Method and apparatus for evaluating back flexibility
First Claim
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1. A method for evaluating the capability of a person to perform a physical task including the steps of:
- providing a standard reference threshold value for a predetermined physical characteristic;
measuring the predetermined physical characteristic of a person to obtain a measured value of the predetermined physical characteristic;
comparing the measured value with the reference threshold value; and
providing a pass/fail determination of the person to perform a physical task based on the results obtained by comparing the measured value with the reference threshold value.
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Abstract
A system and method is disclosed for evaluating the likelihood of a person to subsequently develop a back injury on a job which requires some medium to heavy lifting and a variety of back movements. The system and method include measuring various back movements, namely flexion, extension, side bending, rotation and trunk flexibility, and then comparing each measurement against a pre-established threshold. Failing to meet the threshold in any one of the measurements disqualifies a person for the job under consideration.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for evaluating the capability of a person to perform a physical task including the steps of:
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providing a standard reference threshold value for a predetermined physical characteristic;
measuring the predetermined physical characteristic of a person to obtain a measured value of the predetermined physical characteristic;
comparing the measured value with the reference threshold value; and
providing a pass/fail determination of the person to perform a physical task based on the results obtained by comparing the measured value with the reference threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Apparatus used in the evaluation of the capability of a person to perform various physical tasks including in combination:
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a device for measuring a plurality of predetermined physical characteristics of a person to obtain measured values of each of the plurality of physical characteristics;
a reference database of stored threshold values corresponding to the desired thresholds for each of the plurality of predetermined physical characteristics;
a comparator for comparing each of the measured values of each of the plurality of predetermined physical characteristics with the stored threshold values for the corresponding physical characteristics to provide an output for each of the plurality of physical characteristics indicative of whether the measured value is less than or greater than the stored threshold value corresponding to that physical characteristic; and
means for selecting, in sequential order, the different predetermined physical characteristics to be measured and compared in the comparator. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification