Ambulatory Monitoring and Real Time Diagnosis of Clinical Data
Branko George Celler, NH Lovell, Merryn J Mathie, Jim Basilakis, Rudino Salleh, F Magrabi · 2000
In this paper we focus on the development of a device for ambulatory gait monitoring in the home. This belt worn device is designed to function reliably in the home environment, operate at a very low power to facilitate long term usage and be simple to use. The device measures acceleration in three orthogonal directions and can be used to identify motor sensory deficits that could lead to falls in the elderly. The instrument can be used as an emergency or falls monitor or for detecting subtle changes in motor control arising from the effects of prescription drugs or degenerative aging processes. With piezo-resistive accelerometers it is possible to detect both dynamic and static acceleration and the tilt angle relative to the horizontal. This permits the recording of activity, posture, mobility and the ability to identify unexpected loss of motor function as evidenced by stumbles or near falls. The sum of the absolute values of the three orthogonal forces has also been shown to correlate well with energy expenditure. The device is supplied with an alarm button, which when manually activated communicates with the home base station and enables a telephone connection to one of three pre-programmed telephone numbers. These may be dedicated 24-hour call services, other carers or relatives. We describe a clinical scenario using the ambulatory gait monitor and hypothesise that it has benefit in identifying falls, objectively characterising gait and mobility patterns and in assessing treatment progress.