The overall goal of the proposal is to improve ambulatory and long-term EEG monitoring using an innovative wireless EEG system.
The specific aim of this proposal is to develop an ambulatory wireless EEG monitoring system with real-time adaptive and re-configuration capabilities, which will allow more clinical data to be transmitted in the same bandwidth and in a small portable package. The proposed device will adapt its data acquisition hardware to the underlying clinical event permitting it to focus its high transmission rates to periods of clinically relevant events. The events will be detected by our powerful seizure monitor algorithm which will have direct control over a flexible and innovative hardware. The result is enhanced wireless EEG in a small package, low power and with data quality comparable to bulkier clinical tethered system. The ability to optimize bandwidth is timely due to new FDA telemetry guidelines, which restricts the availability of frequencies and bandwidths in medical devices. Another advantage to optimizing output is that more meaningful data can be created without excessively large data files, which will speed analysis and review. Finally, the proposed device will be able to dynamically reconfigure itself in real time to compensate for serious data-corrupting events such as when one or several electrodes become loose or detached. In summary, the two major innovations are: 1- Real-time adaptive capability for adjusting the quantity and quality of the acquired and transmitted EEG data to better reflect the underlying clinical event (such as a seizure), 2- more practical and accurate ambulatory monitoring by the real-time automatic reconfiguration of the EEG acquisition system. ? ? In Phase I, we designed, fabricated and tested a prototype system. Bench top and clinical testing showed that the system can indeed modify its output in response to artifacts or changes in EEG morphology. In Phase II, we will complete development including a radio design that meets the new FDA guidelines, and test on long-term patients with epilepsy. ? ? ? ?
