CONCUSSION/BALANCE EVALUATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150051514A1
• Filed: 08/15/2014
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Safety In Motion, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Safety In Motion, Inc.
• Inventors: Prasad, Priya, Stein, David C., Wallace, Thomas F., Borda, Walter J.
• Application Number:
  US14/460,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051514A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence

Abstract

A balance testing apparatus includes a rigid bottom plate and a rigid top plate. At least three uni-axial load cells are coupled to the bottom plate and the top plate, and are configured to measure a set of predetermined parameters indicative of balance of an individual standing on the rigid top plate.

Claims

1. A balance testing apparatus, comprising:

a rigid bottom plate;

a rigid top plate;

at least three uni-axial load cells coupled to the bottom plate and the top plate, the at least three uni-axial load cells configured to measure a set of predetermined parameters indicative of balance of an individual standing on the rigid top plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor, including data storage, coupled to each of the at least three uni-axial load cells adapted to collect the measured set of predetermined parameters indicative of balance of the individual;

wherein the data storage includes an instruction set to enable the processor to correlate the measured set of predetermined parameters to the balance of the individual.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a display device coupled to the processor configured to display the measured set of predetermined parameters in a desired format.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to administer one of the NFL test, the SCAT3 test, the BESS test, and the modified BESS test.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising at least one accelerometer coupled to the bottom plate and configured to account for movement of the bottom plate relative to the top plate in both the X and the Y directions.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor, the display device, the load cells and the accelerometers are wirelessly coupled together.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rigid top plate and the rigid bottom plate are formed from a composite material.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the uni-axial load cells is an automotive grade load cell.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an exterior housing and at least one seal for isolating the at least three uni-axial load cells from an exterior environment.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined parameters include one or more of anterior-posterior sway, lateral sway, center of gravity, center of pressure, and weight.

11. A balance testing apparatus, comprising:

a rigid bottom plate;

a rigid top plate;

at least three uni-axial load cells coupled to the bottom plate and the top plate, the at least three uni-axial load cells configured to measure a set of predetermined parameters at a data measurement frequency indicative of balance of an individual standing on the rigid top plate;

a processor, including data storage, coupled to each of the at least three uni-axial load cells adapted to collect the measured set of predetermined parameters indicative of balance of the individual;

wherein the data storage includes an instruction set to enable the processor to correlate the measured set of predetermined parameters to the balance of the individual.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to administer one of the NFL test, the SCAT3 test, the BESS test, and the modified BESS test.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising at least one accelerometer coupled to the bottom plate and configured to account for movement of the bottom plate relative to the top plate in both the X and the Y directions.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the rigid top plate and the rigid bottom plate are formed from a composite material.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an exterior housing and at least one seal for isolating the at least three uni-axial load cells from an exterior environment.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined parameters include one or more of anterior-posterior sway, lateral sway, center of gravity, center of pressure, and weight.

17. A method for balance testing, comprising:

measuring predetermined parameters indicative of balance of a test subject, wherein the measuring step is performed using a force plate, the force plate comprising;

a rigid bottom plate;

a rigid top plate; and

at least three uni-axial load cells coupled to the bottom plate and the top plate, the at least three uni-axial load cells configured to measure a set of predetermined parameters indicative of balance of an individual standing on the rigid top plate;

administering a known balance test protocol; and

evaluating the measured predetermined parameters according to the known balance test protocol to obtain a balance test protocol score.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the known balance test protocol is one of the BESS test, the modified BESS test, the NFL test, and the SCAT3 test.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined parameters are one or more of anterior-posterior sway, lateral sway, center of gravity, center of pressure, and weight.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the balance test protocol score correlates to concussion in the test subject.