IMPAIRMENT DETECTION

• US 20170245785A1
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Attenti Electronic Monitoring Ltd.
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: LOBNER, Eric C., HOWARD, James W., SCHUMACHER, Jennifer F., STANKIEWICZ, Brian J., WEAVER, Billy L.
• Application Number:
  US15/511,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245785A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/20 Workers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/11 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 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4023 Evaluating sense of balance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4088 Diagnosing of monitoring cognitive diseases, e.g. Alzheimer, prion diseases or dementia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4845 Toxicology, e.g. by detection of alcohol, drug or toxic products A61B5/4848 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/004 : Reflective safety signalling devices attached on persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A method for monitoring impairment indicators, the method includes measuring, with a movement sensor attached to the person, a first signal related to movement of a person during a first time window and electronically storing the at least one numerical descriptor derived from the first signal as reference data for the person. The method further includes measuring, with the movement sensor attached to the person, a second signal related to movement of the person during a second time window and comparing at least one numerical descriptor derived from the second signal to the reference data as a factor to identify an impairment indicator. The present disclosure also includes a device for monitoring impairment indicators.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring impairment indicators, the method comprising:

measuring, with a movement sensor associated with a person, a first signal related to movement of the person during a first time window;

electronically storing at least one numerical descriptor derived from the first signal as reference data for the person;

measuring, with the movement sensor associated with the person, a second signal related to movement of the person during a second time window;

comparing at least one numerical descriptor derived from the second signal to the reference data as a factor to identify an impairment indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time window occurs during a training activity performed by the person.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting location information and using the location information as a second factor to identify an impairment indicator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the impairment indicator is indicative of at least one of mental impairment, visual impairment and physical impairment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein mental impairment includes at least distraction.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein visual impairment includes at least prohibited substance abuse.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein physical impairment includes at least physical injury and vestibular confusion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement sensor is at least one of:

an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a piezoelectric vibration sensor, a geographical positioning sensor and a magnetic switch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement of the person during the first time window is walking.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, when an impairment indicator is detected, at least one of a local alarm and a remote alarm is triggered.

11. A device for monitoring impairment indicators, the device comprising:

a housing configured to be associated with a person;

a processing unit disposed in the housing comprising a processor and a movement sensor;

wherein the movement sensor measures a first signal related to movement of the person during a first time window;

wherein the processor stores at least one numerical descriptor derived from the first signal with the activity label as reference data for the person;

wherein the movement sensor measures a second signal related to movement of the person during a second time window; and

wherein the processor compares at least one numerical descriptor derived from the second signal to the reference data as a factor to identify an impairment indicator.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the housing is one of:

a safety garment, a harness, a head-worn piece, a device to be attached to a limb of the person or a device used by the person.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the device further includes a location module, and wherein the processor is configured to estimate a location of the person using at least both of a signal from the movement sensor and data from the location module.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising using the location of the person as a second factor to identify an impairment indicator.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the impairment indicator is indicative of at least one of mental impairment, visual impairment and physical impairment.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the movement sensor is at least one of:

an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a piezoelectric vibration sensor, a geographical positioning sensor and a magnetic switch.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the device comprises more than one movement sensor.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the movement of the person during the first time window is walking.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein, when an impairment indicator is detected, at least one of a local alarm and a remote alarm is triggered.