PERIODIC EVALUATION AND TELEREHABILITATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20080281633A1
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bright Cloud International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Grigore C. Burdea
• Inventors: ABDELBAKY, Moustafa, BURDEA, Grigore, RABIN, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,758,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for periodic evaluation and telerehabilitation in which a portable device is adapted to be held or coupled to a body part. For example, the portable device can be a cell phone. The body part can be, for example, the hand, ankle, torso, forearm or upper arm. An animated or virtual reality sequence forming a videogame runs or the portable device. Upon interaction of the user with the videogame, movement of the body part is captured as exercise data. The exercise data can be forwarded and stored at a remote clinical server. The system provides monitoring and scheduling of a therapy session by a clinician/doctor/therapist to control the exercises, length and/or difficulty of the exercises based on recorded data. In one embodiment, vital signs or body temperature are monitored by sensors on the portable device or by vital sign monitors associated with the user. The vital sign data can be synchronized with the exercise data at the remote clinical server, and used to improve patient safety during home therapy sessions.

Claims

1. A system for periodic evaluation and telerehabilitation comprising:

a portable device;

said portable device adapted to be held or attached to a body part of a user;

an animated or virtual reality sequence forming a videogame, said videogame running on said portable device;

means for capturing exercise data of movement of said body part upon interaction of said user with said videogame;

remote clinical server means for receiving said exercise data; and

storing means for storing said exercise data at said remote clinical server.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising exercise scheduler and difficulty setting means for setting a therapy session using said portable device, wherein said therapy session controls a length and/or difficulty of said videogame.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein a clinician/doctor/therapist can access said therapy session on a web portal to follow a history of a therapy session of said user.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein a clinician/doctor/therapist can access said therapy session and coach a remote said user in real time.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

one or more vital sign monitors, said vital sign monitors capturing vital sign data for a vital sign of said user (patient) and said remote clinical server means receiving said vital sign data.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising means for synchronizing said exercise data with said vital sign data at said remote clinical server.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said portable device includes a sensor to measure body temperature data and said remote clinical server means receiving said body temperature data.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising watchdog means, said watchdog means interrupting said therapy session if said vital sign data and/or said body temperature data, and/or therapy/play duration of play of said videogame in said therapy session exceeds a threshold and further comprising means for notifying an authorizer of said therapy session.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein said portable device includes a removable memory card for storing said exercise data and/or said vital sign data.

10. The system of claim 5 further comprising a web portal at said remote clinical server means, said web portal adapted to access said exercise data and said vital sign data.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

watchdog means for monitoring said movements of said user, said watchdog means ensuring that safety of said user is maintained; and

safety means at said remote clinical server, said safety means alerting a clinician or doctor or therapist accessing said remote clinical server when data was not received from said user as prescribed, or when a safety event was detected by said portable device or when a scheduled length of exercise by said interaction of said user with said videogame falls below a preselected threshold.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said videogame includes an avatar and further comprising:

means for measuring a baseline of said user; and

means for mapping said measured baseline with said videogame for tuning said videogame and providing mapping between real movement of said user and movement of said avatar during said videogame.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising means for amplifying internal and/or external sensors of said videogame based on said baseline.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said portable device comprises a cell phone.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for displaying said videogame to said user.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said means for displaying said videogame to said user is a video display.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said means for displaying said videogame to said user is a stereoscopic 3D television and said videogame includes a stereoscopic videogame.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising stereo glasses adapted to be worn by said user.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for capturing exercise data comprises:

an accelerator and/or goniometer.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for capturing exercise data comprises:

a video camera and means for interpreting video data from said video camera.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for capturing exercise data comprises:

an accelerators and/or goniometer in combination with a video camera and means for interpreting video data from said video camera.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein said portable device is held in a hand of said user.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said storing means is a database.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein said exercise data includes one or more of game exercise duration, maximum wrist and/or arm extension, velocity of movement, score of videogame, errors, and total exercise time.

25. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of said portable devices, said remote clinical server means receiving said exercise data from said plurality of portable devices wherein said system provides multiplexed rehabilitation to rehabilitate said plurality of users each connected to said remote clinical server means.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said plurality of users can play independently or against one another during said telerehabilitation.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein said videogame is a sequence of videogames.

28. A method for telerehabilitation comprising the steps of:

holding or coupling a portable device to a body part of a user;

executing on said portable device an animated or virtual reality sequence forming a videogame;

capturing exercise data of movement of said body part upon interaction of said user with said videogame;

receiving said exercise data at a remote clinical server; and

storing said exercise data at said remote clinical server.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the steps of:

capturing vital sign data for a vital sign of said user and receiving said vital sign data at said remote clinical server.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of:

synchronizing said exercise data with said vital sign data at said remote clinical server.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said videogame includes an avatar and further comprising the step of:

measuring a baseline of said user; and

mapping said measured baseline with said videogame for tuning said videogame and providing mapping between real movement of said user and movement of said avatar during said videogame.