Method and Device for Detecting Parameters for the Characterization of Motion Sequences at the Human or Animal Body

• US 20100036287A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Epionics Medical GmbH
• Original Assignee: Epionics Medical GmbH
• Inventors: Weber, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/329,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036287A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0261 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4561 Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature A61B5/1116 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68 Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/22 using resistance strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/242 the material being an optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00841 results of the analyses
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00851 process control parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals

Abstract

The invention relates to a bending sensor for detecting function parameters for the characterization of motion sequences at the human or animal body. The bending sensor comprises a fixing element 20, in particular a fixing plaster, for fixing the bending sensor on the skin of the human or animal body. Furthermore, a bending-sensitive detector 10 for detecting bending parameters of the bending sensor is provided. The detected bending parameters such as, for instance, the bending angle, the bending rate, and/or the bending acceleration are stored in a data memory 30. The fixing element is extensible and comprises an extensible cavity for accommodating a measuring sensor of the detector. The measuring sensor is fixed at a reference point of the fixing element in the cavity.

Claims

1. A bending sensor for detecting function parameters for the characterization of motion sequences at the human or animal body, comprising:

a fixing element (20), in particular a fixing plaster, for fixing the bending sensor on the skin of the human or animal body;

a bending-sensitive detector (10) for detecting bending parameters of the bending sensor, in particular a bending angle, a bending rate, and a bending acceleration, and

a data memory (30) for storing the detected bending parameters; and

characterized in that the fixing element is extensible and comprises an extensible cavity for accommodating a measuring sensor of the detector, wherein the measuring sensor is fixed at a reference point of the fixing element in the cavity.

2. The bending sensor according to claim 1, wherein the fixing element (20) comprises an elastic bottom layer with a biocompatible thermally activatable adhesive layer for application on the skin, and an elastic top layer, wherein the cavity is formed between the top layer and the bottom layer.

3. The bending sensor according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the measuring sensor comprises an optical fiber with a transmission function that changes as a function of a bending of the optical fiber.

4. The bending sensor according to claim 3, wherein the measuring sensor comprises a strain gauge with an electric impedance that changes with an extension or compression of the strain gauge.

5. The bending sensor according to claim 4, wherein the detector comprises a detection device, wherein the detection device detects a change of the electric impedance of the strain gauge (60, 70) or a change of the transmission function of the optical fiber.

6. The bending sensor according to claim 5, wherein the detection device is adapted to detect the change of the electric impedance of a strain gauge (60, 70) or the change of the transmission function of the optical fiber with a predetermined scanning frequency of, for instance, 100 Hz.

7. The bending sensor according to claim 6, comprising an electronic data memory for storing the digitized electronic signals output by the detection device.

8. The bending sensor according to any of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a substrate that guarantees tensile strength and is elastically bendable on which the measuring sensor is fixed.

9. The bending sensor according to claim 8, wherein the substrate is manufactured of spring steel.

10. The bending sensor according to claims 8, wherein the detector comprises a plurality of measuring sensors that are fixed on opposite sides of the substrate.

11. The bending sensor according to any of the preceding claims 1, wherein the detector (10) comprises a plurality of measuring sensors for detecting the bending parameters in respectively different measurement zones (80).

12. The bending sensor according to claim 11, wherein the measuring sensors are arranged in a cascaded or overlapping manner.

13. The bending sensor according to any of claims 12, wherein the detection device is adapted to trigger the measuring sensors arranged in the different measurement zones (80) in a temporally displaced manner, in particular with a trigger frequency of at least 1 kHz.

14. The bending sensor according to any of claims 13, comprising a position sensor for detecting the position of the measuring sensors relative to the gravitation field of the earth or to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field.

15. The bending sensor according to any of claims 14, wherein the fixing element (20) comprises a layer of spring steel for mechanical stabilization and electromagnetic shielding.

16. The bending sensor according to any of claims 15, wherein the fixing element (20) comprises a readable identification memory unit, wherein an electronic identification for identifying the fixing element is stored in the identification memory unit.

17. The bending sensor according to claim 16, wherein the identification memory unit comprises a RFID transponder for the wireless reading of the electronic identification.

18. The bending sensor according to claims 16, wherein the detector comprises a reader for reading the identification.

19. The bending sensor according to claim 17, wherein the RFID transponder uses as an antenna a data line that is already available for the transfer of measurement data.

20. A method for detecting function parameters for the characterization of motion sequences at the human or animal body, comprising the steps of:

fixing a bending sensor on a human or animal body;

detecting bending parameters of the bending sensor, in particular a bending angle, a bending rate, and a bending acceleration;

determining the body movement by means of the detected bending parameters;

providing an extensible fixing element for fixing the bending sensor, wherein the fixing element comprises an extensible cavity for accommodating a measuring sensor of the detector; and

fixing the measuring sensor at a reference point of the fixing element in the cavity.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

detecting a position of the bending sensor by means of a position sensor, wherein the position is detected relative to the gravitation field of the earth or to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the bending parameters are detected irrespective of the location in that a plurality of bending-sensitive measurement zones (80) of the bending sensor are used for the detection of bending parameters.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the bending parameters are detected irrespective of the time in that the bending parameters are detected with a predetermined scanning frequency of, for instance, 100 Hz.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the detected bending parameters are used to determine a plurality of dynamic parameters, in particular the bending angle as a function of the time and/or the place, the bending rate as a function of the time and/or the place, the bending acceleration as a function of the time and/or the place, the Fourier transformation of the functions of the bending angle, the bending rate and/or the bending acceleration.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein a histogram is used for the graphic representation of the frequency distribution of the dynamic parameters, in particular the bending angle, the bending rate, or the bending acceleration.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein a frequency distribution of the position of the bending sensor is represented as a histogram or as a gray value in a coordinate system.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein the detected bending parameters are compared with average bending parameters so as to indicate aberrations in the movement parameters.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein further parameters such as, for instance, pain parameters, posture parameters, mobility parameters, are detected simultaneously with the bending parameters, and a statistic correlation between the bending parameters and the further parameters is established.

29. The method according to claim 20, wherein the detection of bending parameters of the bending sensor is performed for a period of at least 24 hours so as to enable a long-time analysis.

30. The method according to claims 20, wherein the detection of bending parameters is performed in addition to treatment so as to detect a positive or a negative correlation between therapeutic measures and the movement parameters detected.