Method, system and apparatus for fall detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9607498-B2
Application number	US-201615007178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are provided for detecting fall events of a person. Fall events are falls that are likely to occur, are occurring, or have occurred. Fall detectors and fall detector systems detect fall events of the person. Data relating to the person are received from sensors and analyzed to perform fall detection. Data relating to the person includes accelerations and forces experience by the person, changes in body position of the person, movements of the person, and body signals and sounds of the person. Neurological tests are administered to determine levels of responsiveness and awareness of the person in response to detections. Warnings are issued, and safety measures are deployed, in response to detections. Data relating to fall events are recorded and logged. Fall event histories based upon the logged data and fall detection algorithm performance are used to improve future fall detection and prediction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fall detection system, comprising:
at least one sensor associated with a user;
a body data signal unit coupled to the user and configured to receive electromyogram (EMG) data;
a fall detection unit coupled to the at least one sensor, and configured to filter and analyze a measure of force determined by the at least one sensor and determine at least one of the user falling, the user has fallen, or a fall of the user is imminent based on at least EMG data measured by the body data signal unit from a force of contraction on at least one anti-gravitatory muscle or at least one antagonist of the at least one anti-gravitatory muscle, wherein the EMG data deviates above a first threshold indicating abnormally high muscle tone or below a second threshold indicating abnormally decreased muscle tone;
a neurological unit coupled to the fall detection unit and configured to administer a neurological test to the user in response to the at least one of the user falling, the user having fallen, or a fall of the user being imminent;
a user-input unit coupled to the neurological unit and configured to receive a neurological test input from the user; and
a communication unit coupled to the fall detection unit and to the neurological unit, and configured to communicate with at least one of a care-giver station, an emergency medical technology station, or a remote entity.

2. The fall detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of a tri-axial accelerometer or a force transducer.

3. The fall detection system of claim 1 , further comprising a logging unit configured to log a date, a time, an amount of time spent in an unresponsive state, an amount of time spent lying on the ground, and/or the measured force associated with a detected fall.

4. The fall detection system of claim 1 , wherein the user-input unit comprises:
a communication interface configured to solicit the user to reply to the neurological test; and
at least one of:
a touch sensitive interface configured to receive the neurological test input from the user, or
a sound sensitive interface configured to receive the neurological test input from the user.

5. The fall detection system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is at least one of a tri-axial accelerometer, a clinometer, a force transducer, a gyroscope, a body signal sensor, an optical sensor, a motor sensor or a sound sensor; and
wherein the measure of force comprises at least one of: a change in acceleration along at least one axis of the tri-axial accelerometer; a change in incline or decline detected by the clinometer; a force detected by the force transducer; a sway or a loss of balance detected by the gyroscope, the clinometer, or the tri-axial accelerometer; a body signal detected by the body signal sensor; a body movement detected by the optical sensor; a muscle state detected by the motor sensor; or a sound associated with the user detected by the sound sensor.

6. The fall detection system of claim 1 , wherein the neurological unit is configured to administer one or more additional neurological tests,
wherein the neurological test is a responsiveness test,
wherein the one or more additional neurological tests are at least one of an awareness test or a cognitive level test, and
wherein the one or more additional neurological tests are administered in response to an input indicating the user did not fail the responsiveness test.

7. The fall detection system of claim 6 , wherein the neurological unit is configured to re-administer the one or more additional neurological tests to the user based on at least one of motor activity of the user, one or more sounds associated with the user, or a time interval.

8. The fall detection system of claim 1 , wherein the neurological unit is configured to categorize possible causes of the fall based on three or more of: a type of fall; a presence or absence of breaking arm movements; a body part that first makes contact with a surface; a body position before the fall; a body position during the fall; a direction of the fall; a body position immediately after the fall; a type of kinetic activity before the fall; an amount of time elapsed since the last kinetic activity of the user, a type of kinetic activity; a level of kinetic activity; autonomic activity before, during or after the fall; or neurologic activity before, during or after the fall.

9. A fall detection system, comprising:
at least one of a tri-axial accelerometer, a clinometer, a force transducer, or a gyroscope attached to a user;
a fall detection unit coupled to the at least one of the tri-axial accelerometer, the clinometer, the force transducer, or the gyroscope, and configured to filter and analyze motion data or force data received from the at least one of the tri-axial accelerometer, the clinometer, the force transducer, or the gyroscope and determine if the user is falling or that a fall is imminent;
a neurological unit coupled to the fall detection unit and configured to administer a responsiveness test to the user, wherein the neurological unit is configured to administer, in response to an input indicating the user did not fail the responsiveness test, at least one of an awareness test or a cognitive level test; and
a user-input unit coupled to the neurological unit and configured a receive a responsiveness test input from the user.

10. The fall detection system of claim 9 , further comprising:
one or more shock absorbing devices placed on at least one of the head, neck, chest, or one or more knees of the user, wherein the one or more shock absorbing devices are configured to be automatically deployed based on a signal or command from the fall detection unit in response to determining that the user is falling or that a fall is imminent.

11. The fall detection system of claim 9 , further comprising a body data signal unit configured to receive electromyogram (EMG) data and transmit the EMG data to the fall detection unit; and
wherein the fall detection unit is configured to verify a fall is occurring based on:
at least one of the motion data or the force data received from at least one of the tri-axial accelerometer, the clinometer, or the force transducer, and
at least one of the EMG data or the motion data received from at least one of the clinometer or the gyroscope.

12. The fall detection system of claim 9 , wherein the responsiveness test comprises at least one of:
an orientation test,
a motor test, or
a memory test.

13. The fall detection system of claim 9 , wherein the determination by the fall detection unit that the user is falling or that a fall is imminent is based on at least a decrease in autonomic signals below a first autonomic baseline or increase above a second autonomic baseline.

14. The fall detection system of claim 9 , wherein the fall detection unit is further configured to rank a severity of the fall based on at least one of a result of the responsiveness test, motion data, a presence of pain, a severity of pain, a force of impact, a site of impact on the body of the user, or a distance traveled by the body of the user after a first impact;
wherein the motion data comprises a duration of time spent falling, a duration of time spent lying down after the fall, or one or more changes in acceleration during the fall.

15. The fall detection system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a communication unit coupled to the fall detection unit and to the neurological unit, the communication unit being configured to automatically report at least one of a location of the user or the ranking of the severity of the fa

Assignees

• Osorio Ivan

Inventors

• Osorio Ivan

Classifications

• A61B5/395

  Details of stimulation, e.g. nerve stimulation to elicit EMG response · CPC title

• A61B5/1113

  Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home · CPC title

• A61B5/0205

  Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition · CPC title

• A61B5/0476

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• G08B21/043 Primary

  detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall · CPC title