Mobile Beacon Distance Tracking for Six-Minute Walk Tests
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Solution Overview
Problem
The six-minute walk test, a standard for assessing cardiopulmonary health, often requires subjects to travel to clinical settings, which is inconvenient and costly, and existing methods lack efficient remote monitoring solutions.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a mobile Bluetooth beacon and a mobile device that allows subjects to perform the six-minute walk test in non-clinical settings, using stationary beacons, proximity sensors, infrared sensors, optical sensors, or Wi-Fi receivers to track distance and vital signs, enabling remote data transmission to healthcare providers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the six-minute walk test is administered in clinical settings with healthcare provider supervision, then measurement precision is ensured, but loss of time and convenience deteriorate due to travel requirements and scheduling constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables subjects to autonomously perform the six-minute walk test using a mobile device with integrated sensors (GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope) that automatically track and record distance without requiring healthcare provider presence. The device self-calibrates and self-monitors throughout the test duration
Solution Approach 2:
Manual distance measurement by healthcare providers is replaced with electronic sensing systems including GPS receivers, accelerometers, and gyroscopes that automatically calculate and record walking distance through mathematical algorithms processing sensor data
2Reliability
If the six-minute walk test is administered in clinical settings, then reliability of supervised measurement is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to clinical equipment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device serves multiple functions: it acts as a stopwatch for timing the six-minute period, a GPS receiver for location tracking, an accelerometer for movement detection, a gyroscope for orientation monitoring, and a data processing unit for calculating distance, replacing multiple specialized clinical devices with a single universal platform
Solution Approach 2:
The system replicates the clinical testing protocol and measurement capabilities within a consumer mobile device, creating a digital copy of the clinical environment that maintains measurement reliability while eliminating the need for specialized clinical equipment
3Measurement precision
If traditional clinical monitoring methods are used, then measurement accuracy is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates due to provider supervision requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device autonomously guides the subject through the test protocol, automatically starts and stops timing, continuously tracks position via sensors, calculates distance in real-time, and stores results without requiring any operational intervention from healthcare providers
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback to the subject during the test through the mobile device interface, displaying real-time distance covered and time elapsed, enabling the subject to self-monitor performance while maintaining measurement accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus to monitor distances traveled by subjects during six-minute walk tests are disclosed. An example system includes a mobile beacon to be carried by a subject during a six-minute walk test, interface circuitry, machine readable instructions, and programmable circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to determine a distance traveled by the subject during the six-minute walk test based on a strength of signals received from the mobile beacon.