Wearable Sensor System for Real-Time Bone Loading Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies lack effective methods to monitor musculoskeletal loading and predict bone stress injuries in real-life scenarios, particularly for runners and individuals with repetitive strain injuries, as existing methods rely heavily on laboratory equipment and do not provide timely feedback for adjusting activities to prevent overuse injuries.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device equipped with sensors such as force sensors, inertial measurement units, and electromyography electrodes that estimate ankle moment, calf muscle force, and Achilles tendon force by combining force magnitude and center of pressure data with body segment orientation, providing real-time biofeedback to users on potential injury risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If ground reaction forces are measured non-invasively, then measurement ease is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates because GRF is only a small fraction of total bone loading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses wearable sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, force sensors) as intermediaries to indirectly measure bone loading. These sensors capture kinematic and kinetic data that serve as proxies for direct bone force measurement, enabling non-invasive assessment while improving precision beyond simple GRF measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical measurement of bone forces with sensor-based detection systems. Instead of attempting to measure bone forces directly (which would require invasive procedures), the system uses accelerometers, gyroscopes, and force sensors to capture motion and force data, then processes this information computationally to estimate bone loading with high precision
2Measurement precision
If bone loading is measured accurately in motion analysis laboratory, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase making it impractical for daily use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential measurement functions from complex laboratory equipment and implements them in wearable form factors. By taking out only the necessary sensing capabilities (acceleration, rotation, force) and processing them with algorithms, the system achieves laboratory-grade precision with much simpler, portable devices that can be used in daily activities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of laboratory measurement capabilities using wearable sensors. Instead of replicating entire motion analysis laboratories, the system uses smaller-scale sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, force sensors) that replicate the essential measurement functions, providing accurate bone loading estimates without the complexity and cost of full laboratory equipment
3Reliability
If real-time biofeedback is provided to adjust movements, then injury prevention effectiveness is improved, but information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-processes sensor data using embedded algorithms that continuously estimate bone loading and detect risk patterns in real-time. By performing preliminary computational analysis on-device, the system prepares injury risk assessments before critical thresholds are reached, enabling timely feedback with minimal energy consumption and without requiring complex cloud-based processing
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable device operably worn by a user for monitoring musculoskeletal loading on structure inside the body of the user includes a plurality of sensors, each sensor configured to be operably worn by the user at a predetermined location and configured to detect information about a biomechanical activity of musculoskeletal tissues, a limb segment orientation, and/or a loading magnitude or location thereon; and a processing unit in communication with the plurality of sensors and configured to process the detected information by the plurality of sensors to estimate the musculoskeletal loading, and communicate the estimated musculoskeletal loading to the user and/or a party of interest.