14611results about "Muscle exercising devices" patented technology

A detecting, monitoring and reporting apparatus includes at least two sensors for facilitating the generation of data indicative of physiological parameters of the individual and/or data indicative of a contextual parameters of the individual. A processor is coupled to the sensors and is adapted to generate at least one of derived data from at least a portion of the data indicative of physiological parameters and analytical status data from at least a portion of at least one of the data indicative of physiological parameters, the data indicative of contextual parameters, the derived data and the analytical status data. A memory retrievably stores the data and one of various ways of transmitting the data is provided.

Accurate simulation of sport to quantify and train performance constructs by employing sensing electronics for determining, in essentially real time, the player's three dimensional positional changes in three or more degrees of freedom (three dimensions); and computer controlled sport specific cuing that evokes or prompts sport specific responses from the player that are measured to provide meaningful indicia of performance. The sport specific cuing is characterized as a virtual opponent that is responsive to, and interactive with, the player in real time. The virtual opponent continually delivers and/or responds to stimuli to create realistic movement challenges for the player.

Portable computing apparatus for aiding a user in the monitoring of the consumption of consumable items, such as food items or prescribed medicaments, and reordering such items includes a common database for use in monitoring the items as consumed, and for preparing the reorder list at the proper time. The apparatus preferably includes an imaging device for recording the image of the item to be consumed, and recognition circuitry for utilizing the recorded image to identify the item and also to provide information concerning its nutritional content in a weight management program. The consumable item may also be identified in other manners, such as by a barcode reader, or a voice-recognition circuit.

Accurate simulation of sport to quantify and train performance constructs by employing sensing electronics for determining, in essentially real time, the player's three dimensional positional changes in three or more degrees of freedom (three dimensions); and computer controlled sport specific cuing that evokes or prompts sport specific responses from the player that are measured to provide meaningful indicia of performance. The sport specific cuing is characterized as a virtual opponent that is responsive to, and interactive with, the player in real time. The virtual opponent continually delivers and/or responds to stimuli to create realistic movement challenges for the player.

An interactive training system capable of generating continuous feedback for physical therapy and training applications based on capturing and analyzing the movement of a user on an interactive surface. The training system captures sophisticated input such as the entire areas in contact with the interactive surface, center of gravity, pressure distribution, velocity, acceleration, direction, orientation etc. The training system also captures and/or calculates and/or estimates the position of a body part while in the air, not touching the interactive surface, and also while sensor input is unavailable. The training system can also provide alerts for predefined events such as a fall or the beginning of a fall.

A water and moisture sealed, self contained, compact, long term, ambulatory physio-kinetic monitor is designed for mounting directly to the skin of an athlete or fitness performer, preferably immediately adjacent to the organ or system that is to be monitored, and is adhesively held there in place, covertly and comfortably, under clothing by disposable electrode, adhesive skin pads. At least three positive electrodes and a common negative electrode extend from the monitor and attach by similar disposable adhesive electrode pads to detect physiological, e.g. ECG data. Accelerometer means disposed within the monitor detects body movement and likewise stores that data on a third ECG data channel.

An exercise monitoring system which includes an electronic positioning device; a physiological monitor; and a display unit configured for displaying data provided by said electronic positioning device and said physiological monitor.

Method and calculations determine an individual's, or several individuals' simultaneous rates of oxygen consumption, maximum rates of oxygen consumption, heart rates, calorie expenditures, and METS (multiples of metabolic resting rate) in order to determine the amounts of work that is performed by the individual's body. A heart monitor measures the heart rate, and an accelerometer measures the acceleration of the body along one or more axes. An altimeter measures change in altitude, a glucose monitor measures glucose in tissue and blood, and thermometers, thermistors, or thermocouples measure body temperature. Data including body fat and blood pressure measurements are stored locally and transferred to a processor for calculation of the rate of physiological energy expenditure. Certain cardiovascular parameters are mathematically determined. Comparison of each axis response to the individual's moment can be used to identify the type of activity performed and the information may be used to accurately calculate total energy expenditure for each physical activity. Energy expenditure may be calculated by assigning a separate proportionality coefficient to each axis and tabulating the resulting filtered dynamic acceleration over time, or by comparison with previously predetermined expenditures for each activity type. A comparison of total energy expenditure from the current activity is compared with expenditure from a previous activity, or with a baseline expenditure rate to assess the level of current expenditure. A measure of the individual's cardio-vascular health may be obtained by monitoring the heart's responses to various types of activity and to total energy expended.

PCT No. PCT/JP97/02029 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 9, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 9, 1998 PCT Filed Jun. 12, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO97/47239 PCT Pub. Date Dec. 18, 1997In order to obtain calorie expenditure with good accuracy, the device is provided with a basal metabolic state specifying element (142) which specifies the subject's basal metabolic state from his body temperature; a correlation storing element (151) which stores respective regression formulas showing the correlation between the pulse rate and the calorie expenditure when the subject is at rest or active; a correlation correcting element (152) which correcting the stored regression formulas using the basal metabolic state; a body motion determining element (104) which determines whether or not the subject is at rest; and a regression formula selecting element (153) which selects the regression formula which should be used in accordance with the results of this determination. The subject's pulse rate is applied in the selected regression formula, and the calorie expenditure corresponding to this pulse rate is calculated by calorie expenditure calculator (162).

An apparatus for indicating a health-related condition of a subject has an input interface for receiving a sequence of samples of a first biological quantity derived by a first measurement method, the first measurement method being an invasive measurement and having a first impact on the subject, and for receiving a sequence of samples of a second biological quantity derived by a second measurement method, the second measurement method being a non-invasive measurement and having a second impact on the subject, wherein the first biological quantity gives a more accurate indication of the health-related condition of the subject than the second biological quantity, wherein the first biological quantity and the second biological quantity have a correlation to the health-related condition of the subject, and wherein the second impact is smaller than the first impact; a predictor for providing, for a certain time, for which no sample for the first biological quantity exists, an estimated value of the first biological quantity using samples for the first biological quantity and, as far as available, samples for the second quantity; and an output interface for outputting the estimated value or data derived from the estimated value so that an indication for the health-related condition of the subject is obtained.

A movement measuring device determines the speed of the body's specific movement on the basis of the maximum value of the acceleration sensed by an acceleration sensing unit attached to the body, when the body has made a specific movement. For example, when the player wears the device on his arm and makes a punching motion, the punching speed is found from the maximum acceleration resulting from the punching action. Furthermore, a game device obtains data indicating the magnitude of a specific movement of the body, on the basis of the acceleration sensed by an acceleration sensing unit, and then decides the outcome of the game on the basis of the strength and weakness of the punch. This enables the user to easily play a fighting sport game involving the player's actual punching motions anywhere.

An indirect calorimeter for measuring the metabolic rate of a subject includes a disposable portion and a reusable portion. The disposable portion includes a respiratory connector configured to be supported in contact with the subject so as to pass inhaled and exhaled gases as the subject breathes. The disposable portion also includes a flow pathway operable to receive and pass inhaled and exhaled gases, having a first end in fluid communication with the respiratory connector and a second end in fluid communication with a source and sink for respiratory gases. The disposable portion is disposed within the reusable portion, which includes a flow meter, a component gas concentration sensor, and a computation unit. The flow meter generates a signal as a function of the instantaneous flow volume of respiratory gases passing through the flow pathway and the component gas concentration sensor generates a signal as a function of the instantaneous fraction of a predetermined component gas in the exhaled gases. The computation unit receives the electrical signals from the flow meter and the concentration sensor and calculates at least one respiratory parameter for the subject as the subject breathes through the calorimeter.

A method of determining a respiratory parameter for a subject using an indirect calorimeter is provided. The indirect calorimeter includes a respiratory connector for passing inhaled and exhaled gases, a flow pathway operable to receive and pass inhaled and exhaled gases having a flow tube within the flow pathway through which the inhaled and exhaled gases pass, a flow meter for determining an instantaneous flow volume of the inhaled and exhaled gases, a component gas concentration sensor for determining an instantaneous fraction of a predetermined component gas and a computation unit having a processor and a memory. The method includes the steps of initializing the indirect calorimeter and the subject breathing into the respiratory connector if the indirect calorimeter is initialized, sensing the flow volume of the inhaled and exhaled gases passing through the flow pathway using the flow meter and transmitting a signal representing the sensed flow volume to the computation unit. The method also includes the steps of sensing a concentration of a predetermined component gas as the inhaled and exhaled gases pass through the flow pathway using the component gas sensor, and transmitting a signal representing the sensed concentration of the predetermined component gas to the computation unit. The method further includes the steps of calculating at least one respiratory parameter for the subject as the subject breathes through the calorimeter using the sensed flow volume and the sensed concentration of the predetermined component gas, and providing the subject with the at least one respiratory parameter.

The invention is a wireless communications device, such as a cellular telephone, having sensors to generate data indicative of a physiological or contextual parameters of a user. A processor on the wireless communications device is adapted derive physiological state information of the user from the contextual or physiological parameters. The apparatus may include a central monitoring unit remote from the sensors for storing data and transmitting data to a recipient.

A man-machine interface is disclosed which provides force information to sensing body parts. The interface is comprised of a force-generating device (106) that produces a force which is transmitted to a force-applying device (102) via force-transmitting means (104). The force-applying device applies the generated force to a sensing body part. A force sensor associated with the force applies device and located in the force applicator (126) measures the actual force applies to the sensing body part, while angle sensors (136) measure the angles of relevant joint body parts. A force-control unit (108) uses the joint body part position information to determine a desired force value to be applies to the sensing body part. The force-control unit combines the joint body part position information with the force sensor information to calculate the force command which is sent to the force-generating device.

Apparatus for rehabilitating a patient who has a paretic body part, the apparatus comprising: a) at least one electromyography (EMG) sensor adapted to being applied to a voluntary muscle of a healthy body part of the same type as the paretic body part which at least one sensor produces at least one EMG signal; b) a neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device adapted to stimulating at least one voluntary muscle of the paretic body part; and c) a controller which controls the NMES device, making the amplitude of stimulation of the paretic body part at least partly dependent on the EMG signal from the healthy body part.

The invention relates to a system for monitoring a cumulative physiological state and for predicting a target state under physical exercise, which system includes means for measuring a variable depicting the intensity of the exercise and for registering it relative to time, the control unit consisting of a user-interface device, which includes an input device and output device. Software means calculate the current value of the said cumulative physiological variable while second software means calculate the value of a selected output variable, which output variable is one of the following three variables: target state, future intensity, or duration of future exercise, the two other variables being given as initial variables.