The present invention relates to human physiology, and in particular to a method and system for allowing a human subject to consciously control physiological processes, more particularly, it allows a human subject to achieve synchronization of the natural cycle of heart rate with the breathing cycle.
The human heart is known to have its own nervous system and its own natural tendency toward rhythm. For purposes of this invention, there are two primary aspects to this rhythm, the heartbeat rate, and the rate at which the heartbeat rate changes otherwise known as heart rate variability. Heartbeat rate is usually specified in absolute number of heartbeats occurring during a specified period. Heartbeat rate variability, otherwise know as heart rate variability is the change in heartbeat rate as occurs during a specified period. Henceforth, heartbeat rate variability will be referred to as heart rate variability.
While the heart has its own tendency toward rhythm, it is closely coupled to breathing. The relationship is such that as inhalation occurs, the heartbeat rate tends to increase and as exhalation occurs, the heartbeat rate tends to decrease. It is important to note that while the heartbeat rate and breathing rate influence each other, the relationship is a plesiochronous one, that is, they are independent rhythms that strongly influence but do not directly control each other.
It is generally recognized that heart rate variability is an indicator of physiological and emotional state, that is, irregular incoherent heart rate variability indicates a condition of physiological/psychological stress. Alternatively, a highly regular coherent heart rate variability is indicative of a condition of physiological/psychological harmony.
Accordingly, it is highly desirable to achieve and maintain a highly coherent heart rate variability as life circumstances permit. This having been said, with proper training and the application of the present invention, it is possible for a human subject to rapidly achieve the desired state of high coherence of heart rate variability and to reinforce that coherence on an ongoing basis.
The present invention takes advantage of the relationship between the breathing cycle and the natural heart rate variability cycle to bring heart rate variability to the desired state of coherence and the human subject to the resultant state of physiological and emotional harmony. It accomplishes this via synchronization of the heart rate variability cycle with the breathing cycle.
As previously described, a relationship exists between the heartbeat rate specified in terms of heart rate variability, and the breathing cycle. While the heart has its own tendency toward a natural variable rhythm, there is a strong correlation with breathing according to this specific relationship: as inhalation occurs, there is a tendency for the heartbeat rate to increase, as exhalation occurs, there is a tendency for the heartbeat rate to decrease. In a relaxed human subject, the effect of the breathing cycle on the heart rate variability cycle is extremely strong. In fact, the heart rate variability cycle will synchronize with the breathing cycle if the breathing cycle is highly attuned to the periodicity of the natural heart rate variability cycle.
The present invention accomplishes this by presenting the human subject with an accurate external timing reference to which the breathing can be consciously synchronized. This external timing reference is centered about the average heart rate variability cycle of 0.085 Hertz or a period of 11.7 seconds. When the breathing is consciously synchronized to this external reference signal, the heart rate variability cycle will synchronize with it. Once the heart rate variability cycle synchronizes with the breathing cycle, they remain synchronized as long as the breathing cycle remains highly aligned with the external timing source. In this way, the human subject can remain in the desired state of coherence of heart rate variability for extended periods of time. Ultimately, this builds familiarity with the desired psycho-physiological condition such that the state can be realized at will with or without the external timing reference.
For purposes of the present invention, we can consider the cycles of heart rate variability, the periodicity of increasing and decreasing of heartbeat rate, and the breathing cycle, the periodicity of inhalation and exhalation, to be two independent cycles. The relative synchronization of these cycles can vary between 0 and 180 degrees. When these cycles are completely out of phase, heart rate variability is maximally incoherent, when these cycles are completely in phase heart rate variability is maximally coherent
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and illustrate the best mode of practicing the invention. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the invention and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.
The present invention allows a human subject to achieve coherence of heart rate variability by synchronizing the heart rate variability cycle with the breathing cycle. This is accomplished by providing an external timing reference in the form of an audible, visual, or sensory signal, indicating when the subject should begin inhalation, when the subject should end inhalation, when the subject should begin exhalation, and when the subject should end exhalation. This is repeated in a cyclic fashion, inhalation leading to exhalation, exhalation leading to inhalation, and so forth. The external reference presents a signal to the human subject centered around 0.085 Hertz for a period of 11.8 seconds, the heart rate variability center frequency of the typical human. When the typical human subject breathes at this rate the heart rate variability cycle will synchronize with the breathing cycle, thereby maximizing the coherence of the heart rate variability cycle.
With reference to
With reference to
Before entering into the proceeding description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the invention may be packaged in numerous ways and or incorporated into numerous alternative packaging configurations ranging from fountain pen, to wristwatch, to cell phone sized instruments, to the like representation on personal computer, television set, or like displays. Those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the invention and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.
With reference now to
A detailed discussion of the logical system will now ensue. Settings Selector 301 provides the user with the ability to select the precise frequency of the breathing cycle centered around 0.085 Hertz. Steps are provided in 0.005 Hertz steps on either side of the center frequency to accommodate for age and personal comfort. In other words, frequency steps are provided at 0.080 Hertz, 0.075 Hertz, and 0.070 Hertz on the low end, and at 0.090 Hertz, 0.095 Hertz, and 0.100 Hertz on the high end. These steps are depicted in the table of
Settings Selector 301 also provides selection of alternative presentation methods including visual, audible, and sensory indicators.
Timing Generator 302 provides necessary clock signals to Counter 304 under control of Setting Selector 301 such that visual, audible, and sensory indicators can be generated. This requires clock signals to be output to Counter 304 of varying frequency as is indicated in the third column of
Counter 304 simply counts pulses from Timing Generator 302 in an up/down counter fashion from 0 to 15 and back to 0 under control of Program function 303. The output of Counter 304 is presented to Decoder 305 where it is decoded into 1 of 15 outputs. The outputs of Decoder 305, each associated with an individual element of Visual Array 310 are presented to Driver 306 which buffers and drives the visual elements. Voltage Controlled Oscillator function 307 converts the voltage output of Digital to Analog Convertor 311 to oscillations of varying frequency so as to alternatively provide audible and sensory representations of the cycle. Alternatively, function 307 may be a Digital Synthesizer, converting the digital output of Decoder 305 into analog outputs to drive Speakers, Headphones, and Sensory Indicators functions 308 and 309. Here a consistent convention is employed between visual, audible, and sensory indicators such that the inhalation phase is indicated by increasing frequency and the exhalation phase is indicated by decreasing frequency as would be experienced by a subject using either headphones or a vibrator. Consequently, the positive visual peak corresponds to positive audible peak frequency and positive sensory peak frequency. Similarly, the negative visual peak corresponds to negative audible peak frequency and negative sensory peak frequency. Therefore, the visual positive peak indication and audible and sensory positive peak indications relate directly to the positive peak heart rate, and, the negative visual peak indication and audible and sensory negative peak indications relate directly to the negative peak heart rate. Differing frequencies at which the speaker, headphones, and a vibrator may operate, are accounted for within the Voltage Controlled Oscillator/Digital Synthesizer function 307. Additionally, the output of Driver 306 is presented to the input of Speaker, Headphone, and Piezoelectric Transducer 309 for purposes of alternatively generating an audible indication when to end the inhalation phase and begin the inhalation phase, and, when to end the exhalation phase and begin the inhalation phase, as might be best characterized as a piezoelectric “chirp”. Selection of visual, audible, and sensory indicators occurs under control of Setting Selector 301.
The output of Counter 304 is presented to D/A Convertor 311 where it is converted to an analog signal for driving Voltage Controlled Oscillator/Digital Synthesizer 307 and alternatively analog Voltmeter 312.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that the foregoing discussion describes the logic associated with the preferred embodiment of the present invention and that this logic may be implemented in either hardware or software. With reference to
Instructive Method:
Within the context of the present invention, the accompanying instructive method is provided: