MEASUREMENT AND COLLECTION OF HUMAN TREMORS THROUGH A HANDHELD TOOL

• US 20160242679A1
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Pathak, Anupam J., Jooste, Sarel Kobus
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/02 Forks; Forks with ejectors; Combined forks and spoons; Salad servers
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/046 of holding or grasping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00464 for use with different instruments with hole for different instruments A61B2017/22072
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/75 Manipulators having means for prevention or compensation of hand tremors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1101 Detecting tremor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 4/00 Methods or devices enabling patients or disabled persons to operate an apparatus or a device not forming part of the body operating or control means for prostheses A61F2/48, A61F2/68
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/03 using magnetic or electromagnetic means F16F9/53, F16F15/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/1005 : characterised by active control of the mass
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

A technique for measuring and collecting human tremor data includes measuring motions of a handheld tool manipulated by a user while performing a task with the handheld tool. The motions are measured using an inertial measurement unit (“IMU”) disposed within a handle of the handheld tool. Motion data of the motions is recorded to a motion log stored within a memory unit of the handheld tool. The motion data contains information for determining a severity of tremors that occurred while the user performed the task with the handheld tool. The motion log is communicated to a remote server for analysis.

Claims

1. A handheld tool, comprising:

a handle;

an attachment arm extending from the handle;

a user-assistive device attached to a distal end of the attachment arm;

an inertial measurement unit (“

IMU”

) rigidly attached to the handle to measure motions of the handle and to generate motion data indicative of the motions of the handle; and

a communication interface to output the motion data from the handheld tool.

2. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein the IMU includes an accelerometer to measure translational accelerations of the handle.

3. The handheld tool of claim 2, wherein the IMU further includes a gyroscope to measure rotational motions of the handle.

4. The handheld tool of claim 2, wherein the in the IMU further includes a magnetometer to measure motions of the handle relative to a magnetic field.

5. The handheld tool of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the IMU to read the motion data from the IMU;

a memory unit coupled to the controller; and

logic executable by the controller that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform operations comprising;

generating a motion log within the memory unit based upon the motion data generated while a user is holding the handheld tool.

6. The handheld tool of claim 5, wherein the logic includes further logic that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform further operations comprising:

generating multiple motion logs within the memory unit based upon the motion data generated while the user is holding the handheld tool and performing one or more activities.

7. The handheld tool of claim 6, wherein the user-assistive device comprises a kitchen utensil and wherein the one or more activities comprise eating.

8. The handheld tool of claim 6, wherein the logic includes further logic that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform further operations comprising:

recording a type of the user-assistive device mounted on the attachment arm with the motion logs as an indication of the one or more activities performed by the user when recording the motion data.

9. The handheld tool of claim 5, wherein the communication interface comprises a wireless interface, and wherein the logic includes further logic that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform further operations comprising:

wirelessly communicate the motion log to a remote server using the communication interface.

10. The handheld tool of claim 5, further comprising:

a motion-generating mechanism disposed within the handle;

a first motion sensor disposed on the attachment arm to detect tremor motions of the attachment arm; and

a second motion sensor disposed within the handle to detect relative motion of the attachment arm relative to the handle,

wherein the attachment arm moves relative to the handle under influence of the motion-generating mechanism with feedback from the first and second motion sensors to stabilize the tremor motions.

11. The handheld tool of claim 10, wherein the logic includes further logic that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform further operations comprising:

recording additional data into the motion log that is indicative of an amount of correction imparted by the motion-generating mechanism on the attachment arm while stabilizing the tremor motions.

12. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein the user-assistive device comprises any of a manufacturing tool, a surgical tool, a kitchen utensil, a sporting tool, a yard tool, a grooming utensil, or a dental hygiene tool.

13. A method performed by a handheld tool, the method comprising:

measuring motions of a handheld tool manipulated by a user while performing a task with the handheld tool, wherein the motions are measured using an inertial measurement unit (“

IMU”

) disposed within a handle of the handheld tool;

recording motion data of the motions to a motion log stored within a memory unit disposed on-board of the handheld tool, wherein the motion data contains information for determining a severity of tremors that occurred while the user performed the task with the handheld tool; and

communicating the motion log to a remote server for analysis.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the IMU includes sensors to measure both translational and rotational motions of the handheld tool.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the IMU includes one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a magnetometer being rigidly mounted to the handle of the handheld tool.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the handheld tool comprises a kitchen utensil and the task comprises eating with the kitchen utensil.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the handheld tool includes an attachment arm for removeably attaching different user-assistive devices to a distal end of the attachment arm, the method further comprising:

recording a type of the user-assistive device coupled to the distal end of the attachment arm while performing the task with the motion log; and

communicating the type of the user-assistive device with the motion log to the remote server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the type of the user-assistive device includes an indication of at least one of a fork, a knife, or a spoon.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein communicating the motion log to the remote server for analysis comprises:

establishing a wireless linking to a cellular phone; and

uploading the motion log to the server over the wireless link in response to user commands received from the cellular phone via the wireless link.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein communicating the motion log to the remote server for analysis comprises:

communicating the motion log to the remote server upon the handheld tool being coupled to a charging dock that charges an internal battery of the handheld tool.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the handheld tool includes a motion-generating mechanism that stabilizes tremor motions while the user holds the handle.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

recording data into the motion log that is indicative of an amount of correction imparted by the motion-generating mechanism while stabilizing the tremor motions.

23. A method, comprising:

receiving a motion log from a handheld tool over a network, wherein the motion log includes motion data indicative of motions of a handheld tool manipulated by a patient while performing a task with the handheld tool;

analyzing the motion data within the motion log; and

determining a severity of tremors that occurred while the user performed the task with the handheld tool based upon the motion data.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

communicating an indication of the severity of the tremors to a medical practitioner treating the patient via the network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the analyzing comprises correlating the motion data to a clinical scale for grading human tremors, wherein the indication comprises a score on the clinical scale.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the motion data within the motion log is generated by the patient using the handheld tool at home.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the handheld tool comprise a kitchen utensil and the task comprises eating.