A cervical health monitoring system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a cervical vertebra health monitoring system relates to embedded computer, intelligent control technical field, including sensor, sensor detection module, processing module and response module, sensor, sensor detection module, processing module and response module can be embedded in the neck cover, the sensor is IMU, the processing module adopts arduino, and the processing module processes the data that sensor gathers, the utility model discloses a kind of cervical vertebra health monitoring system, this system can integrate electronic equipment into neck cover, easy to wear, applicable to the application of multiple scenes, realizes the real-time monitoring of neck angle, reminding feedback, serial communication etc., the integration of these functions makes that system has good practicality and portability, can real-time monitoring user's neck angle, provides intuitive feedback, helps user to correct bad neck posture, to reach the purpose of improving neck health.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the fields of embedded computers and intelligent control technology, specifically a cervical spine health monitoring system. Background Technology

[0002] Existing cervical spine health systems primarily consist of orthotics, mainly used for health maintenance and rehabilitation of cervical spondylosis. However, they are expensive, complex, and unsuitable for personal use. For example, cervical curvature correctors are mainly for medical institutions and rehabilitation centers, focusing on massage and treatment, and are suitable for rehabilitation patients, but lack adaptation for home use. Another example is cervical force redistribution orthotics, which, while able to alleviate neck pain, lack intelligent and informational functions, have inadequate human-computer interaction, and are not suitable for prolonged use. Furthermore, there is a lack of preventative equipment specifically designed for cervical spine problems. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cervical spine health monitoring system to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a cervical spine health monitoring system, comprising:

[0005] The system includes a sensor, a sensor detection module, a processing module, and a response module, all of which can be embedded within the neck brace.

[0006] The sensor is an IMU;

[0007] The processing module uses Arduino;

[0008] The processing module processes the data collected by the sensor.

[0009] In a further embodiment, the Arduino has a power supply pin, a ground pin, an analog input pin, a digital input / output pin, a PWM pin, and D0-D12 pins.

[0010] In a further embodiment, a decoupling filter circuit is also included, wherein two small capacitors and one large capacitor are connected in parallel across the two ends supplying power to the chip.

[0011] The small capacitor is a decoupling capacitor, used to filter out high-frequency noise;

[0012] Large capacitors are energy storage capacitors used to provide additional power when there are instantaneous changes in power supply voltage or a sudden increase in load.

[0013] In a further embodiment, a motor drive circuit is also included, which has a classic dual H-bridge drive circuit chip of model L298N.

[0014] In a further embodiment, the device also includes a gyroscope comprising an accelerometer and an angular velocity sensor, the accelerometer being used to measure acceleration and the angular velocity sensor being used to measure angular velocity, the accelerometer and the angular velocity sensor being connected to the microcontroller via an I2C or SPI interface.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the gyroscope also incorporates a Kalman filter algorithm, which uses the target's state vector from the previous moment to predict the target's state at the next moment.

[0016] The Kalman filter algorithm first calculates the Kalman filter gain matrix KK, and then corrects the estimated value of the target at that moment by observing the variables.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0018] This utility model relates to a cervical spine health monitoring system. The system integrates electronic devices into a neck brace, making it easy to wear and suitable for various applications. It achieves functions such as real-time monitoring of neck angle, reminder feedback, and serial communication. The integration of these functions makes the system highly practical and portable. It can monitor the user's neck angle in real time, provide intuitive feedback, and help the user correct poor neck posture, thereby improving neck health. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a circuit diagram of a passive parallel crystal oscillator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is an equivalent circuit diagram of the crystal oscillator circuit in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the decoupling filter circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the motor drive circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the internal circuit structure of the L298N according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a circuit diagram of the full H-bridge motor drive according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the combinational logic circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the cervical spine detection process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0029] This embodiment provides a cervical spine health monitoring system, such as... Figure 9 As shown, it includes a sensor detection module, a processing module, and a response module.

[0030] The sensor uses an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) to monitor the cervical spine angle. The processing module uses an Arduino to process the data collected by the sensor, and finally outputs the processing result to the motor.

[0031] Specifically, the processing module equipped with MPU6050 will be integrated into a commonly used neck brace, which users can wear on their cervical spine. The feedback module equipped with a motor will be integrated into a wristband, which users can wear on their wrist. If any unhealthy behavior occurs in the cervical spine, the signal will be transmitted through the ESP8266 communication module, and the wristband will vibrate to remind the user to improve their current posture.

[0032] Including hardware design: The following modules describe the comprehensive design of the system's hardware circuitry:

[0033] First, the clock is generated using a crystal oscillator circuit: a classic passive parallel crystal oscillator circuit is employed, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the equivalent circuit diagram is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, C1 and C2 are load capacitors, and the network composed of C3, L1, R1, and C4 is the equivalent circuit of the crystal oscillator. The above circuit completes the oscillation frequency selection work.

[0034] The functions of a parallel feedback resistor are: to make the device, which is normally a logic inverter, operate in the linear region, thereby increasing gain; to increase the negative impedance in the circuit, thereby increasing gain and reducing the crystal oscillator start-up time; to increase the stability of the oscillation circuit; and to limit current and prevent resonator fluctuations.

[0035] The circuit operates as follows: When the circuit is powered on, the power supply provides initial energy to the crystal oscillator circuit, causing the crystal to begin vibrating. Driven by the voltage, the crystal begins to generate mechanical vibration. Due to the piezoelectric effect, this mechanical vibration is converted into an electrical signal, which is fed back to the circuit, forming a closed-loop oscillation. Due to the presence of resistance, the oscillation amplitude of the circuit will not increase indefinitely, but will oscillate around a stable value. This is the stable operating state of the crystal oscillator. The oscillation signal of the crystal oscillator circuit can be read through the input port of the microcontroller or directly used as a drive signal for other circuits.

[0036] In addition, the Arduino core connection circuit has the following pin functions: 1. Power pins: 5V: Powers other components or external devices on the development board. 3.3V: This pin provides a stable 3.3V voltage output with a maximum drive current of 50mA. This voltage is often used to power certain specific components. GND: This is the ground pin, and all voltages and currents are referenced to it. In the circuit, the GND pin is used to close the circuit loop and ensure that the entire circuit has a common logic reference level. 2. Analog input pins: A0-A5: These six pins are used to read external analog signals. Analog signals are continuously changing signals that can represent various physical quantities such as temperature, pressure, and light intensity. Arduino reads these analog signals through these pins and then converts them into digital values ​​for use by the program. 3. Digital input / output pins: The Arduino UNO R3 has 14 digital I / O pins. These pins can be used as input pins to read the logic state (high or low level) of external devices, or as output pins to control the on / off state of external devices. 4. PWM Pins: Some digital pins of the Arduino UNO R3 (D3, D5, D6, D9, D10, D11) support PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). The voltage of these pins can be controlled programmatically, enabling finer control, such as adjusting motor speed or LED brightness. 5. D0-D12: These pins can also be used as digital input / output pins. The two pins labeled TX (transmit) and RX (receive) are used for serial communication.

[0037] It also includes decoupling filter circuits: decoupling filter circuits such as Figure 3 As shown, two small capacitors and one large capacitor are connected in parallel across the two ends that supply power to the chip.

[0038] The small capacitor is a decoupling capacitor, and its main function is to filter out high-frequency noise. Because the small capacitor has low impedance at high frequencies, it can effectively guide high-frequency noise to ground, thereby reducing the impact of high-frequency noise on the circuit.

[0039] The large capacitor is an energy storage capacitor. Its main function is to provide additional power when there are instantaneous changes in the power supply voltage or a sudden increase in load, thereby maintaining the stability of the power supply voltage. This is crucial to prevent damage to the chip caused by transient voltage fluctuations, such as the impulse input during system power-on.

[0040] It also includes the motor drive circuit, the overall schematic diagram of which is shown below. Figure 4 As shown, the L298N is a classic dual H-bridge driver circuit chip, and its internal circuit structure is as follows: Figure 5 As shown. First, let's introduce the full H-bridge motor drive circuit. Figure 6 The four circles represent NMOS transistors, whose on / off state is controlled by an external voltage level.

[0041] When the top left and bottom right MOSFETs are on, and the top right and bottom left MOSFETs are off, VOUT1 is greater than VOUT2, and the DC motor rotates in one direction. Conversely, when the top right and bottom left MOSFETs are on, and the bottom right and top left MOSFETs are off, VOUT2 is greater than VOUT1, and the DC motor rotates in the opposite direction. Therefore, a combinational logic circuit can be designed to control this full-bridge circuit. Starting counter-clockwise from the logic control level of the top left MOSFET, they are named Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. Since three states need to be controlled (forward, reverse, and stop), two logic variables are needed for encoding, as shown in the table below.

[0042] Table 1 Truth Table for Logical Variables:

[0043] 0 0 stop 1 0 1 0 0 1 Forward 1 0 0 1 1 0 Reversal 0 1 1 0 1 1 stop 0 1 0 1

[0044] Therefore, the combinational logic circuit section of the intermediate block diagram is designed, and the switching on and off of the MOSFET is controlled by a gate drive. This design approach ensures the simplicity of the logic circuit and facilitates integration. The circuit is as follows: Figure 7 As shown. Moreover, since what needs to be controlled is the vibration motor, and its forward and reverse rotation is not important, x2 can be directly grounded and x1 can be set as a PWM wave. This realizes the vibration of the motor controlled by PWM, controlling the motor's power-on time. During vibration, x2 and x1 switch between 00 and 01, achieving vibration at a certain frequency.

[0045] The pin functions are as follows: 1: Current control of H-bridge A, current is limited by grounding through a resistor. 2 / 16: Connect to the DC motor power supply terminal. 15: Sleep mode control, high level enables the chip, low level enters sleep mode (turns off the chip). 14 / 13: Logic input port, 14 connects to the PWM signal to implement PWM control. 12: Output of the chip's internal voltage regulator (3.3V), requires a 2.2uF, 6.3V withstand voltage filter capacitor grounded. 11: Ground terminal. 10: Motor power supply 2.7V-10.8V, requires a 10uF filter capacitor grounded. 9: Used for the high-side FET gate drive voltage, requires a 10nF, 16V withstand voltage ceramic capacitor connected to the VM pin.

[0046] It also includes a gyroscope, model MPU6050. The MPU6050 internally contains sensors for measuring acceleration and angular velocity and communicates with the microcontroller via I2C or SPI interfaces. The three-axis gyroscope measures the angular velocity of an object, detecting its rotation, turning, or attitude changes. The three-axis accelerometer measures the acceleration of an object, detecting linear motion or tilting. The MPU6050 has a built-in digital motion processor that processes sensor data and provides calibration, filtering, and attitude calculation functions, simplifying embedded system development. The MPU6050 is commonly used in products such as aircraft, robots, virtual reality devices, smart bracelets, and smartphones to implement functions such as attitude control, motion tracking, and step counting. Its small size, low power consumption, and reliable performance make it the preferred inertial measurement unit for many projects.

[0047] Communication Equipment Selection: The ESP8266 is used as the communication tool between the neckband microcontroller and the wristband motor. The ESP8266 is a low-cost, low-power, high-performance Wi-Fi chip. It is widely used in the Internet of Things (IoT) and embedded systems, providing wireless connectivity capabilities that allow various devices to easily connect to the internet. The ESP8266 has three communication modes: STA mode, AP mode, and STA+AP mode. STA mode: The ESP8266 module needs to be interconnected with a router, and then the router needs to be connected to the internet to achieve signal communication. AP mode: The ESP8266 acts as a hotspot, and clients can connect to the "hotspot" to achieve signal communication. STA+AP mode: This is a combination of the two modes, a coexisting mode.

[0048] This system utilizes the ESP8266's Wi-Fi module, enabling devices to communicate and be controlled via a local area network. Through AP mode, it transmits sensor signals from the neck to the wristband, thus achieving real-time monitoring of neck health.

[0049] In this embodiment, regarding the software design, specifically the angle monitoring and Kalman filtering algorithm: the core function of this system is to use the MPU6050 to measure angles, and to monitor and record the cervical spine's pitch and lateral tilt angles in real time. This technology enables the system not only to accurately measure neck angles but also to provide real-time feedback to the user, allowing the user to understand their neck condition at any time.

[0050] The MPU6050's internal accelerometer is susceptible to interference from human movement, leading to output errors. While the gyroscope provides more accurate dynamic measurements, it suffers from zero-drift, accumulating errors over time. Therefore, filtering these two measurement data points is essential to obtain accurate and stable angle values. In this system, a Kalman filter algorithm is employed to process the angle information obtained from the MPU6050, smoothing the data curve and improving the system's anti-interference capabilities.

[0051] Kalman filtering, proposed by Kalman, is a recursive filtering algorithm for time-varying linear systems that can minimize the error in covariance estimation. The Kalman filter algorithm iteratively updates the target state vector through a feedback loop, which includes two update steps: a prediction step and an update step. In the prediction step, the Kalman filter algorithm uses the target's state vector from the previous time step to predict the target's state at the next time step.

[0052]

[0053] In the update step, the algorithm first calculates the Kalman filter gain matrix KK, and then corrects the estimated value of the target at that moment using the observed variables:

[0054] In the formula, ZK represents the observed variables, and H represents the target observation matrix.

[0055]

[0056] Through the processing of the Kalman filter algorithm, the angle signal obtained by the sensor will be transformed into a smooth and easily processed curve, making the result closer to the true value. This effectively calculates the real-time angle of the wearer's cervical spine posture in the system, thus making the system results more sensitive and reliable.

[0057] It also includes a feedback mechanism. When the system detects that the cervical spine angle exceeds the preset safe range, it will drive a motor to generate vibration, thereby reminding the user to adjust their neck posture. This intuitive feedback method can immediately attract the user's attention and prompt them to change their poor neck posture.

[0058] This also includes AP (Access Point) mode communication. Two ESP8266 modules can communicate via AP, with one module acting as a hotspot (Server) and the other connecting to it as a client. First, the Server is configured to start hotspot mode, creating a Wi-Fi network and assigning a unique network name (SSID) and password. The Client is then configured to connect to this specific network. Once the Client connects to the Server's hotspot, a communication channel is established. The Client can send data to the Server by establishing a connection to the Server's IP address and port. The Server listens for connection requests from the Client; once a connection is successfully established, it can receive data from the Client and process it accordingly.

[0059] In the entire design, the ESP8266 connected to the Arduino acts as a client server, while another ESP8266 is connected to the motor. These two ESP8266s communicate through AP mode to transmit angle data, thereby enabling the motor to provide feedback.

[0060] The main feature of this invention is to supplement the traditional cervical spine correction system with intelligent and information-based equipment, thereby realizing interactive functions with users.

[0061] Furthermore, by integrating electronic devices into the neck brace, functions such as real-time neck angle monitoring, reminder feedback, and serial communication are achieved. The integration of these functions makes the system highly practical and portable.

[0062] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cervical spine health monitoring system, characterized in that, include: The system includes a sensor, a sensor detection module, a processing module, and a response module, all of which can be embedded within the neck brace. The sensor is an IMU; The processing module uses Arduino; The processing module processes the data collected by the sensor.

2. The cervical spine health monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The Arduino has power pins, ground pins, analog input pins, digital input / output pins, PWM pins, and D0-D12 pins.

3. The cervical spine health monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a decoupling filter circuit, which has two small capacitors and one large capacitor connected in parallel across the two ends that supply power to the chip. The small capacitor is a decoupling capacitor, used to filter out high-frequency noise; Large capacitors are energy storage capacitors used to provide additional power when there are instantaneous changes in power supply voltage or a sudden increase in load.

4. The cervical spine health monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a motor drive circuit, which has a classic dual H-bridge drive circuit chip of model L298N.

5. The cervical spine health monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a gyroscope, which includes an accelerometer and an angular velocity sensor. The accelerometer is used to measure acceleration, and the angular velocity sensor is used to measure angular velocity. The accelerometer and angular velocity sensor are connected to the microcontroller via an I2C or SPI interface.

6. The cervical spine health monitoring system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The gyroscope also has a built-in Kalman filter algorithm, which uses the target's state vector from the previous moment to predict the target's state at the next moment. The Kalman filter algorithm first calculates the Kalman filter gain matrix KK, and then corrects the estimated value of the target at that moment by observing the variables.

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