Method and apparatus for sensing body gesture, posture and movement
First Claim
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1. A method for indirectly assessing the movement of a musculoskeletal body part of a person including:
- applying an ultrasound transmitter and receiver to a musculoskeletal body part to be monitored, the body part comprising at least one of a head, a neck, a trunk, a shoulder, a chest, a limb, a wrist, a hand, a knee, a foot, a toe, a finger, and an artificial body part, using the transmitter to transmit an ultrasound signal into soft tissue of the body part and receiving a reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal from the soft tissue at the receiver, manipulating the reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal to obtain parameter data, the parameter data comprising at least one of amplitude, phase, flight-time, frequency spectrum and waveform pattern of the signal, and comparing the parameter data to reference information to obtain a gesture or posture for the body part and analyzing changes in the gesture or posture to obtain movement information for the body part.
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Abstract
A method for indirectly assessing the gesture, posture or movement of a body part of a person includes transmitting an ultrasound signal into the soft tissue, particularly the muscle, of body part and manipulating the reflected ultrasound signal to obtain parameter data. The parameter data is compared to reference information to obtain gesture, posture or movement information for the body part. Apparatus includes an ultrasound transmitter and receiver for transmitting, a signal processor, and a processor for storing reference information and determining gesture, posture or movement information for the body part.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for indirectly assessing the movement of a musculoskeletal body part of a person including:
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applying an ultrasound transmitter and receiver to a musculoskeletal body part to be monitored, the body part comprising at least one of a head, a neck, a trunk, a shoulder, a chest, a limb, a wrist, a hand, a knee, a foot, a toe, a finger, and an artificial body part, using the transmitter to transmit an ultrasound signal into soft tissue of the body part and receiving a reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal from the soft tissue at the receiver, manipulating the reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal to obtain parameter data, the parameter data comprising at least one of amplitude, phase, flight-time, frequency spectrum and waveform pattern of the signal, and comparing the parameter data to reference information to obtain a gesture or posture for the body part and analyzing changes in the gesture or posture to obtain movement information for the body part.
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2. A method for indirectly assessing the movement of a musculoskeletal body part of a person including:
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applying an ultrasound transducer or transducer array to a musculoskeletal body part to be monitored, the body part comprising at least one of a head, a neck, a trunk, a shoulder, a chest, a limb, a wrist, a hand, a knee, a foot, a toe, a finger, and an artificial body part, using a transmitter to transmit an ultrasound signal into soft tissue of the body part and receiving a reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal from the soft tissue at the receiver via the ultrasound transducer or transducer array, manipulating the reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal to obtain parameter data, the parameter data comprising at least one of amplitude, phase, flight-time, frequency spectrum and waveform pattern of the signal, and comparing the parameter data to reference information to obtain a gesture or posture for the body part and analyzing changes in the gesture or posture to obtain movement information for the body part. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for indirectly assessing the movement of a musculoskeletal body part of a person including:
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applying an ultrasound transducer or transducer array to a musculoskeletal body part to be monitored, the body part comprising at least one of a head, a neck, a trunk, a shoulder, a chest, a limb, a wrist, a hand, a knee, a foot, a toe, a finger, and an artificial body part, using a transmitter to transmit ultrasound signals into soft tissue of the body part and receiving reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signals from the soft tissue at the receiver, manipulating the reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signals to obtain a plurality of parameter data, the parameter data comprising at least one of amplitude, phase, flight-time, frequency spectrum and waveform pattern of the signal, and comparing changes in the parameter data to obtain a gesture or posture for the body part and analyzing changes in the gesture or posture to determine movement information for the body part.
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7. Apparatus for indirectly assessing the movement of a musculoskeletal body part of a person including:
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an ultrasound transducer or transducer array for attaching to a musculoskeletal body part to be monitored, the body part comprising at least one of a head, a neck, a trunk, a shoulder, a chest, a limb, a wrist, a hand, a knee, a foot, a toe, a finger, and an artificial body part, an ultrasound transmitter and receiver for transmitting an ultrasound signal into soft tissue of the body part and receiving a reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal from the soft tissue, a signal processor for manipulating the reflected ultrasound signal to obtain parameter information, the parameter information comprising at least one of amplitude, phase, flight-time, frequency spectrum and waveform pattern of the signal, and a processor for storing reference information and comparing the parameter information to said reference information to obtain a gesture or posture for the body part and analyze changes in the gesture or posture to determine movement information for the body part. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for indirectly assessing the movement of a body part of a person including:
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applying an ultrasound transmitter and receiver to a body part to be monitored, the body part comprising at least one of a head, a neck, a trunk, a shoulder, a chest, a limb, a wrist, a hand, a knee, a foot, a toe, a finger, and an artificial body part, applying a tissue stimulator on the body part to manipulate muscle and/or tendon tissue of the body part, using the transmitter to transmit a detecting ultrasound signal into the body part and receiving a reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal at the receiver, processing the reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal to obtain the stiffness information of the muscle and/or tendon tissue, and comparing the stiffness information to reference information to obtain movement information for the body part.
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19. Apparatus for indirectly assessing the movement of a body part of a person including:
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an ultrasound transducer or transducer array for attaching to a body part to be monitored, the body part comprising at least one of a head, a neck, a trunk, a shoulder, a chest, a limb, a wrist, a hand, a knee, a foot, a toe, a finger, and an artificial body part, an ultrasound transmitter and receiver for transmitting a detecting ultrasound signal into the body part and receiving a reflected and/or scattered ultrasound signal, a tissue stimulator for manipulating muscle and/or tendon tissues of the body part, a signal processor for processing the reflected ultrasound signal to obtain the tissue stiffness information, and a processor for storing reference information and comparing the tissue stiffness information to said reference information to determine movement information for the body part. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification