Gesture recognition biofeedback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9877682-B2
Application number	US-201514928280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Feb 28, 2011
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A gesture recognition biofeedback device is provided for improving fine motor function in persons with brain injury. The system detects a physical characteristic of the patient and provides feedback based on the detected characteristic. For instance, the system may detect surface muscle pressures of the forearm to provide real-time visual biofeedback to the patient based on a comparison of the detected muscle pressure and predefined values indicative of appropriate motor function.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for providing biofeedback corresponding to a gesture of a user, comprising:
a sensor assembly for detecting muscular activity of a subject and providing sensor signals indicative of the detected muscular activity wherein the sensor assembly comprises a plurality of force sensors spaced apart from one another;
a processor operable to process the sensor signals, wherein the processor is operable in a set up mode and a therapy mode,
wherein in the set-up mode the processor is operable to receive the sensor signals from the sensor assembly produced by volitional movements by the subject and calculate a template of predetermined values corresponding to the sensor signals received from the sensor assembly indicative of the muscular activity of the subject during the set-up mode; and
wherein in the therapy mode the processor is operable to receive the sensor signals from the sensor assembly, compare the sensor signals against the template of predetermined values and provide an output signal based on the variation between the received sensor signals and the predetermined values, wherein the output signal can be used to provide feedback to the user.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising a retainer for holding the force sensors against or adjacent the subject for detecting forces caused by muscle contractions of the subject.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the force sensors comprise force sensing resistors.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises an output element for providing a humanly perceivable cue for commencing the muscular activity wherein the humanly perceivable cue is based on the output signal.

5. The system of claim 1 comprising a feedback element connected with the processor, wherein the feedback element receives the output signal from the processor and provides a human recognizable feedback based on the output signals from the processor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the desired movement is movement of a first body part and the sensor assembly is configured so that the force sensors detect the muscular activity of a second body part remote from the first body part.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein comprising a retainer configured to retain the sensor assembly on the second body part.

Assignees

• Univ Rutgers

Inventors

• Craelius William
• Yungher Don
• Kim Nam H

Classifications

• A61B5/1125

  Grasping motions of hands · CPC title

• A61B5/1124

  Determining motor skills · CPC title

• A61B2505/09

  Rehabilitation or training · CPC title

• A61B5/1107

  Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ or muscle · CPC title

• A61B2562/043

  in a linear array · CPC title