Method for determining the risk of developing a skeletal condition

• US 20040049103A1
• Filed: 09/05/2002
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solutions Biologic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: "Biotonix Incorporated "
• Inventors: Guimond, Sylvain, McFarland, David H., McCulloch, Tracey A., Woo, Timothy K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,291,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4561 Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature A61B5/1116 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for calculating postural deviation values indicative of a skeletal condition risk in a patient comprising the steps of obtaining position data identifying a position in the space of body landmarks of upper body of a patient while standing relaxed and in normal posture; obtaining weight data of the patient; calculating vertical and horizontal plumb line using the position data; and calculating angle deviations values of body parts of said patient being indicative of a skeletal condition risk with respect to the plumb line position value using the position data.

Claims

1. A method for calculating postural deviation values indicative of a skeletal condition risk in a patient comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining position data identifying a position in the space of body landmarks of upper body of a patient while standing relaxed and in normal posture;

b) obtaining weight data of the patient;

c) calculating vertical and horizontal plumb line using the position data;

d) calculating angle deviations values of body parts of said patient being indicative of a skeletal condition risk with respect to the plumb line position value using the position data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said skeletal condition is selected from the group consisting of osteoporosis and fracture.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said fracture is selected from the group consisting of neck fracture and hip fracture.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said body landmarks are tragus, acromion, C7 vertebrae, T5 vertebrae, anterior-superior iliac spine and posterior-superior iliac spine.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a flat marker is placed on the tragus and spherical markers are placed on the acromion, C7 vertebrae, T5 vertebrae, anterior-superior iliac spine and posterior-superior iliac spine.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of taking at least one picture of said patient prior to obtaining said position data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one picture is a lateral view of said patient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining position data is performed by a body landmarks automatic recognition device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating angle deviation values step is performed by generating a contour silhouette of patient'"'"'s back, extrapolating two lines from said contour that are mapping patient'"'"'s upper thoraci vertebrae and lower thoraci vertebrae and extrapolating a line from said contour that is mapping patient'"'"'s lower lumbar vertebrae.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said angle deviation values are referenced with respect to average values.

10. The method of clam 1, wherein said angle deviations are head angle, thoracic curve, lumbar curve and pelvis tilt.

12. A method of selecting exercises for reducing risk to develop a skeletal condition in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining angle deviations of body part of a patient indicative of a risk to develop a skeletal condition;

b) correlating angle deviations with exercises for strengthening or stretching specific muscles or muscle groups;

c) compiling an exercise program based on the exercises provided in step b).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of compiling comprises manually selecting exercises from a list of exercises.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said skeletal condition is selected from the group consisting of osteoporosis and fracture.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said fracture is selected from the group consisting of neck fracture and hip fracture.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said angle deviations are selected from the group consisting of head angle, thoracic curve, lumbar curve and pelvis tilt.

17. An apparatus for calculating postural deviation values indicative of a skeletal condition risk in a patient comprising:

a) position data acquisition device for identifying a position in space of body landmarks of upper body of the patient while standing relaxed and in normal posture;

b) weight data acquisition device for obtaining weight data of the patient;

c) vertical and horizontal plumb line determination device using the position data;

d) angle of deviation calculator for determining angle deviation values of body parts being indicative of a skeletal condition risk with respect to the plumb line position value using the position data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said skeletal condition is selected from the group consisting of osteoporosis and fracture.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said fracture is selected from the group consisting of neck fracture and hip fracture.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said angle deviation value is with respect to average or normal value.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said angle of deviation device is comprising a contour silhouette generation device for generating a contour silhouette of said patient'"'"'s back.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a body landmarks automatic recognition device for obtaining position data of said body landmarks.

23. An apparatus for selecting exercises for reducing risk to develop a skeletal condition in a patient comprising:

a) an angle of deviation device for obtaining angle deviations of upper body part of a patient being indicative of a risk to develop a skeletal condition;

b) a correlator for correlating angle deviations with exercises for strengthening or stretching muscles or muscle groups;

c) a compiler for compiling an exercise program based on the exercises provided in step b).