Mobile Skeletal Tracking for Post-Surgical Range-of-Motion Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques for orthopedic patient care, particularly post-surgical recovery, lack effective methods to monitor and assess range of motion and pain accurately, leading to potential long-term issues and incorrect diagnoses.
Innovation Solution
A system using a mobile device camera and skeletal models to calibrate and track patient movements, ensuring accurate alignment and monitoring of exercises and range of motion, providing real-time feedback and progress tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current techniques involving immobility, physical therapy, or occupational therapy are used, then patient care is provided, but range of motion and pain cannot be monitored or adequately assessed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual assessment methods with an automated computer vision system using cameras and machine learning algorithms to detect and track body part movements, enabling objective measurement of range of motion without requiring physical contact or specialized equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables patients to perform self-assessment of their range of motion at home using standard mobile device cameras, eliminating the need for frequent clinic visits and professional assessment while maintaining measurement accuracy through automated image analysis
2Reliability
If immobility is enforced post-surgery, then healing is promoted, but long term issues such as Frozen shoulder occur due to lack of movement monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to patients about their range of motion through visual displays and notifications, enabling them to understand their progress and adjust their movements accordingly to prevent stiffness while promoting healing
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes baseline measurements of range of motion before surgery and sets target ranges for recovery, allowing patients to proactively work toward recovery goals and prevent complications before they occur
3Productivity
If physical therapy is used to help recovery, then strength and functioning improve, but compliance and accuracy of exercises cannot be adequately monitored
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces subjective patient self-reporting and therapist observation with automated computer vision tracking that objectively measures exercise performance, compliance, and accuracy by comparing actual movements against prescribed exercise protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The system acts as an intermediary between patients and therapists, automatically capturing movement data, analyzing exercise compliance, and providing feedback to both parties, reducing the need for direct therapist involvement while maintaining monitoring accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods may be used for evaluating a patient after completion of an orthopedic surgery on a portion of a body part of the patient. In an example, the method includes capturing, using a camera of the device, a series of images of the patient in motion, determining respective lengths of the body part in each of the series of images based on comparing the body part in each of the series of images to a skeletal model, and identifying a maximum length of the body part from the respective lengths. The method may include displaying an indication corresponding to the maximum length.