SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF A HUMAN FOOT FOR SIGNS OF ULCER DEVELOPMENT
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring a human foot comprising:
- an array of pressure sensors embedded in an article of footwear configured to measure pressures applied to regions of said human foot;
a low-power control circuit for reading said array of pressure sensors;
a power source incorporated in said article of footwear configured to power said array of pressure sensors and said low-power control circuit;
an external processing unit wirelessly coupled to said low-power control circuit configured to relate said pressures applied to regions of said human foot to a number of counts associated with injury risk; and
an alert system for raising an alert if said number of counts associated with injury risk exceeds a predetermined threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention pertains to a system and method for monitoring a human foot by measuring pressures applied to regions of the foot or by measuring another tissue-health related condition. A light source in the 400 nm to 1400 nm range and a detector can be embedded in a wearable article that contacts tissue while in use, spaced 200 μm to 1 cm apart, and measure a tissue hemoglobin condition. A pressure-sensing array may be read by a low-power control circuit, and a power source can be incorporated in the article. An external processing unit wirelessly coupled to the control circuit can relate pressures measured with counts that are associated with injury risk, and an alert system can notify a patient if the counts exceed a predetermined threshold. A relationship between pressure experienced by a region of tissue and the risk of ulcer development in that region may be derived.
54 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring a human foot comprising:
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an array of pressure sensors embedded in an article of footwear configured to measure pressures applied to regions of said human foot; a low-power control circuit for reading said array of pressure sensors; a power source incorporated in said article of footwear configured to power said array of pressure sensors and said low-power control circuit; an external processing unit wirelessly coupled to said low-power control circuit configured to relate said pressures applied to regions of said human foot to a number of counts associated with injury risk; and an alert system for raising an alert if said number of counts associated with injury risk exceeds a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for monitoring a human foot comprising:
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an article configured to be worn in contact with tissue of said human foot; a light source embedded in said article for emitting light with a wavelength between 400 nm and 1400 nm into said tissue; a sensor embedded in said article between 200 μ
m and 1 cm, inclusive, from said light source for detecting said light from said tissue; anda processing unit coupled to said sensor for determining a tissue health-related condition from said light. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for determining a relationship between an amount of pressure experienced by a region of tissue and risk of ulcer development in said region of tissue comprising:
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measuring said amount of pressure experienced by said region of tissue on a human patient with a wearable pressure-sensing article over a predetermined time period; measuring a tissue hemoglobin condition in said region of tissue with a wearable hemoglobin-measuring article over said predetermined time period; and analyzing said tissue hemoglobin condition for signs indicative of said risk of ulcer development. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification