Motor Assessment Kit for Cognitive Impairment Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current motor assessments for cognitive impairment and neurological conditions are often cumbersome, require extensive equipment, and cannot be easily administered in remote or unsupervised settings, limiting their accessibility and effectiveness for early detection and monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a portable kit with simple, inexpensive items like a spoon and cups, combined with digital tools for timing and data collection, to conduct motor tasks that assess upper extremity function and cognitive status, allowing for unsupervised administration and analysis of motor task performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional motor assessments are used to screen for cognitive impairment, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to cumbersome equipment and supervised administration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex, expensive traditional assessment equipment with simple, inexpensive household items such as spoons, cups, and timers. These basic objects can be easily obtained and disposed of, eliminating the need for sophisticated laboratory equipment while maintaining assessment validity for detecting cognitive impairment through motor task performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes complex mechanical assessment systems with digital timing and data collection tools. Simple motor tasks performed with household objects are timed and recorded using digital devices, replacing elaborate mechanical testing apparatus while improving measurement precision through automated data capture and analysis
2Measurement precision
If traditional motor assessments are used to screen for cognitive impairment, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to supervised administration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables individuals to administer the motor assessment to themselves using simple household items and digital timing tools. The self-administered protocol includes clear instructions for performing motor tasks with spoons and cups, allowing persons to independently complete assessments without requiring trained clinicians or supervisors, thereby dramatically improving ease of operation while maintaining measurement precision through standardized procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides pre-prepared instructions and protocols that guide individuals through the motor assessment process before they begin. Standardized task sequences and timing procedures are established in advance, allowing persons to independently execute the assessment without real-time supervision while ensuring consistent, precise measurements across different administrations
3Measurement precision
If traditional motor assessments are used to screen for cognitive impairment, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time deteriorates due to lengthy administration and analysis procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential measurement components from traditional complex assessments, focusing on core motor task performance metrics using simple household items. By eliminating unnecessary procedural steps and concentrating on fundamental motor abilities that can be quickly timed and recorded, the assessment achieves precise cognitive impairment detection in a fraction of the time required by conventional methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements streamlined motor tasks that can be rapidly performed and measured using simple objects like spoons and cups. Digital timing captures performance metrics instantly, allowing the assessment to move quickly through administration and into analysis without the lengthy procedures characteristic of traditional assessments, thereby reducing time loss while preserving measurement precision
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a plurality of test elements and a processor. The test elements are configured for execution of a motor task by an individual and generation of test data from trials of the motor task. The processor is configured to compute a motor test score from the test data to assess a potential neurological concern.