with subject conscious or unconscious pain sensation to determine a substantial similarity between the variation pattern and the predetermined variation pattern; e) providing an indication of conscious or unconscious pain sensation of the subject; f) changing a dose of anesthetics or modifying a procedure based on the indication of conscious or unconscious pain sensation of the subject; and g) after said changing a dose of anesthetics or said modifying a procedure based on the indication of conscious or unconscious pain sensation of the subject, repeating steps a) through e).