Systems and methods to assess balance

• US 10,588,546 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Original Assignee: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Inventors: Schindler, David D., Alberts, Jay L., Hirsch, Joshua R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cerioni, Daniel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warsi, Yasmeen S
• Application Number:
  US14/316,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 20/40 relating to personal data, e.g. biometric data, records or preferences
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 40/10 Detection; Monitoring

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system and method to analyze balance and stability of a patient. Test data for the patient, representing motion of a device affixed to the patient during a test interval (e.g., at a position approximating the center of mass, such as in proximity to the torso), can be received. The test data can be processed to provide processed data (or sensor-derived data) that includes at least one of acceleration data, rotational rate data and rotational position data for the test interval. A biomechanical model can be applied to the processed data to provide center of mass (COM) motion data representing movement of the COM in multiple dimensions for the patient during the test interval. An indication of balance for the patient can be determined based on the COM motion data. The indication of balance can be used to analyze the balance and stability of the patient.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

attaching a portable computing device to a patient'"'"'s back proximal to a center of mass (COM) of the patient, wherein the portable computing device comprises an accelerometer and a gyrometer;

executing, by a processor of the portable computing device, a balance test module, wherein the balance test module comprises a balance test, the executing comprises;

acquiring test data for the patient from the accelerometer and gyrometer indicating movement of the portable computing device during performance of the balance test, wherein the test data represents motion of the portable computing device affixed to the patient during the balance test, wherein the accelerometer and the gyrometer are configured to sense the test data;

processing the test data to provide processed data that includes at least one of acceleration data, rotational rate data and rotational position data corresponding to movement of the portable computing device during the balance test;

applying a biomechanical model to the processed data to provide COM motion data representing movement of the COM in multiple dimensions for the patient during the at least one test;

providing, by a processor of the portable computing device, feedback about the patient, the providing comprises;

generating, by the processor of the portable computing device, an output related to motion of the COM of the patient based on the COM motion data; and

displaying, by a display device, a visualization of the output on a display, wherein the visualization comprises an animated graphic that demonstrates the patient'"'"'s movement along at least one axis based on the COM motion data and superimposed over a line based on the COM motion data and a baseline line that is based on reference COM motion data representing a hypothetical statistical normal patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the test data further comprises:

interpolating the accelerometer data;

filtering the interpolated acceleration data;

applying an offset function to the filtered accelerometer data and the interpolated accelerometer data to provide acceleration data, the offset function accommodating for variations in positioning of the portable device relative to the COM of the patient;

interpolating the gyrometer data;

filtering the interpolated gyrometer data to provide rotation rate data; and

integrating the rotation rate data to provide rotational position data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing area data based on the COM motion data,

wherein the area data corresponds to a two-dimensional projection of a spatial path traveled by the COM of the patient.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the computing the area data further comprises computing the areas in at least two orthogonal planes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the output comprises a graph that represents motion of the COM of the patient in a plane.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the animated graphic further comprises an animated avatar representing the patient and demonstrating the patient'"'"'s movement.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the visualization further comprises a graphic related to a baseline motion of a COM of a population along at least one axis.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the visualization further comprises a graphic related to a previous motion of the COM of the patient along at least one axis.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising integrating, by the processor of the portable computing device, the output with an Electronic Health Record associated with the patient.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining at least one of a motion of the patient or a balance of the patient based on the COM motion data.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the output to a stored previous output, an output corresponding to a normal patient, or an output corresponding to a similar patient.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a second visualization side-by-side with the visualization, wherein the second visualization comprises the area of the patient'"'"'s movement during the test compared to the area of the baseline.