System and Method for Monitoring and Treating Head, Spine and Body Health and Wellness

• US 20190313967A1
• Filed: 04/15/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lee Y. Michael
• Original Assignee: Lee Y. Michael
• Inventors: Lee, Y. Michael
• Granted Patent: US 11,389,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1077 Measuring of profiles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1124 Determining motor skills
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/123 subjective methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4561 Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature A61B5/1116 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4803 Speech analysis specially adapted for diagnostic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6816 : Ear lobe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 : Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 : Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 : Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 : characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/006 : Detecting skeletal, cartilage or muscle noise A61B7/003 and A61B7/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 : Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/02 : Orthopaedic corsets arm-rests for use as writing aids B43L15/00

Abstract

Real-time head and spine alignment, position and other physiological parameters are detected to measure human being health and wellness status. A wearer is reminded to actively correct spinal curvatures and the system may further interfere if head and spinal mal-position or other injury or disease parameters are detected by the system'"'"'s sensor devices. The system includes wearable universal sensor modules that are attached and detached easily from receiver units having different formats for different body locations depending on their physiological functions. The system is designed to analyze, by artificial intelligence, data from each universal sensor module and provide accurate feedback that can be used by health professionals to monitor remote individual health status and notify a wearer to prevent and correct mal-position or injury or disease status.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and treating head, spine and body health comprising:

a) providing a plurality of receiver units wherein each receiver unit is configured to be secured at a selected location on a wearer'"'"'s body;

b) mounting a universal multimodality sensor module comprising a power source, a printed circuit board including a processor, memory and communication module, and a plurality of individual sensors to each respective receiver unit, wherein one or more selected individual sensors within said each respective multimodality sensor module is powered depending upon said selected location of its respective receiver unit on said wearer'"'"'s body; and

c) sensing at regular intervals, using said one or more powered selected individual sensors, health data related to the head, spine or body health status of the wearer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

d) communicating, via the communication module, the sensed data to a computing device including a computer processor and a computer memory,

e) comparing, via the computer processor, the sensed data with a prepopulated data range stored in the computer memory.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

f) delivering a notification to the wearer if the sensed data is outside of the prepopulated range so that the wearer may adjust one or more of their head, spine or body position until the sensed data returns to the prepopulated range.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each universal multimodality sensor module comprises a 9-axis accelerometer, a pulse oximeter, an electromyography (EMG) sensor and a mechanomyography (MMG) sensor.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein one or more of the universal multimodality sensor modules further comprises a feedback device in communication with the computing device, wherein when the sensed data is outside of the prepopulated range the feedback device is triggered to deliver the notification.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the feedback device comprises one or both of a haptic device configured to vibrate and a light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit a steady light or flashing light.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein one or more of the universal multimodality sensor modules further comprises a speaker/microphone and auditory processor, wherein the method further includes:

a) recording joint friction auditory information using the speaker/microphone;

b) filtering the auditory information using the auditory processor;

c) amplifying the filtered auditory information; and

d) communicating the amplified filtered auditory information to the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the speaker/microphone is a bone conduction speaker/microphone.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein a first universal multimodality sensor module senses health data from a wearer'"'"'s left arm and wherein a second universal multimodality sensor module senses health data from a wearer'"'"'s right arm, and wherein the computer processor compares the left arm health data to the right arm health data to identify symmetry between the left arm and the right arm.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the computing device is a mobile computing device.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein one or more of the universal multimodality sensor modules further comprises a selectively switchable speaker/microphone, wherein the speaker/microphone can be selectively activated to record patient generated data in combination with the sensed health data.

12. A system for monitoring and treating head, spine and body health status comprising:

a) a plurality of receiver units wherein each receiver unit is configured to be secured at a selected location on a wearer'"'"'s body; and

b) a plurality of universal multimodality sensor modules, each comprising one or more individual sensors, a power source, a printed circuit board including a processor, memory and communication module, wherein a respective multimodality sensor module is coupled with a respective receiver,

wherein one or more selected individual sensors within said each respective multimodality sensor module is powered depending upon said selected location of its respective receiver unit on said wearer'"'"'s body, and

wherein health data related to the head, spine or body movements of the wearer is sensed at regular intervals using said one or more powered selected individual sensors.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

c) a computing device including a computer processor and a computer memory, wherein the communication module communicates the sensed data to the computer processor whereby the computer processor compares the sensed data with a prepopulated data range stored in the computer memory.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein each universal multimodality sensor module comprises a 9-axis accelerometer, a pulse oximeter, an electromyography (EMG) sensor and a mechanomyography (MMG) sensor.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein one or more of the universal multimodality sensor modules further comprises a feedback device in communication with the computing device, wherein when the sensed data is outside of the prepopulated range the feedback device is triggered to deliver the notification.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the feedback device comprises one or both of a haptic device configured to vibrate and a light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit a steady light or flashing light.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein one or more of the universal multimodality sensor modules further comprises a speaker/microphone and auditory processor, wherein joint friction auditory information is recorded by the speaker/microphone, filtered and amplified by the auditory processor and communicated to the computing device.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the speaker/microphone is a bone conduction speaker/microphone.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein a first universal multimodality sensor module senses health data from a wearer'"'"'s left arm and wherein a second universal multimodality sensor module senses health data from a wearer'"'"'s right arm, and wherein the computer processor compares the left arm health data to the right arm health data to analyze symmetry between the left arm and the right arm.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein one or more of the universal multimodality sensor modules further comprises a selectively switchable speaker/microphone, wherein the speaker/microphone can be selectively activated to record patient generated data in combination with the sensed health data.

21. A method for monitoring and treating head, spine and body health comprising:

a) receiving a photograph of a lateral and anteroposterior (AP) head and body view;

b) receiving a medical image including the lateral and AP head and body view;

c) providing a computing system including a computer processor, a clinical database and image matching software;

d) providing a plurality of receiver units wherein each receiver unit is configured to be secured at a selected location on a wearer'"'"'s body;

e) mounting a universal multimodality sensor module comprising a power source, a printed circuit board including a sensor processor, memory and communication module, and a plurality of individual sensors to each respective receiver unit, wherein one or more selected individual sensors within said each respective multimodality sensor module is powered depending upon said selected location of its respective receiver unit on said wearer'"'"'s body;

f) sensing at regular intervals, using said one or more powered selected individual sensors, health data related to the head, spine or body health status of the wearer including head and spine alignment and musculoskeletal and neurological parameters; and

g) comparing, using the computer processor and the image matching software, the photograph and the medical image to determine head and spine alignment indexes.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the sensed health data includes a measurement of spine dynamic angle, wherein determination of the head and spine alignment indexes includes comparing the spine dynamic angle with the photograph and the medical image.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

h) providing a mobile computing device including a mobile computer processor, a mobile computer memory, a microphone, a speaker, a camera, a health software application and a taptic engine;

i) receiving, using the taptic engine or microphone, a notification from the wearer; and

j) matching, using the computer processor, the notification with the sensed health data.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the steps of:

k) performing a mental status exam using the health software application, the sensed health data, the microphone and the taptic engine.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the health software application presents and records a wearer responses to orientation questions, performs a psychiatric evaluation using standard test batteries, and wherein the camera detects pupil reaction, bilateral eye neutral position, a movement pattern of the wearer'"'"'s eyes, facial sensation, facial symmetry and mouth symmetry, and wherein the camera and speaker perform a bilateral hearing test by evaluating the wearer'"'"'s reaction to sounds of different tones, frequencies and intensities, and wherein the microphone determines dysphagia or other oral impairment, and wherein the taptic engine detects motor strength, motor movement and speed, and wherein a first universal multimodality sensor module is positioned on a left limb of the wearer and a second universal multimodality sensor module is positioned on a right limb of the wearer whereby the first and second universal multimodality sensor modules record wearer coordination and symmetry of the wearer'"'"'s limbs.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

k) recording the notification automatically by the computer processor or manually by the wearer double tapping the taptic engine of the mobile computing device.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

l) inputting additional detail on the mobile computing device using one or more of the taptic engine, the microphone and the camera; and

m) optionally communicating the additional detail to the computing system.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein one or more of the universal multimodality sensor modules further comprises a speaker/microphone and auditory processor, wherein joint friction auditory information is recorded by the speaker/microphone, filtered and amplified by the auditory processor and matched to data within the clinical database of the computing system.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of determining head and spine alignment indexes includes cervical and lumbar spine calibration.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the cervical and lumbar spine calibration can be initialized by standing or sitting against wall.

31. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

h) coupling an active correction brace (ACB) comprising an electronically adjustable elastic bandage to two or more receiver units or universal multimodality sensor modules; and

i) automatically adjusting the tension on the ACB when the sensed data is outside of a prepopulated range.

32. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

h) providing a cloud-based health database in communication with the communication module each of the universal multimodality sensor modules and the computing device.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the cloud-based health database employs machine learning to monitor the sensed health data and adjust the optimal head and spine alignment indexes.