Abstract:
According to an aspect of the invention, a robotic ankle and balance training platform comprises a footplate to support a foot. The footplate is capable of rotation about an inversion/eversion axis and a plantar/dorsiflexion axis. The robotic platform further comprises an actuation system configured to apply an assistive inversion/eversion force and a resistive inversion/eversion force to the footplate and an assistive plantar/dorsiflexion force and a resistive plantar/dorsiflexion force to the footplate.
Abstract:
A coverlet, or overlay, that contains sensors, electronics and communications systems that measures a subject's physiological condition, accommodates multiple additional add-on sensors, and transmits the data and information from the coverlet to a receiving device, which further transmits information, via wireless infrastructure, or otherwise, to data aggregators, including the Internet and Cloud.
Abstract:
A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, having encoded thereon an app for a smartphone or mobile computer device. The app causes the device to actively control a configuration of one or more bladders, compartments, chambers or internal sipes located in a footwear sole or a removable inner sole insert of both right and left shoes or other footwear of a user of the device. One or more sensors are provided in the footwear soles or the removable inner sole insert of both of the right and left shoes or other footwear of the device user and at least one sensor including a gyroscope and/or an accelerometer in the device. Instructions of the app cause the device to process data from the sensors of the shoes or other footwear and at least one sensor in the device, and use the processed data to cause alteration of the configuration.
Abstract:
A system for monitoring strain as an indicator of biological conditions, such as spinal fusion, glucose levels, spinal loading, and heart rate. The system includes an inter-digitated capacitor sensor, and RF transmitter, and an associated antenna, all of which are microminiature or microscopic in size and can be implanted in a biological host such as a human or animal. An inductively coupled power supply is also employed to avoid the need for implantation of chemical batteries. Power is provided to the sensor and transmitter, and data is transmitted from the sensor, when an external receiving device, such as a handheld RF ID type receiver, is placed proximate the location of the implanted sensor, transmitter and inductively coupled power supply. The implanted sensor, transmitter and inductively coupled power supply can be left in place permanently or removed when desired.
Abstract:
An insole can include: an upper conductive ground plane layer; an upper compressible insulating layer physically coupled to the upper conductive ground plane layer; a conductive sensor layer physically coupled to the upper compressible insulating layer, the conductive sensor layer comprising one or more sensors are configured to a force applied to the insole by the foot; a lower compressible insulating layer physically coupled to conductive sensor layer; a lower conductive ground plane layer physically coupled to the lower compressible insulating layer and electrically coupled to the upper conductive ground plane layer; and at least one computational unit communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors. The upper conductive ground plane layer and the lower conductive ground plane layer are configured to substantially electrically shield the upper compressible insulating layer, the conductive sensor layer, and the lower compressible insulating layer from the shoe and the foot. Other embodiments are disclosed.
Abstract:
The invention describes a system and method how tissue compression can be measured continuously in a non-contact way to provide a low cost, patient/user specific measurement system. The method may be used to inform existing and future pressure relief mattress systems. The invention may also be used for any application either in conjunction with another system or on its own to measure tissue compression. In another embodiment the invention can be used for measuring any type of compression of a compressible material, for example compression of viscoelastic foam or other materials. The invention may also be used to make inferences about the changes of blood flow at site of measurement.
Abstract:
Method for measuring the visually-induced postural instability of a person is described, the method comprising a display providing step (S1) during which a visual display device is provided. The display device is arranged so as to display a dynamic visual pattern in at least 50% of the lower half of the visual field of the person, leaving an upper half of the visual field of the person free. The method also comprises a display step (S2) during which a dynamic visual pattern is displayed on the visual display device. The method further comprises a measuring step (S3) during which a parameter representative of the postural instability is measured when the person is gazing at a fix target straight in front while having the dynamic visual pattern displayed on the visual display device.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein are devices, methods and systems for monitoring and detection of pressure on a part of a body of a user. In an embodiment, a device includes a substrate having a contact surface for contacting a user, one or more sacs associated with the contact surface of the substrate, and one or more sensors in communication with the one or more sacs, the one or more sensors adapted to measure changes in pressure in the one or more sacs. The sacs contain a fluidic material configured to transmit pressure. The fluidic material is further configured to be shock-absorbing and pressure-relieving such that the fluidic material is displaceable by an action of the user contacting the contact surface causing the pressure in the fluidic material to be redistributed.
Abstract:
A computer system comprising a Web site and/or a cloud array of computers wherein the system is configured to have a connection to a smartphone or other mobile computer device and the system is configured to use the device to control a configuration of: computer-controlled footwear structural elements located in footwear soles of a device user, and sensors located in footwear soles of the device user and a sensor including a gyroscope and/or an accelerometer in the device. The system is further configured to control the configuration of footwear structural elements and sensors by using the device and the connection to: transmit data to the system for storage and/or shared or independent processing and/or analysis: process data received from the sensors located in footwear soles of the device user and the sensor in the device; and use the processed data to alter a configuration of the footwear structural elements.
Abstract:
A smartphone app that when executed by a smartphone (or other mobile computer device, general purpose or specialized) causes the smartphone to actively control by a wired or wireless connection a configuration of one or more footwear structural elements with computer control located in both footwear soles of a smartphone user. One or more sensors are located in both footwear soles of the smartphone user. The one or more footwear structural elements are configured for computer control by the smartphone when the smartphone app is operating on the smartphone. The smartphone app configures the smartphone to process measurement data received from the one or more sensors of both footwear soles and to use the processed measurement data to cause alteration of the configuration of one or more of the footwear structural elements by the smartphone.