INTELLIGENT DEVICE TO MONITOR AND REMIND PATIENTS WITH FOOTWEAR, WALKING AIDS, BRACES, OR ORTHOTICS

• US 20120184878A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.), Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
• Original Assignee: BioSensics, LLC (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Najafi, Bijan, Boloori, Ali-Reza, Wrobel, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,753,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/592
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment

Abstract

A system is provided for monitoring whether a user is wearing and/or using a tagged device such as prescribed footwear, a walking aid, a brace or other orthotics. The system may detect whether the user is using a tagged device and can, in some embodiments, alert the user or the user'"'"'s caregivers if the user ambulates without using the tagged device.

Claims

1. A system for assessing and improving a user'"'"'s adherence in wearing footwear, braces, or orthotics, or using walking-aid devices, during pre-specified postures, physical activity, or foot-loading conditions, comprising (i) a sensor worn by said user with one or more accelerometers, (ii) one or more devices tagged by one or more radio-frequency tags;

and optionally (iii) one or more accelerometers, whereby said system;

a. detects whether said user has worn said sensor by measuring said user'"'"'s respiration fluctuation using said sensor'"'"'s accelerometers;

b. detects whether said user has worn said tagged device or devices by identifying instants or time periods when;

1. said tagged device(s) are not detected by said sensor to be within a predefined distance of said sensor and said user undergoes a pre-specified foot-loading condition;

or

2. said user is walking, and said tagged device(s) are detected by said sensor to be within a predefined distance of said sensor, and said tagged device(s) are not recording said user'"'"'s walking activity;

c. if said tagged devices include said optional accelerometers, detects whether said tagged device(s) record said user'"'"'s locomotion using said optional accelerometer.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a means for alerting said user or a caregiver if said user moves without said tagged devices.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a means for recording time periods when said user does not wear said tagged devices or said sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising a further means for identifying the preference of said user in using a variety of tagged devices during in daily activities.

5. The system of claim 1, where the said sensor scans the presence of said tagged device(s) only during foot loading conditions.