Systems and methods of musculoskeletal health and performance assessment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025255542-A1
Application number	US-202318858130-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 21, 2023
Priority date	Apr 21, 2022
Publication date	Aug 14, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of assessing musculoskeletal health in a user. The method can comprise: measuring a bioimpedance across a portion of a body of a user at a first time: measuring the bioimpedance across the joint of the user at a second time; and determining, based at least in part on the measured bioimpedances at the first and second times, a change in a biomechanical property of the portion of the body of the user between the first time and the second time.

First claim

1 . A method of assessing musculoskeletal health comprising:
measuring a bioimpedance across a portion of a body of a user at a first time; measuring the bioimpedance across the portion of the body of the user at a second time; and determining, based at least in part on the measured bioimpedances at the first and second times, a change in a biomechanical property of the portion of the body of the user between the first time and the second time.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the bioimpedances comprises:
measuring the bioimpedance at the first time while applying, with a wearable system, a first electrical current across the portion of the body of the user at a first frequency; and measuring the bioimpedance at the second time while applying, with the wearable system, a first electrical current across the portion of the body of the user at a second frequency.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first frequency is about 5 kHz and the second frequency is about 100 kHz.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the biomechanical property is selected from a group consisting of pain and muscle fatigue.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the biomechanical property is muscle fatigue; and
wherein determining comprises calculating a muscle fatigue score based on a difference between a ratio of the bioimpedances at the first and second frequencies at the first time and the second time.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the biomechanical property is selected from a group consisting of muscle fatigue, muscle damage, muscle torque, and muscle recovery.

7 .- 9 . (canceled)

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
measuring the bioimpedances comprises measuring the bioimpedances of the portion of the body of the user during dynamic activity of the portion of the body; and determining uses dual-frequency electrical bioimpedance analyses (DFBIA).

11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising:
upon determining mid-activity changes in the portion of the body DFBIA during the dynamic activity, reporting at least one of:
an indication representative of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS); or
an indication representative of muscle tissue damage;

wherein the wearable system comprises a bioimpedance measurement system comprising:
a first pair of electrodes positioned proximate a first end of the portion of the body of the user;
a second pair of electrodes positioned proximate a second end of the portion of the body of the user; and
a controller configured to measure a bioimpedance between the first and second pairs of electrodes.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the bioimpedance measurement system further comprises an inertial measurement unit configured to measure one or more kinematic properties of the portion of the body of the user.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first pair of electrodes are positioned on a thigh of a user at a position above a midpoint of the length of the femur; and
wherein the second pair of electrodes are positioned below a knee of the user.

14 . (canceled)

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not comprise measuring an acoustic characteristic of the portion of the body of the user.

16 . (canceled)

17 . A system for assessing musculoskeletal health comprising:
a first pair of electrodes configured to be positioned proximate a first end of a portion of a body of a user; a second pair of electrodes configured to be positioned proximate a second end of the portion of the body of the user; and a controller configured to assess musculoskeletal health of the portion of the body of the user according to the method of claim 1 ; wherein the controller is further configured to:
measure the bioimpedance between the first and second pairs of electrodes at the first time; and
measure the bioimpedance between the first and second pairs of electrodes at the second time.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to measure the bioimpedance between the first and second pairs of electrodes at each of the first and second times by:
measuring the bioimpedance between the first and second pairs of electrodes while applying a first electrical current to the first and second pairs of electrodes at a first frequency; and measuring the bioimpedance between the first and second pairs of electrodes while applying a first electrical current to the first and second pairs of electrodes at a second frequency.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the first frequency is about 5 kHz and the second frequency is about 100 kHz.

20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based at least in part on the measured bioimpedances at the first and second times, a change in a biomechanical property of the portion of the body of the user between the first time and the second time, by calculating a muscle fatigue score.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the muscle fatigue score is based on a difference between a ratio of the bioimpedances at the first and second frequencies at the first time and the second time.

22 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the biomechanical property is selected from a group consisting of muscle fatigue, muscle damage, muscle torque, and muscle recovery.

23 .- 25 . (canceled)

26 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate an output instructing the user to limit use of the portion of the body of the user based on the change in the biomechanical property.

27 . The system of claim 17 further comprising an inertial measurement unit configured to measure one or more kinematic properties of the portion of the body of the user.

28 . The system of claim 17 , wherein at least one of:
the first pair of electrodes are configured to be positioned on a thigh of the user at a position above a midpoint of the length of the femur, and wherein the second pair of electrodes are configured to be positioned below a knee of the user; the portion of the body of the user comprises the user's knee and at least a portion of one or more muscles of the user above and below the knee; or the system does not include a sensor for measuring an acoustic characteristic of the portion of the body of the user.

29 .- 30 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Inan Omer T
• Ozmen Goktug
• Mabrouk Samer
• Nichols Christopher

Classifications

• A61B5/6828

  Leg · CPC title

• A61B5/053 Primary

  Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body · CPC title

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• G16H20/30

  relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising · CPC title

• A61B2505/09

  Rehabilitation or training · CPC title