PROCESSING SENSED ACCELEROMETER DATA FOR DETERMINATION OF BONE HEALING

• US 20100152621A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Wilson, Darren James, Brady, Peter A., Janna, Sied W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,445,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms

Abstract

A system (800) for processing accelerometer data is disclosed. The system (800) includes an accelerometer (806), a first processor (810), a power supply (816), and a second processor (804). The accelerometer (806) measures a physiological acceleration parameter. The first processor (810) is operatively connected to the accelerometer (806). The first processor (810) is configured to receive the acceleration parameter from the accelerometer (806) and configured to output machine readable acceleration data. The machine readable acceleration data includes time domain accelerometer data. The power supply (816) is electrically connected to the first processor (810). The second processor (804) is configured to receive the machine readable acceleration data and transform the time domain accelerometer data into frequency domain accelerometer data. The frequency domain accelerometer data may be used to estimate patient healing status.

Claims

1. A system for processing accelerometer data, the system comprising:

a. an accelerometer for measuring a physiological acceleration parameter;

b. a first processor operatively connected to the accelerometer, the first processor configured to receive the acceleration parameter from the accelerometer and configured to output machine readable acceleration data, the machine readable acceleration data comprising time domain accelerometer data;

c. a power supply electrically connected to the first processor; and

d. a second processor configured to receive the machine readable acceleration data and transform the time domain accelerometer data into frequency domain accelerometer data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the accelerometer and the first processor are located within a medical implant.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the accelerometer and the first processor are located within a wearable device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein an antenna is operatively connected to the first processor and the antenna is configured to transmit the acceleration data.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor and the second processor comprise one unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the accelerometer and the first processor comprise one unit.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna and the power supply comprise one unit.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a reader for retrieving accelerometer data.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first processor and the second processor is part of a computer assisted surgery system.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna used to transmit the accelerometer data is also the inductive coupling element used to power the first processor and the accelerometer.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply includes at least one of a capacitor, an inductive coupling, a battery, a mechanically driven power generation unit, a piezoelectric device, and an energy scavenging device.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor and accelerometer are powered by at least one of a capacitor, an inductive coupling, a battery, a mechanically driven power generation unit, a piezoelectric device, and an energy scavenging device.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the machine readable acceleration data, the time domain acceleration data, and the frequency domain acceleration data is communicated under power from at least one of a capacitor, an inductive coupling, a battery, a mechanically driven power generation unit, a piezoelectric device, and an energy scavenging device.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second processor is part of a remote processing system.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the remote processing system includes at least one of a display unit and a sound generating unit.

16. A method of determining the healing progression status of a subject having an intramedullary implant comprising:

a) collecting accelerometer data through use of an accelerometer operatively connected to the subject;

b) retrieving the collected accelerometer data, the accelerometer data having a time domain component;

c) transforming the time domain accelerometer data into frequency domain accelerometer data; and

d) analyzing the frequency domain accelerometer data for healing progression of the subject.

17. A system for processing accelerometer data, the system comprising:

a) an accelerometer for measuring a physiological acceleration parameter;

b) a first processor operatively connected to the accelerometer, the first processor configured to receive the acceleration parameter from the accelerometer and configured to output machine readable acceleration data, the machine readable acceleration data comprising time domain accelerometer data;

c) a power supply electrically connected to the first processor; and

d) a second processor configured to receive the machine readable acceleration data and transform the time domain accelerometer data into frequency domain accelerometer data, wherein the antenna used to transmit the accelerometer data is also the inductive coupling element used to power the first processor and the accelerometer.