Detection of changes from a seated or lying body position by sensing body angle

• US 9,468,399 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensarx, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sensarx, LLC
• Inventors: Shinozuka, Kenneth F., Mizuta, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US14/565,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.7, 340/573.1, 340/686.1, 340/671, 702/94, 702/153, 600/300, 604/19, 604/66
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A44D 2200/10 Details of construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/12 Resilient or clamping means for holding component to structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3698 Fabric embracing

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for detecting when a subject gets up out of bed or out of chair by detecting changes in body flexion angle with respect to a threshold. Also described herein are systems for monitoring one or more subjects each wearing an angle-sensing unit.

Claims

1. A method of issuing an alert when a subject wearing an angle-sensing unit gets up from a bed or a chair, the method comprising:

manually setting, in a microcontroller connected to an angle sensor in the angle-sensing unit, a first baseline value representing an initial angle measured by the angle sensor when the subject is sitting in a chair or reclined in a bed, wherein a caregiver manually sets the baseline value;

sampling the angle sensor to determine a sampled value representing a sampled angle of the subject'"'"'s body angle;

determining a difference between the sampled value and the first baseline value to detect a change in the subject'"'"'s body angle;

wirelessly transmitting an alert if the difference between the sampled value and the first baseline value exceeds a threshold indicating that the subject has gotten up from the bed or out of the chair; and

receiving the alert at a monitoring unit wirelessly.

2. The method of claim 1, further wherein receiving the alert at the monitoring unit comprises receiving the alert in one of:

a smartphone, a smart watch, a tablet, a PC, or a dedicated monitor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the first baseline value comprises measuring a static angle by the angle sensor in the angle-sensing unit attached to the subject.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the angle-sensing unit to the subject.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sampling the angle sensor to determine a sampled value comprises averaging a plurality of samples to determine the sampled value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly transmitting the alert comprises transmitting a signal to a monitoring unit, further wherein the signal is converted to one or more of an audible sound, illuminating light, vibrating notification, or text message at the monitoring unit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly transmitting comprises transmitting a wireless signal from the angle sensing unit to a server through a monitoring unit or a gateway, wherein the server wirelessly transmits the alert.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein wherein the server records the wireless signal into a database and provides data service to subscribing users.

9. The method of claim 1, further compromising attaching the angle-sensing unit on the subject'"'"'s waist, chest, or thigh.

10. The method of claim 1, further compromising attaching the angle-sensing unit on the subject'"'"'s clothes, pajamas, briefs, a belt, or an accessory worn by the subject.

11. A method of monitoring a plurality of subjects each wearing an angle-sensing unit and issuing an alert when one of the plurality of subject gets up from a bed or a chair, the method comprising:

manually setting, for each angle-sensing unit worn by one of the subjects in the plurality of subjects, a first baseline value representing an initial angle measured by an angle sensor in the angle-sensing unit when the subject wearing the sensor is sitting in the chair or reclined in the bed, wherein a caregiver manually sets the baseline value;

sampling, for each angle-sensing unit worn by one of the subjects in the plurality of subjects, the angle sensor to determine a sampled value representing a sampled angle of the subject'"'"'s body angle;

determining, for each angle-sensing unit worn by one of the subjects in the plurality of subjects, a difference between the sampled value and the first baseline value to detect a change in a body angle for the subject wearing each angle-sensing unit;

wirelessly transmitting, for each angle-sensing unit worn by one of the subjects in the plurality of subject'"'"'s, an alert if the difference between the sampled value and the first baseline value exceeds a threshold indicating that the subject has gotten up from the bed or out of the chair, wherein the alert comprises an identification number or name uniquely associated with the transmitting angle-sensing unit; and

receiving the alert at a monitoring unit wirelessly, wherein the alert indicates that one of the subjects has gotten up from a bed or out of a chair, and identifying the angle-sensing unit transmitting the alert.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the alert at the monitoring unit comprises receiving the alert on a:

a smartphone, a smart watch, a tablet, a PC, a nurse station monitor, or a dedicated monitor.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein setting comprises, for each angle-sensing unit worn by one of the subjects in the plurality of subjects, measuring a static angle by the angle sensor in the angle-sensing unit attached to the subject.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein wirelessly transmitting comprises transmitting a wireless signal from the angle sensing unit to a server through a monitoring unit or a gateway, wherein the server wirelessly transmits the alert.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein wherein the server records the wireless signal into a database and provides data service to subscribing users.

16. An angle-sensing unit apparatus configured to determining when a subject wearing the apparatus gets up from a bed or a chair, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless transmitter;

angle sensor configured to produce a signal corresponding to a static angle of the angle-sensing unit relative to a direction of gravity;

a microcontroller connected to the wireless transmitter and to the angle sensor, the microcontroller configured to store a first baseline value from the angle sensor representing an initial angle of the angle-sensing unit when a subject wearing the angle-sensing unit is sitting in the chair or reclined in the bed wherein the microcontroller is configured to store the first baseline value when a caregiver manually activates a control;

further wherein the microcontroller is configured to sample the angle sensor and determine a difference between the sampled values and the first value to detect a change in the subject'"'"'s body angle and to wirelessly transmitting an alert if the difference between the sampled values and the first value exceeds a threshold indicating that the subject has gotten up from the bed or out of the chair.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the angle sensor comprises an accelerometer.