SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING REACTION TIME OF A SUBJECT

• US 20150094622A1
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sway Medical, Inc. (Sway Medical, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sway Medical, LLC
• Inventors: CURTISS, CHASE
• Granted Patent: US 10,362,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/162 Testing reaction times
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers

Abstract

There is provided herein a motion-based evaluation of reaction time that utilizes motion detection hardware of a mobile device to determine auditory and visual stimulated reaction time. In an embodiment, the subject holds a mobile computing device equipped with built-in triaxis accelerometer and gyroscope with both hands at arms length away from the face. A visual or auditory stimulus is then presented on screen via a software application that also records the response time for the individual to initiate a movement of the device. A simple reaction time test could include the movement of the device in any direction that exceeded a threshold of movement beyond what would be expected from static holding. An embodiment of a choice reaction time test would provide for specific directional movements as it related to an instructed stimulus.

Claims

1. A method measuring a reaction time in a subject, comprising the steps of:

a. providing a handheld motion sensor to the subject;

b. presenting a stimulus to the subject at a stimulus time;

c. continuously reading values from the motion sensor at least from said stimulus time until a first substantial movement of said motion sensor is read;

d. determining a time of said first substantial movement; and

,

e. using said stimulus time, said time of said first substantial movement, and said read values from said motion sensor to determine a time of a first significant movement, thereby determining the reaction time in the subject.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said motion sensor is read at intervals of 0.001 seconds or 0.002 seconds.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said motion sensor is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said motion sensor is an accelerometer and said first substantial movement occurs when one of said continuously read values from said accelerometer is greater than or equal to an acceleration value of 0.1 g.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said motion sensor is a triaxis accelerometer, wherein each of said continuously read values from the motion sensor comprises three acceleration values corresponding to acceleration in an X, a Y, and a Z direction, and wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

(e1) for each of said read values, forming a composite acceleration value from said X, said Y, and said Z direction accelerations;

(e2) using said stimulus time, said time of said first substantial movement, and said composite acceleration values to determine a time of a first significant movement, thereby determining the reaction time in the subject.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said motion sensor is an accelerometer and wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

(e1) searching through said read values from the motion sensor from said time of said first significant movement toward said stimulus time to find a first instance where, as between two adjacently measured motion values, an earlier measured one of said two adjacently measured motion values is greater than a later one of said two adjacently measured motion values, thereby determining a first significant movement, and,

(e2) determining the reaction time of the subject to be a time of the first significant movement.

7. A method measuring a reaction time in a subject, wherein the subject is provided with a handheld device containing a motion sensor integral thereto, comprising the steps of:

a. using the handheld device to present a stimulus to the subject at a stimulus time;

b. continuously reading values from the motion sensor at least from said stimulus time until a first substantial movement of said motion sensor is read;

c. determining a time of said first substantial movement; and

,

d. using said stimulus time, said time of said first substantial movement, and said read values from said motion sensor to determine a significant movement time, said significant movement time determining the reaction time of the subject.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said motion sensor is read at intervals of 0.001 seconds or 0.002 seconds.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said motion sensor is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said motion sensor is an accelerometer and said first substantial movement occurs when one of said continuously read values from said accelerometer is greater than or equal to an acceleration value of 0.1 g.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said motion sensor is a triaxis accelerometer, wherein each of said continuously read values from the motion sensor comprises three acceleration values corresponding to acceleration in an X, a Y, and a Z direction, and wherein step (d) comprises the steps of:

(d1) for each of said read values, forming a composite acceleration value from said X, said Y, and said Z direction accelerations;

(d2) using said stimulus time, said time of said first substantial movement, and said composite acceleration values to determine a time of a first significant movement, thereby determining the reaction time in the subject.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein said motion sensor is an accelerometer and wherein step (d) comprises the steps of

(d1) searching through said read values from the motion sensor from said time of said first significant movement toward said stimulus time to find a first instance where, as between two adjacently measured motion values, an earlier measured one of said two adjacently measured motion values is greater than a later one of said two adjacently measured motion values, thereby determining a first significant movement, and,

(d2) determining the reaction time of the subject to be a time of the first significant movement.

13. A handheld device for measuring reaction time, comprising:

a. a motion sensor integral to said handheld device;

b. a display integral to said handheld device;

c memory integral to said handheld device;

d. a processor in electronic communication with said motion sensor, said display, and said memory, said memory containing a plurality of instruction executable by said processor to perform the steps of;

1. using the handheld device to present a stimulus to the subject at a stimulus time;

2. continuously reading values from the motion sensor at least from said stimulus time until a first substantial movement of said motion sensor is read;

3. determining a time of said first substantial movement; and

,

4. using said stimulus time, said time of said first substantial movement, and said read values from said motion sensor to determine a significant movement time, thereby determining a reaction time of the subject.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein said stimulus is a change in a color of said display.