METHOD FOR MONITORING AN INDIVIDUAL'S MOTOR LOAD AND INSOLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION THEREOF

• US 20150351484A1
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Healbe Corporation
• Original Assignee: Healbe Corporation
• Inventors: RUBIN, Mikhail S., MISJUCHENKO, Igor L., GERASIMOV, Oleg M., SOKOLOV, Evgeniy L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,070,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 3/14 measuring variations of electrical resistance G01G3/13 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for measurements of parameters characterizing human motor activity provides registration of signals generated by load sensors mounted in shoe insoles, with each insole having at least two load sensors, one mounted near the heel, and the other near the toe of the foot. The specific type of motor activity is determined based on temporal correlation of load sensor signals from both insoles and values thereof. Person'"'"'s weight, including additionally carried weight, is determined by summing up signal values from said load sensors, with the specific type of motor activity considered; thereafter, person'"'"'s motor stress is determined based on specified type of motor activity and person'"'"'s weight, including additionally carried weight. The method enables a real-time monitoring of motor stress of a person at different types of motor activity, e.g. running, walking at different pace, standing, with person'"'"'s weight, including additionally carried weight, taken into consideration.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring motor stress of a person, the method comprising:

registering signals from load sensors disposed in shoe insoles, wherein each insole comprises two load sensors, a first load sensor beings disposed in a heel region and a second load sensor being disposed in a toe region;

determining a type of the motor stress by using signals from the first and the second load sensors in both insoles and determining correspondence in time between the signals from each insole;

determining a weight of the person based on the type of the motor stress and by summing values of the signals from the load sensors, wherein determining the weight comprises determining additionally carried weight; and

determining the motor stress of the person based on the type of the motor stress, the weighs of the person and the additionally carried weight.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of the motor stress is determined as “

walking”

if the signals from the load sensors in both insoles exhibit periodic variations of the values of the signals and the signals from the load sensors from different insoles partially overlap in time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of the motor stress is determined as “

running”

if the signals from the load sensors in both insoles exhibit periodic variations of the values of the signals and the signals from the load sensors from different insoles do not overlap in time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of the motor stress is determined as “

standing”

if the signals from the load sensors in both insoles exceed a predetermined value and the signals from different insoles overlap in time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight of the person, and the additionally carried weight, walking at a pace of up to 60 steps per minute is determined as:

P=K_W·

F,

wherein;

K_W is a calibration factor determined for a person with a known weight at walking;

F is a mean value of a foot pressure force over one walking cycle, wherein;

F=(F_{1 max}+F_{2 max})/2,

where;

F_{1 max} is a maximum value of summarized foot pressure forces registered by all the load sensors in one insole; and

F_{2 max} is a maximum value of summarized foot pressure forces registered by all the load sensors of the other insole;

wherein one walking cycle consists of two consecutive steps made by one foot and then another.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight of the person, and the additionally carried weight, walking at a pace of 60 or more steps per minute is determined as:

P=K_W·

F·

(1010−

1.2·

V−

0.026·

V²)·

0.001,

wherein;

K_W is a calibration factor for a given person with a known weight walking at a pace of up to 60 steps per minute;

F is a mean value of foot pressure force over one walking cycle, wherein;

F=(F_{1 max}+F_{2 max})/2,

where;

F_{1 max} is a maximum value of summarized foot pressure forces registered by all the load sensors of one insole;

F_{2 max} is the maximum value of summarized foot pressure forces registered by all the load sensors of the other insole; and

V is a number of steps per minute;

wherein one walking cycle consists of two consecutive steps made by one foot and then another.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight of the person, and the additionally carried weight, during running is determined as:

P=K_R·

F·

(1090−

4.4·

V−

0.045·

V²)·

0.001,

wherein;

K_R is a calibration factor determined for a given person with a known weight at running;

F is a mean value of a foot pressure force over one running cycle, wherein;

F=(F_{1 max}+F_{2 max})/2,

wherein;

F_{1 max} is a maximum value of summarized foot pressure forces registered by all the load sensors of one insole;

F_{2 max} is the maximum value of summarized foot pressure forces registered by all the load sensors of the other insole; and

V a number of steps per minute;

wherein one running cycle consists of two consecutive steps made by one foot and then another.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight of the person, and the additionally carried weight, while standing is determined as:

P=K_S·

F,

wherein;

K_S is a calibration factor determined for a given person with a known weight at standing;

F is a mean value of a foot pressure force at standing, wherein;

F=(F_{1 max}+F_{2 max})/2,

wherein;

F_{1 max} is a maximum value of summarized foot pressure forces registered by all the load sensors of one insole; and

F_{2 max} is the maximum value of summarized foot pressure forces registered by all the load sensors of the other insole.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion stress at walking E_W is determined as:

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion stress at running E_R is determined as:

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion stress at standing E_S is determined as:

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing additional load sensors in each insole, the additional sensors being disposed along a trajectory of a support reaction force at walking between the first load sensor and the second load sensor, detecting signals from the additional load sensors and using such signals in addition to using the signals from the first and the second load sensors to monitor the motor stress of the person.

13. An insole for monitoring motor stress of a person, comprising a first load sensor disposed in the insole in a heel region, and a second load sensor disposed in the insole in a toe region, the first and the second load sensors being capable of generating signals detecting a pressure force applied by the person'"'"'s foot.

14. The insole of claim 13 further comprising an analog-to-digital converter and a transceiver to convert the signals from the load sensors to a digital form and transmit them to an external processing unit.