Mobile sensor system and methods for use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10729370-B2
Application number	US-201514964690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 10, 2014
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system including one or more sensors, a mounting system configured to removeably mount a computing device such that a camera of the computing device is positioned facing an eye of a subject, and a control system. The control system is configured to (a) receive sensor data from the one or more sensors, (b) determine whether the sensor data is indicative of balance instability of the subject, (c) track a position of the eye of the subject to assess vestibular dysfunction, (d) determine whether the camera data is indicative of vestibular dysfunction of the subject, and (e) in response to (i) the sensor data being indicative of balance instability of the subject and/or (ii) the camera data being indicative of vestibular dysfunction of the subject, display an indication of symptoms that are characteristic of a traumatic brain injury or concussion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more sensors;
a mounting system configured to removeably mount a computing device thereto, wherein the mounting system includes a mounting clip having a first edge and a second edge configured to removeably retain the computing device therebetween, wherein the mounting clip includes a cutout configured to be aligned with a camera of the computing device such that a field of view of the camera of the computing device is positioned facing a first eye of a subject when the computing device is removeably mounted to the mounting system, and wherein a second eye of the subject is covered by an opaque material such that the field of view of the camera is not positioned facing the second eye of the subject when the computing device is removeably mounted to the mounting system;
a control system, wherein the control system is configured to:
receive sensor data from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to be removeably positioned on a subject, and wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is positioned on a body part of the subject other than a head of the subject;
determine whether or not the sensor data is indicative of balance instability of the subject;
track a position of the first eye of the subject for a given time period to assess vestibular dysfunction based on data received from the camera of the computing device;
determine whether or not the camera data is indicative of vestibular dysfunction of the subject;
in response to (i) the sensor data being indicative of balance instability of the subject and/or (ii) the camera data being indicative of vestibular dysfunction of the subject, cause the computing device to provide for display an indication that the subject has symptoms that are characteristic of a traumatic brain injury or concussion; and
in response to both (i) the sensor data not being indicative of balance instability of the subject and (ii) the camera data not being indicative of vestibular dysfunction of the subject, cause the computing device to provide for display an indication that the subject does not have symptoms that are characteristic of a traumatic brain injury or concussion.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting system is implemented as part of or takes the form of a head-mountable device.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the head-mountable device includes goggles, wherein a first lens of the goggles includes the mounting system, and wherein a second lens of the goggles includes an opaque lens.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein tracking the position of the first eye of the subject for the given time period to assess vestibular dysfunction comprises:
detect (i) an edge of an iris of the first eye or (ii) a pupil centroid of the first eye based on the data received from the camera of the computing device; and
determine a displacement of (i) the edge of an iris of the first eye or (ii) the pupil centroid of the first eye for the given time period.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of a proximity sensor, a vibration inducer, a microphone, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises two sensors, wherein a first sensor is configured to be removeably positioned on a hip of the subject, and wherein a second sensor is configured to be removeably positioned on an ankle of the subject.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises three sensors, wherein a first sensor is configured to be removeably positioned on the head of the subject, wherein a second sensor is configured to be removeably positioned on a back of the subject, and wherein a third sensor is configured to be removeably positioned on a hip of the subject.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to:
provide for display one or more visual or textual instructions for the subject, wherein the control system receives the sensor data from the one or more sensors based on one or more actions performed by the subject corresponding to the one or more visual or textual instructions.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting system includes one or more illumination features directed at the first eye of the subject.

10. A method comprising:
positioning one or more sensors on a subject, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is positioned on a body part of the subject other than a head of the subject;
receiving, at a computing device, sensor data from the one or more sensors positioned on the subject;
determining, by the computing device, whether the sensor data is indicative of balance instability of the subject;
removeably coupling the computing device to a mounting system, wherein the mounting system includes a mounting clip having a first edge and a second edge configured to removeably retain the computing device therebetween, wherein the mounting clip includes a cutout configured to be aligned with a camera of the computing device such that a field of view of the camera of the computing device is positioned facing a first eye of the subject when the computing device is removeably coupled to the mounting system, and wherein a second eye of the subject is covered by an opaque material such that the field of view of the camera is not positioned facing the second eye of the subject when the computing device is removeably mounted to the mounting system;
tracking, by the computing device, a position of the first eye of the subject for a given time period to assess vestibular dysfunction based on data received from the camera of the computing device;
determining, by the computing device, whether the camera data is indicative of vestibular dysfunction of the subject;
in response to (i) the sensor data being indicative of balance instability of the subject and/or (ii) the camera data being indicative of vestibular dysfunction of the subject, causing the computing device to provide for display an indication of symptoms that are characteristic of a traumatic brain injury or concussion; and
in response to both (i) the sensor data not being indicative of balance instability of the subject and (ii) the camera data not being indicative of vestibular dysfunction of the subject, causing the computing device to provide for display an indication that the subject does not have symptoms that are characteristic of a traumatic brain injury or concussion.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein positioning the one or more sensors on a subject comprises:
positioning a first sensor of the one or more sensors on a hip of the subject; and
positioning a second sensor of the one or more sensors on an ankle of the subject.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein positioning the one or more sensors on a subject comprises:
positioning a first sensor of the one or more sensors on a head of the subject;
positioning a second sensor of the one or more sensors on an ankle of the subject; and
positioning a third sensor of the one or more sensors on a hip of the subject.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein tracking the position of the first eye of the subject for the given time period to assess vestibular dysfunction comprises:
detecting, by the computing device, (i) an edge of an iris of the first eye or (ii) a pupil centroid of the first eye based on the data received from the camera of the computing device; and
determining, by the computing device, a displacement of (i) the edge of an iris of the first eye or (ii) the pupil centroid of the first eye for the given time period.

14. The metho

Assignees

• Univ Rosalind Franklin Medicine & Science

Inventors

• Lin Fang
• Yalla Sai V

Classifications

• A61B5/11

  Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)} · CPC title

• A61B5/4064 Primary

  Evaluating the brain (for intracranial pressure A61B5/031; for cerebral blood gases A61B5/14553; using EEG A61B5/369) · CPC title

• A61B2562/0219

  Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches · CPC title

• A61B2562/0223

  Magnetic field sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/0051

  by applying vibrations · CPC title