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Stress Pilot
Biofeedback system
Operating manual
Not for the US market!
Modell: HRV107
Operating manual
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Stress Pilot biofeedback system
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Contents
1
Reducing stress – can a Pilot help? 7
1.1 What you need to know 8
2
How the Stress Pilot works
13
2.1Biofeedback with the Stress Pilot 13
2.2 Measuring HRV with the Stress Pilot 24
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3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
Using the Stress Pilot for
the first time
27
PC hardware requirements for the Stress Pilot
27
Installing the Stress Pilot software 27
Uninstalling the software
28
Connecting the hardware
28
Installing DirectX
38
Starting the Stress Pilot
29
Additional help
29
Hotline for questions and problems 29
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4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
Identifying and remedying
problems
30
The Stress Pilot software doesn‘t work on my PC
30
My PC doesn‘t recognise the Stress Pilot hardware
30
My computer tries to reboot
when I connect it to the Stress Pilot
via USB
30
My pulse signal (earclip)
isn‘t working!
30
5
Maintenance and service
31
6Copyright 31
7Liability
31
8Warranty 32
9Technical details
32
10
35
Symbols and abbreviations
5
Scope of delivery
The Stress Pilot‘s scope of delivery includes:
– Stress Pilot hardware with earclip
(sensor and measuring unit)
– Stress Pilot software on CD
– Manual
– As a scientific basis: excerpt from the book „Healing without Freud or Prozac“ by
David Servan-Schreiber
Infos at:
www.stress-pilot.com
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In these modern and often hectic times,
increasing numbers of people are suffering
from stress afflictions, anxiety, depression,
chronic fatigue or cardiovascular illness
Stress-related disorders can, for example,
impair the interaction between the autonomic
nervous system, the heart and the brain,and
therefore be linked to the causes of health
disorders, ultimately posing a health risk.
Various relaxation methods (such as autogenous training, progressive muscle relaxation,
functional relaxation, meditation or biofeedback) are used to prevent and provide
supportive treatment for various mental and
psychosomatic disorders. Against various
different „philosophical backgrounds“, these
methods work with sometimes very different
techniques and affect different „points“ in the
living organism. So-called „heart coherence
training“ or heart rate variability biofeedback
(HRV biofeedback) – which thanks to the
Stress Pilot is now available for use at home –
is a particularly efficient and easy-to-learn
method for people who are mentally and
physically healthy.
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1
Reducing stress – can a Pilot help?
1 Reducing stress –
can a Pilot help?
Two further pieces of important medical
information:
This booklet and the help function are intended as aids to assist you in becoming
acquainted with stress management using
the Stress Pilot. However, it is easier to learn
certain aspects of this relaxation method
with a competent therapist or trainer. This
would also be useful as a means of learning
how to take full advantage of the range of
possibilities offered by the method.
If you are not entirely sure if you are healthy
or whether you should use the Stress Pilot in
your current state of health, consult your
doctor before beginning the training. Your
doctor can rule out or identify any existing,
serious illnesses or suggest treatment that you
may require.
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1.1 What you need to know
Medical knowledge about the connections
between the body and mind has come on by
leaps and bounds in the last 20 years. The
close intermeshing of emotional experience
and physical state is becoming increasingly
apparent. This is coupled to the (still) predominant trend in today‘s „civilised“ world:
stress and overexertion are a frequent phenomenon in our hectic times. The neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Servan-Schreiber
estimates that up to 75 % of all visits to the
doctor can be traced back to stress and
overstraining.
Why do negative emotional states, such as
stress, lead to physical illnesses?
In addition to the part of the brain that is
responsible for our consciousness and that
enables logical thinking (the neocortex),
there is a part of the brain called the limbic
system, which is where our emotions
On the other hand, our limbic system can
take control of the neocortex without our
consciousness being able to avoid this influence. To name an example, the sight of a
spider can lead to a panicky flight reaction if
spiders are associated with excessive negative emotions in the limbic system. It makes
no difference if the people in question tell
themselves that there is no objective danger –
the fear remains.
A decisive factor in the development of
illnesses is that fundamental parts of our
bodily physiology (blood pressure, the
immune system, digestion, hormones etc.)
are not controlled by the neocortex but by
the limbic system.
1
This means that the part of our brain that
houses our emotions also controls essential
bodily processes – without our consciousness being able to exert any direct control
over them.
And this is precisely the reason that chronic
overexertion (chronic stress) and also mental
diseases such as depressions, can also make
us physically ill. Chronic stress also impairs
control over important bodily functions. For
example, blood pressure rises and increased
numbers of stress hormones (corticosteroids)
are released. Emotions and bodily functions
are inseparably interconnected.
9
Reducing stress – can a Pilot help?
originate. The limbic system is older than the
neocortex from an evolutionary perspective.
Structurally, this part of the brain is common
to all mammals. The neocortex – that is, our
consciousness – has only a limited influence
on our limbic system; we have far less direct
control over our emotions than our bodily
motor functions, for example. This is why we
cannot, for instance, simply order ourselves
to not be afraid in a frightening situation.
The autonomic nervous system as an interface between the body and mind
Control of bodily functions is arbitrated by
the autonomic nervous system because we
cannot deliberately influence it.
There are two opposing parties in the autonomic nervous system that have completely
opposite effects on our body: the parasympathetic nervous system, which provides
calm and regeneration, and the sympathetic
nervous system, which places the body in
a state of alert. We can compare the parasympathetic and sympathetic functions with
the brake and accelerator pedals in a car.
Everyone knows how important properly
functioning brakes are in avoiding accidents.
The same is true for people: for example,
the sympathetic nervous system makes our
heart more electrically instable, so that heart
rhythm disturbances can occur more easily,
to the point where they can produce lifethreatening ventricular fibrillation. The influ10
ence of the parasympathetic nervous system,
on the other hand, can protect our heart.
Metaphorically speaking, if you keep your
foot down on the accelerator for too long,
you cause your body damage. But how to
brake? Since our consciousness does not
have any direct influence over our limbic
system, it is unfortunately not possible for us
to consciously order our bodies to come to
order, as it were. But there is another, very
effective method.
health. In addition to this, HRV biofeedback
helps you to cope with difficult external situations in life. You can bring your inner life
under control with the Stress Pilot. And once
you have your inner life under control, outside forces will no longer harm you as much.
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1
Reducing stress – can a Pilot help?
HRV biofeedback, the key to the limbic
system and improved bodily functions
The positive effect of various relaxation techniques on our health has long been proven.
Some methods have been used successfully
for centuries (such as yoga). As we now
know, these relaxation techniques lead to a
state of inner balance. This involves conformance between breathing, the beating of the
heart and blood pressure. Under the influence of the parasympathetic nervous system,
a relaxed state leads to a synchronisation of
these three rhythms. This synchronisation
is often called „coherence“, „entrainment“
or „rhythmisation“. You can now use the
Stress Pilot‘s modern medicinal procedures
to measure, display and consciously improve the phenomenon of rhythmisation: HRV
biofeedback from the Stress Pilot helps you
to learn how to bring your inner processes
into rhythm and thereby activate your „inner
brake“. You can therefore exert an effect on
your bodily functions that will improve your
HRV biofeedback with the
Stress Pilot
The diagram shows how
HRV biofeedback can be
used to convert a disordered
rapid heartbeat caused by
the strain of stress into an
ordered sequence beating
in time with your breathing
(rhythmisation). This is the
effect of activating your
„inner brake“, the parasympathetic nervous system.
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2.1 Biofeedback with the Stress Pilot
Why do users of Stress Pilot software have
to log on and enter their data?
Heart rate variability is a physiological parameter that alters with the subject‘s age. For this
reason, the Stress Pilot‘s evaluations of HRV
measurements are age-dependent. This makes
it necessary to know the user‘s age before any
measurements are taken. Therefore, enter your
data and log on to the system before taking
any measurements.
In the following steps, you will learn how to
carry out successful HRV biofeedback with
the Stress Pilot.
In addition to this, the measurements and
biofeedback sessions carried out with the
Stress Pilot can be assigned to the user who is
logged on and stored. This makes it possible
to provide an overview later to assess the
course of the training.
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Step 1: Starting the HRV biofeedback
Start the Stress Pilot software by doubleclicking on the symbol on your desktop.
If you have already entered user data, you
can select the relevant user from the list. If
you have not yet entered any user data into
the system or your data was not recorded,
select „Create new user“ and enter your data.
Select the option „HRV biofeedback“
and then „Start session“ to start the HRV
biofeedback.
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How the Stress Pilot works
2 How the Stress Pilot works
The HRV biofeedback window provides you
with a wide range of information and optional settings. Do not be alarmed at all this
information, you will be guided through it
step by step. To start with, you should turn
the volume of your PC down until you have
become familiar with the basics. We will
come to the spoken instructions that are
played over your PC speakers at a later point.
Step 2: Registering your pulse
To measure your heart rate variability, the
Stress Pilot requires a good pulse signal from
your body. Attach the earclip to your
earlobe. Look for the pulse display on the
lower display panel and watch the signal for
about a minute.
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a) Pulse display: usable pulse signal
The pulse display shows what the earclip is
currently registering. The signal should look
something like diagram a), but bear in mind
that it could look much larger or smaller than
in the example shown. Each wave corresponds
to one heartbeat.
If your pulse looks like diagram b), you have
to first get a good pulse signal before you start
the HRV biofeedback.
– Try to keep as still as possible
– Move the earclip to another position
(a few millimetres are often enough)
or try the other ear.
With a bit of practice, you will certainly have
no problems in getting a usable pulse signal.
b) Pulse display: two examples for an unsuitable pulse signal
Without a good pulse signal, there can be
no successful HRV biofeedback.
If your pulse looks like either of the b) diagrams, you should proceed as follows:
Step 3: From pulse to heart rate and heart
rate variability
As you know from step 2 – „Registering your
pulse“ – each wave in the pulse display
corresponds to a heart beat. The space of
time between two pulse waves is therefore
the period of time between two heartbeats;
in other words, your current heart rate.
As you know from step 2 – „Registering your
pulse“ – each wave in the pulse display
corresponds to a heart beat. The space of
time between two pulse waves is therefore
the period of time between two heartbeats;
in other words, your current heart rate.
15
How the Stress Pilot works
2
improve your heart rate variability. In Section
3, you will learn about a method of measuring
that you can use to record your heart rate
variability and compare the result to those of
other people in your age group.
a) Heart rate display
Watch the heart rate display for another
minute. You will see that the heart rate is by no
means constant; it is constantly changing. It
sometimes increases slightly, then it drops off a
little. Your heart rate is variable. The technical
term for this is heart rate variability (of HRV for
short). This constant up and down is no cause
for concern. Quite the opposite, in fact: a high
heart rate variability is a very positive thing.
As many studies have shown, the more fixed
the heart rate, the greater the danger to the
person in question. One of the primary objectives of HRV biofeedback is therefore to
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Step 4: From chaos to order
In the previous lesson, you learnt that a variable
heart rhythm is better than an overly rigid
rhythm. However, it is substantially better, if
you manage to turn your disordered „chaotic“
heart rate variability into an ordered heart rate
that beats in time with your breathing; in other
words, to rhythmise it (see illustration).
b) Heart rate oscillating chaotically
c) Heart rate oscillating in time with breathing
The heart rate and breathing are synchronised
(rhythmised) if a relaxed state brings breathing and the heart rate into harmony. Each
time you breathe in, your heart rate increases,
and each time you breathe out, it decreases.
If you attain this state, you have managed to
activate your „inner brake“, the parasympathetic nervous system.
Many relaxation techniques (e.g. yoga,
autogenous training) achieve precisely
this harmonisation of breathing and the
heart rate. You can now use the Stress
Pilot‘s HRV biofeedback to specifically
train yourself in this procedure and to
access all the information about how well
synchronised your breathing and heart
rate are.
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How the Stress Pilot works
How do you achieve a high degree of
synchronisation, where your breathing
and heart rate are in sync?
Step 5: Breathing is the key
to rhythmisation
As mentioned before, the
degree of rhythmisation is a
means of measuring how
much the heart rate conforms
to the sinusoidal progress of
breathing. For this reason,
breathing correctly is a core
component in successful HRV
biofeedback. To help you
breathe correctly, the Stress
Pilot has a respiratory aid:
now take a look at the respi17
ratory aid on the left-hand side of the screen.
You can see a coloured bar that moves up
and down rhythmically.
Try to breathe in the same rhythm as the bar.
Breathe in when the bar moves up and breathe
out when the bar moves down. The breathing
rate is set to 6 breaths a minute. HRV biofeedback is most effective at this breathing rate.
If you do not feel comfortable with this
breathing rate and find the respiratory aid
distracting, you can hide it. To do this, click
on the „Respiratory aid“ button.
You can switch the respiratory aid back on by
clicking on the button again, and you can
also adjust the breathing rate and the pause
after breathing out, within certain limits. We
recommend keeping to the preset rhythm to
start with. You can make this kind of adjustment in detail at a later time, when you have
gained more experience of HRV biofeedback.
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You will doubtless soon be able to breathe
along at the desired rate. Feel free to take a
few minutes to practice breathing correctly.
And your heart? Is it already beating in time
to your breathing?
Step 6: How to find out if your breathing
and heart rate are in time (synchronised)
Keep to the recommended breathing rhythm.
Look at the coloured panel at the bottom left:
The coloured panel shows your current degree of synchronisation.
You will no doubt have also noticed that the
heart rate is disordered and does not show
the regular up and down that your breathing
should.
Here, the situation is very different. You can
see from the heart rate how well it is linked
to the sinusoidal breathing. Breathing and
heart rate are synchronised. The parasym-
pathetic nervous system, our „inner brake“
is now active and there is a high degree of
rhythmisation.
Step 7: How to improve your degree of
rhythmisation using biofeedback
The coloured panel is a very important part
of HRV biofeedback. We use it as a form of
feedback that helps us to continue improving the degree of synchronisation between
the heart rate and breathing. This technique
is also called biofeedback. Biofeedback is a
method that is employed successfully in
many areas of medicine to influence otherwise involuntary bodily processes. We use
biofeedback in HRV biofeedback to activate
our „inner brake“ even more effectively:
–Keep to the preset breathing rhythm.
– Observe the coloured table.
– Imagine that the coloured table is getting greener and greener.
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How the Stress Pilot works
If the coloured panel is red, your current degree of synchronisation is low; your breathing
and heart rate are working separately.
You will see that after a small amount of
practice, imagining that the coloured table
is green will change the colour from red to
green. Consciously exercise biofeedback in
every session.
Step 8: What to do if the coloured panel is
always red
Is the coloured panel mainly red, no matter
how hard you try to breathe correctly and
carry out the biofeedback?
First check the pulse signal. Are you sure that
the pulse signal is correct?
If yes, take note of the following: the ability to
attain a high degree of rhythmisation differs
from person to person. For example, it becomes
progressively harder to reach a high degree of
synchronisation the older you get. High blood
pressure, obesity, heart disease, chronic stress
and other metabolic disorders also lead to reduced autonomic regulation and to a lower HRV.
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We therefore recommend measuring your
personal ability to achieve HRV (respiratory
sinus arrhythmia; the basis for a high degree
of rhythmisation) and comparing it with
others. In this way, you can assess whether
you have a low, normal or even a high
aptitude for a good degree of rhythmisation,
compared to other people. You can find
information on how to carry out this comparison
towards the end of these instructions. The
Stress Pilot includes the „HRV measurement“
function, which allows you to precisely assess
your aptitude for HRV compared to other
people in your age group. We will look at this
in more detail later.
If your personal HRV is low, you should not
let it discourage you. In fact, it is the best
argument for carrying out HRV biofeedback
at regular intervals. However, you should
adjust the HRV biofeedback to match your
personal level. To do this, go the „Settings“
section of the HRV biofeedback. Here, you
Step 9: What the balloon and the display
on the right-hand edge of the screen mean.
You have no doubt been wondering what the
balloon and the display on the right-hand
edge of the window mean. HRV biofeedback
is designed to be completed in a specific set
time. The base setting is for three minutes. To
set a different time, open the settings window
and set a time of your choice. You should
maintain as high a degree of rhythmisation as
possible during the set time. The better you
manage this, the more successfully you will be
able to complete the exercise in the set time.
The Stress Pilot measures your current degree
of rhythmisation and displays this by means
of the balloon. The higher the balloon rises,
the better your degree of rhythmisation. If the
degree of rhythmisation drops, so does the
balloon. When the arrow on the right reaches
the top, you have completed the exercise.
Step 10: The training log
Each time you fully complete an exercise, you
can evaluate the success of your training. We
recommend printing out a report from time to
time and comparing it with previous reports.
This way, you have a better overview of the
progress of your training.
To create the exercise report, click on „Display results“.
Step 11: Learn to influence your emotional
brain.
At this point in the course, you should already
be able to achieve a state of synchronisation
between your breathing and your heart rate
by means of breathing technique and biofeedback. You should also be able to sustain
this synchronisation throughout the exercise.
If you are still having difficulties with this, you
21
2
How the Stress Pilot works
will find the „Default value“ field. Select a low
level from the list. It should now be easier for
you to turn the coloured panel green, which
will make your biofeedback more effective.
should take a break at this point and practise
the steps so far until you can master them with
a degree of certainty. It does not make sense
to progress any further until you have achieved this.
As you learnt in the introduction, the centres
in our brain that regulate bodily functions are
closely tied to our emotional brain. The consequence of this is that our feelings strongly
affect our physical well-being. We will be
using this fact in the next steps to practise HRV
biofeedback even more effectively.
Step 12: Create a relaxed atmosphere
The more relaxing your surroundings, the
more effective your HRV biofeedback will be.
However, you can also usefully carry out
your exercises at your workstation PC by
consciously taking a break from work and using
HRV biofeedback as a relaxation exercise.
Calm music might have a relaxing effect on
you. The Stress Pilot includes some calming
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pieces of music. You can also use your own
favourite pieces or switch off the accompanying music if you prefer not to have any.
Open the settings window to change or deactivate the accompanying music.
Step 13: Make use of the effect of the spoken announcements.
During the exercise, spoken instructions are
made at specific times; these announcements
can assist you in your training by creating a positive emotional effect. Try to follow these instructions. You can also deactivate the spoken
instructions if you would rather train without them.
Step 14: Create a connection between
your emotional brain and your heart
First focus on your chest area and your breathing. Imaging that fresh oxygen is flowing
into your lungs every time you breathe in,
and used air is leaving your body each time
you breathe out.
In the third step, recall positive memories.
These could include calm and peaceful
landscapes, people you have positive feelings
towards or activities that you enjoy doing.
The heart is particularly receptive to positive
thoughts. It is not for nothing that our language is full of expressions like „listen to your
heart“, „take it to heart“ and many more.
Positive emotions strengthen the positive
feedback between the emotional brain and
the autonomic nervous system, thereby improving the balance between the parasympathetic (brakes) and sympathetic (accelerator)
nervous systems.
Congratulations! If you were able to successfully carry out all the exercises so far, you
have established a basis for successfully training with the Stress Pilot. You will find that
with further exercise, the individual steps for
synchronising your breathing and heart rate
will come to you more and more easily.
Use the Stress Pilot regularly to train your
autonomic balance as best as possible.
One more tip: feel free to also use the techniques you have learnt so far in stressful dayto-day situations away from your PC. With a
bit of practice, you will be increasingly better
at using the methods you have learnt to activate your „inner brake“ in this kind of situation.
The more intensively you practice these exercises, the easier you will find it to synchronise
your breathing and heart rate.
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2
How the Stress Pilot works
In the second step, turn your attention to your
heart. Imagine that your heart is getting lighter, airier, more alive and energetic with each
breath of air.
2.2 Measuring HRV with the Stress Pilot
Just like a car needs regular brake tests, you
also have an opportunity to test your „inner
brake“. The Stress Pilot has a test where you
can measure your aptitude for rhythmisation
and compare it to other people‘s results. To
perform this test, proceed as follows: start
the Stress Pilot software, log on as a user and
click on „HRV measurement“ in the main
menu. Select „Start measurement“ in the list
that now opens.
Before you begin to actually measure your
HRV, you should specify your current state of
mind. This can be helpful when interpreting
the results of the HRV measurement.
Before starting the measurement, make sure
that there is a good signal from the earclip.
You can see your pulse signal and heart rate
in the diagrams on the right and top left of
your computer screen.
24
HRV measurement is, in principle, like HRV
biofeedback, which you should now be
familiar with. However, it is particularly
important here to follow the preset breathing
rhythm precisely. The respiratory aid specifies
the breathing frequency, as during HRV
biofeedback (you can set the height of the
breathing bar by clicking on the double
line above and below the breathing bar and
dragging it up or down).
To start the measurement, breathe in the rhythm
shown. Press the space bar or the „Start measurement“ button to start HRV measurement.
During the measurement, you only have to
breathe at the preset frequency for one
minute. This is the time it takes to measure
your HRV; the measurement is automatically
evaluated after one minute.
How the Stress Pilot works
2
Age group comparison:
Each dot represents a
measurement taken from another person in a specific age
group. Your current result is
shown as a grey dot. No doubt the most interesting
information for you is the
comparison between your
results and those of other
people.
A result of 60 %, for example,
would be a result you could
be satisfied with. After all,
60 % of people your age have
lower values.
25
Read the „Notes on interpretation“ to find out
more about HRV measurement.
What should you do if the results of your
HRV measurement are not very good?
A bad result would be a percentage under
5 %. In other words, only 5 % of people
have a lower value. If you get this kind of
result from your HRV measurement, it is,
of course, unsatisfactory for you. However,
before you begin to worry about it, you
should repeat the HRV measurement on the
following three days, to check whether the
low result repeats itself. An HRV measurement can also turn out worse momentarily.
For example, influenzal infections and acute
physical or mental strain can lead to worse
results. In most cases, the results improve
again after a short period of time. However,
if you are getting constantly low results, you
should think about what the causes could be.
26
There are a series of causes that could affect
your result:
– High blood pressure
– Heart disease
– Obesity
– Insufficient physical exercise
– Chronic strain
– Mental illness (such as depression)
– Certain medications (such as antidepressants)
– Metabolic illnesses (such as diabetes)
Some causes cannot be changed (such as
type I diabetes). But some you can influence.
If, for example, your blood pressure is too
high, you should receive treatment for it. You
can also do something yourself about obesity and lack of exercise. Physical endurance
training can play a decisive role in improving
your HRV aptitude. People who take aerobic
exercise have a larger autonomic reserve.
Their parasympathetic nervous system (their
„inner brake“) is more powerful. In any case,
bad HRV measurement results are one rea-
3 Using the Stress Pilot for the first
time
3.1 PC hardware requirements
for the Stress Pilot
– Windows 2000/XP/Vista
– PC min. 400 MHz or higher
– USB 1.1 or higher
– CD drive
– 250 MB free disk space on the hard drive
– 3D graphics card (min. 32 MB)
– DirectX 9.0 or higher (see also the section „Installing DirectX“)
3.2 Installing the Stress Pilot software
The installation CD has an autostart function
that starts the installation routine automatically as soon as you place the CD in your
CD drive. If you have deactivated the autostart function, proceed as follows to install
the program:
1.Select <Start> and <Execute> in the start bar.
2.Enter >>D:\Setup.exe<< and confirm your
entry by clicking on <OK> (you may have
to replace >>D<< with the letter specified
in your computer for the CD drive).
3.Then follow the installation instructions.
Install Stress Pilot in a direct subdirectory on
your hard disk, as recommended in the setup
(e.g. „C:\StressPilot“). Although it is also
possible to install it under „C:\Programs\
Biocomfort\ StressPilot“, for example, you
then cannot share Stress Pilot‘s user database
with all Windows users. The database and
27
3
Using the Stress Pilot for the first time
son more to carry out the HRV biofeedback
intensively and at regular intervals. You have
the opportunity at (almost) every point in your
life to do something good for your mental and
physical health. It‘s worth it.
measurement files are then swapped out to
Windows Vista‘s Virtual Store. This can lead
to problems with updates and stored data.
3.3 Uninstalling the software
Click on <Start>, <Programs>, <Biocomfort>
and then on the entry <Uninstall Stress Pilot>.
We also recommend removing the installation
directory manually (e.g. in Windows Explorer).
After the automatic uninstall, measurement
files or data backups and export files, for
example, remain and are not deleted by the
uninstall routine. Make sure that you do not
unintentionally delete data backups that you
want to keep.
3.4 Connecting the hardware
1.Connect the Stress Pilot hardware to your
PC via the USB cable.
2.If you already have an HID device (Human
Interface Device, e.g. a USB mouse), you
28
do not need to install any other drivers. If
you do not use any HID devices, you may
have to install the HID driver for your Windows operating system. To do this, follow
the instructions from Windows.
3.5 Installing DirectX (if you do not have
DirectX 9.0 or higher installed already)
The Stress Pilot requires DirectX 9.0 or higher
for the 3D display. If, after you start the Stress
Pilot program, a message appears to inform you
that DirectX is not installed, you can install
DirectX Version 9.0 from the Stress Pilot CD.
1.Select <Start> and <Execute> in the start bar.
2.Enter >>D:\DirectX9\dxsetup.exe<< and
confirm your entry by clicking on <OK>
(you may have to replace >>D<< with the
letter specified in your computer for the
CD drive).
3.Then follow the installation instructions.
3.8 Hotline for questions and problems
Start Stress Pilot by clicking on the Stress
Pilot symbol on your desktop or by opening
the <Programs> menu and selecting
<Biocomfort> <Stress Pilot>.
Do you have any questions, wishes or
suggestions? Then direct your request to:
[email protected]. We will reply as soon
as possible.
3.7 Additional help
You can find further detailed help and important
additional information about the individual
program points in the Stress Pilot help, which
you can access from all the windows. Click
on „Help“ or press the „F1“ button to get
context-related help. In addition to this, we
recommend that you read the online help for
the software, as you can find useful information
there about the program and its possibilities,
as well as background information.
29
3
Using the Stress Pilot for the first time
3.6 Starting the Stress Pilot
4 Identifying and remedying
problems
USB hubs from specialist shops. Alternatively,
you can contact our customer service.
4.1 The Stress Pilot software doesn‘t work
on my PC
4.3 My computer tries to reboot when I connect it to the Stress Pilot via USB
–Make sure that your computer fulfils the
system requirements specified in the manual.
–Make sure that you have installed DirectX
Version 9.0 or higher.
– Make sure that you are using an up-to-date
graphics card driver (you can find up-to-date
graphics drivers to download from the
Internet on the website for your graphics
card‘s manufacturer).
The Windows HID interface should only be
installed by Windows the first time it is used.
However, on some systems, you are requested to restart frequently. Ignore this message
and skip the restart. The HID interface will
normally still be available, despite this.
4.2 My PC doesn‘t recognise the Stress Pilot
hardware
In rare cases, there can be incompatibilities
between the USB port and identifying the
HID device. In this case, it usually helps to
use a passive or active USB hub. You can buy
30
4.4 My pulse signal (earclip) isn‘t working
–Give the Stress Pilot software enough time
to recognise the pulse signal (approx. 15
seconds).
–Place the earclip on a different part of your
ear or switch to the other ear.
5 Maintenance and service
7 Liability
The Stress Pilot does not require any maintenance. The user simply has to ensure that the
device is operated under the conditions set
out in the technical data and in the instructions
for use. If the device becomes damaged, it
should no longer be used and it should be sent
in for repairs. Please note that opening the
device automatically cancels all warranties.
The Stress Pilot is intended for healthy persons
and by no means replaces medical diagnoses
or treatment by a doctor. Biocomfort Diagnostics
GmbH & Co. KG and its auxiliaries accept no
liability for negligent breach of duty, provided
that no contractual obligations, damages
caused by injury to life, body or health,
warranties or claims according to the product
liability law apply. In the event of infringement
of contractual obligation, Biocomfort
Diagnostics is only liable for typical contractual and foreseeable damages. The period of
limitation for claims for damages not caused
by behaviour attributable as wilful on the
part of Biocomfort Diagnostics amounts to
one year. Excepted from this are claims for
damages from consumers arising from faults
to a new product supplied by Biocomfort
Diagnostics, and claims to damages arising
in the context of suppliers as per § 478 of the
German Civil Code.
6 Copyright
The software is protected by copyright and
may only be used privately. In particular,
renting, exchanging, shipping to third parties,
reproducing, copying, or processing the
device in electronic systems are expressly
prohibited.
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4
5
6
7
8 Manufacturer warranty and
guarantee
When used properly, the legal provisions
apply for the warranty and guarantee. The
warranty is only extended to the original
buyer and cannot be transferred. Within the
framework of the warranty, our services
comprise the repair of faulty parts, free of
charge, or, if we choose to do so, the delivery
of an error-free replacement device. In
addition to the manufacturer warranty, you
are also entitled to guarantee claims from the
vendor of the Stress Pilot according to the
sales contract.
Manufacturer:
Biocomfort Diagnostics GmbH & Co. KG
Bernhaeuser Strasse 17
73765 Neuhausen a. d. F.
Germany
E-mail [email protected]
Internet www.biocomfort.com
32
9 Technical details
Power supply
Operating voltages +5 V / +3 V / -3 V
Current consumption 88 mA / 11 mA / 11 mA
Fuses
none
Pulse
Sensor
infrared earclip
Sensor current for IR LED approx. 16 mA
Frequency range approx. 0.5 ... 10 Hz
Sample rate 500 Hz
PC interface
Type USB 1.1
Device class HID (Human Interface Device)
Additional data:
Dimension (L x W x D) approx. 90 x 35 x 12 mm
Weight approx. 40 g
Ambient conditions during operation:
Temperature range 10 °C ... 40 °C
Rel. humidity 20 % ... 85 %
No mechanical shocks or vibrations
8
9
Ambient conditions during storage and
transport:
Temperature -20 °C ... 60 °C
Rel. humidity 10 % ... 95 % (no condensation)
The device may not be used for medicinal
diagnosis on people.
The device meets the requirements of guideline 89/336/EEC regarding electromagnetic
tolerance.
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34
10 Symbols and abbreviations
On the device, packaging material and in the
operating manual you will find the symbols
shown below with the following meanings:
Symbols and abbreviations
10
The serial number of the device is composed
as follows and can be found under the barcode.
Item no.
Device type
REF
Prod. no.
Prod. week
Prod. year
Please follow the operating manual
Item/order number
CE symbol
Symbol for separate collection of
electric and electronic devices
35
1000500194/1/web
Biocomfort Diagnostics GmbH & Co. KG
Bernhaeuser Strasse 17
73765 Neuhausen a. d. F.
Germany
Telephone +49 (0) 7 15 8 / 9 80 16 0
Telefax
+49 (0) 7 15 8 / 9 80 16 99
E-mail
[email protected]
Internet
www.biocomfort.com
Subject to changes and errors
www.stress-pilot.com