SYSTEM, GARMENT AND METHOD

• US 20110015498A1
• Filed: 08/22/2008
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensoria Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (Commonwealth Of Australia As Represented By Department Of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research And Tertiary Education)
• Inventors: Petersen, Pamela Margaret, D'Arcy, Patrick Brendan, Mestrovic, Michael Anthony, Cranston, Robin William, Stannard, Warren Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 9,186,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14517 for sweat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4261 Evaluating exocrine secretion production A61B3/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and garment that incorporates sensors that can be used for measuring or monitoring pressure or forces in feet, the stumps of limbs of an amputee that are fitted with prosthetic devices, or any other parts of the body that are subject to forces such as the buttock while seated or when external pressure inducing devices are employed, such as for example, pressure bandages. The invention also relates to a method to monitor or diagnose any foot or limb related activity for recreational, sporting, military or medical reasons and is particularly aimed at the treatment of neuropathic or other degenerating conditions.

Claims

1. A system that is worn by a person to monitor or sense pressure either separately or in combination with any one or more of temperature, stress, strain, angulation or a physiological condition such as the make up of sweat or body exudate, the system including:

a) a flexible substrate that can be worn by, or fitted directly or indirectly to surfaces of a user subject to loads or pressure such as, but by no means limited to feet, or stumps of a limb of an amputee; and

b) one or more than one pressure sensor is either integrally incorporated into the substrate, fixed to the substrate or movably connected to the substrate,

whereby, when the substrate is fitted or worn to the user, each pressure sensor is able to be positioned at desired locations on the surfaces of the user.

2. A system that is worn by a person to monitor or sense pressure either separately or in combination with any one or more of temperature, stress, strain, angulation or a physiological condition such as the make up of sweat or body exudate, the system including:

a) a flexible substrate that can be worn by, or fitted directly or indirectly to surfaces of a user subject to loads or pressure such as, but by no means limited to feet, or stumps of a limb of an amputee; and

b) one or more than one pressure sensor is either integrally incorporated into the substrate, fixed to the substrate or movably connected to the substrate,

wherein the substrate and pressure sensors can be worn directly or indirectly against surfaces of the user and the sensors can be positioned at desired locations without causing an increase in pressure in the surfaces of the sensors.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein one or more of the sensors have a low profile that is equal to or less than 5.0 mm in thickness and the sensor is located on the substrate.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the sensors has a low profile that is equal to or less than 3.0 mm in thickness, and suitably less than or equal to 1.0 mm.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein one or more of the sensors is held in position on the substrate using either one or a combination of adhesive materials including releasable adhesives or sticky adhesives, hook and loop type fasteners, clasps or any other mechanical fasteners that has a lower profile or does not have an adverse effect on the user by creating an increase in pressure at a particular point.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein one or more of the sensors is integrally incorporated into the structure of the substrate.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein one or more of the sensors includes a pressure sensitive area that has been treated with a conductive material that may be added to, or form, an integral part of the substrate.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the conductive material is a polymeric conductive material such as polypyrrole or poly(ethylenedioxythiophene).

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein one or more of the sensors includes conductive yarns or threads including metal coated threads or yarns that can be used as substantially inert electrodes to measure a change in electrical potential difference across the sensor.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the conductive yarns or threads or conductive polymers are spaced apart by a spacing in the range of 2 to 15 mm and suitably approximately 5 mm in a direction transverse to the direction in which the substrate compresses.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein one or more of the sensors has an area substantially transverse to pressures that is equal to or less than 400 mm², and suitably equal to or less than 100 mm².

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein the one or more of the sensors are used for monitoring the biomechanical movement of a user'"'"'s foot and one or more of the sensors are located at either one or a combination of the heel, metatarsal or arch regions of the user'"'"'s foot.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is in the form of a garment including either one of socks, stockings, underpants, long johns, a singlet or a tubular sleeve.

14. The system according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is in the form of an insert such as shoe innersole, bandage or inner garment that only covers a select portion of the user.

15. The system according to claim 2, wherein one or more of the pressure sensors can be used to monitor the level of pressure applied to the patient by an external source, such as and without limitation, pressure applied to the patient by a pressure bandage system.

16. The system according to claim 2, wherein the system includes electrical circuitry that receives signals from the one or more of the sensors and includes a first part that is disconnectable from the substrate such that it can be disconnected and reconnected to the substrate as desired.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first part of the circuit includes valuable reusable components of the electrical circuit including:

signal conditioning or manipulation, for example to counteract noise from mains electricity, data storage, data processing units, data transmission units and optionally power sources such as batteries.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first part of the circuit weighs less than 300 grams, and suitably less than 200 grams.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the electrical circuitry includes a second part that includes the sensors and leads that extend from the sensors to first part of the circuit.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the first and second parts of the circuit contain co-operating pairs of contacts that electrically interconnect the first and second parts of the circuit and the leads are connected to the contacts of the second part of the electrical circuit.

21. The system according to claim 2, wherein the substrate contains recesses that house one or more of the sensors so as to provide a continuous smooth surface and the housing and sensors have substantially the same hardness or compression characteristics so as to maintain a relative smooth surface when the substrate is under load.

22. (canceled)

23. A garment that is worn by a user to monitor or sense pressure either separately or in combination with any one or more of temperature, stress, strain, angulation or a physiological condition such as the make-up of sweat or exudate of the user, the system including:

a) a flexible substrate that can be worn by, or fitted directly or indirectly to surfaces of a user subject to pressure or forces such as, but by no means limited to feet, or stumps of a limb of an amputee; and

b) one or more than one discrete pressure sensor that is either integrally incorporated into the substrate, fixed to the substrate or movably connected to the substrate,

wherein the substrate and sensors can be worn directly or indirectly against surfaces of the user and the sensors can be positioned at desired locations without causing an increase in pressure in the load bearing surfaces as result of the presence of the pressure sensors.

24. A method of monitoring or treating a patient, the method including the steps of:

placing a pressure sensitive garment, sleeve or bandages in contact with the buttock, hand, foot or limb of a patient; and

monitoring the pressure readings attributable to either the weight of the patient or the pressure applied externally to the patient, for example, the pressure gradient applied by pressure bandages to a limb of a patient.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of monitoring may involve analysing the signals of pressure sensors located on any one or more part of the patient'"'"'s foot such as the ball, heel or toes of a patient including big toe, 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th metatarsal.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the patient performs different movements such as walking, running, jumping, stopping and moving from a stationary position.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the patient performs different movements such as walking, running, jumping, stopping and moving from a stationary position.