MUSCLE FUNCTION EVALUATING SYSTEM

• US 20120143064A1
• Filed: 11/04/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Med-Tek LLC
• Original Assignee: Med-Tek LLC
• Inventors: CYPHERY, Charles Dean, VITIELLO, Marco
• Application Number:
  US13/289,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/224 Measuring muscular strength
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/225 of the fingers, e.g. by monitoring hand-grip force
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots

Abstract

A muscular function monitoring and evaluating system includes a processor, a wireless interface, a display, a storage device storing a program and sets of test procedures, a signal collection device wirelessly coupled to the processor and a sensor connected to the signal collection device. The program, when executed by the processor, causes the system to display a patient information screen on the display for an operator to input patient'"'"'s data of a patient to be tested, and receive the patient'"'"'s data input through the screen. The processor displays, in accordance with one of the sets of test procedures, a muscle map indicating a place on the patient'"'"'s body to which the sensor is to be attached. The processor instructs the patient through displayed instruction language, an animation or video image, or audible instructions.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a wireless interface coupled to the processor;

a display coupled to the processor;

a non-transit storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device storing a program and sets of test procedures;

a signal collection device wirelessly coupled to the processor via the wireless interface; and

a sensor connected to the signal collection device,

wherein the program, when executed by the processor, causes the system to perform the functions of;

displaying a patient information screen on the display for prompting an operator to input patient'"'"'s data of a patient to be tested;

receiving the patient'"'"'s data input through the patient information screen;

displaying, on the display in accordance with one of the sets of test procedures, a muscle map indicating a place on a patient'"'"'s body to which the sensor is to be attached;

instructing the patient in accordance with the one of the sets of test procedures, through at least one of an animation or video image instruction displayed on the display and an audible instruction;

receiving a signal measured by the sensor; and

recording the signal into the storage device or transmitting the signal to an outside server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the storage device stores a patient database, and

the program further causes the processor to perform the functions of;

obtaining patient information by searching the patient database according to the input patient'"'"'s data; and

selecting one of the sets of test procedures in accordance with the obtained patient information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one of the sets of test procedures is selected by an input by the operator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the program further causes the processor to perform the functions of;

displaying on the display a test procedure selection screen displaying a list of the sets of test procedures;

receiving a selection of one of the sets of test procedures, and

the muscle map is displayed on the display in accordance with the selected one of the sets of test procedures.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further includes a camera, and

the program further causes the processor to perform a function of recording a video image of the patient acquired by the camera and displaying the video image on the display.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the program further causes the processor to perform a function of displaying the received sensor signal on the display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes one or more surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the muscle map indicates a place on the patient'"'"'s body to which the one or more sEMG sensors are to be attached by different colors or numbers.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes one or more motion sensors utilizing one or more gyroscopes.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a functional capacity sensor including a lift portion, a pinch portion and a grip portion.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the program further causes the processor to perform a function of displaying an error message when the system detects an error of the sensor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the error of the sensor is detected by the signal collection device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the program further causes the processor to calibrate the sensor.

14. A non-transit recording medium storing a program, wherein the program, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the functions of:

displaying a patient information screen on a display coupled to the computer for prompting an operator to input patient'"'"'s data of a patient to be tested;

receiving the patient'"'"'s data input through the patient information screen;

displaying, on the display in accordance with one of a plurality of sets of test procedures, a muscle map indicating a place on a patient'"'"'s body to which a sensor is to be attached;

instructing the patient in accordance with the one of the sets of test procedures, through at least one of an animation or video image instruction displayed on the display, and an audible instruction;

receiving a signal measured by the sensor; and

recording the signal into a storage device coupled to the computer or transmitting the signal to an outside server.

15. The non-transit recording medium of claim 14, wherein the program further causes the processor to perform the functions of:

obtaining patient information by searching a patient database according to the input patient'"'"'s data; and

selecting one of the sets of test procedures in accordance with the obtained patient information.

16. The non-transit recording medium of claim 14, wherein the program further causes the processor to perform the functions of:

displaying on the display a test procedure selection screen displaying a list of the sets of test procedures;

receiving a selection of one of the sets of test procedures, and

the muscle map is displayed on the display in accordance with the selected one of the sets of test procedures.

17. The non-transit recording medium of claim 14, wherein the program further causes the processor to record a video image of the patient acquired by a camera and to display the video image on the display.

18. The non-transit recording medium of claim 14, wherein the program further causes the processor to perform display the received sensor signal on the display.

19. The non-transit recording medium of claim 14, wherein the muscle map indicates a place on the patient'"'"'s body to which the one or more sEMG sensors are to be attached by different colors or numbers.

20. The non-transit recording medium of claim 14, wherein the program further causes the processor to display an error message when the system detects an error of the sensor,

21. The non-transit recording medium of claim 14, wherein the program further causes the processor to calibrate the sensor.