Wearable Gait Sensor for Freezing of Gait Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing freezing gait disorder (FOG) in patients with movement disorders like Parkinson's disease are either impractical, require user activation, or pose risks due to their complexity and reliance on external assistance, failing to provide continuous and safe solutions for initiating movement.
Innovation Solution
A wearable digital device with a gait sensor that detects changes in gait regularity and automatically emits an auditory cue, such as a verbal command, to help patients initiate movement, using a wireless receiver to provide instantaneous auditory feedback and reduce the risk of falls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If visual cues are provided to encourage feet to step up and over, then movement initiation is improved, but the method requires external assistance and is not practical for continuous daily use
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects FOG episodes using sensors and provides auditory cues without requiring external assistance or user activation. The device monitors gait patterns independently and intervenes autonomously when freezing is detected, eliminating the need for caregivers to provide visual cues manually.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical visual cueing methods (requiring external assistance to place objects or draw lines) with an automated sensor-based detection system that uses accelerometers and gyroscopes to detect FOG and triggers auditory cues electronically, substituting manual mechanical interventions with automated electronic systems.
2Reliability
If rhythmic auditory cues are provided continuously, then movement synchronization is improved, but the training effects are not sustained once cues are removed and the system becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous rhythmic cueing, the system provides periodic auditory cues only when FOG episodes are detected. The sensor array continuously monitors gait patterns and triggers auditory feedback selectively during freezing episodes, maintaining effectiveness while reducing system complexity compared to continuous cueing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensor feedback to detect FOG episodes and provides auditory feedback in response. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that cues are provided only when needed based on real-time gait analysis, improving reliability of effect sustainability while avoiding the complexity of continuous cueing systems.
3Ease of operation
If objects are placed on the floor to force stepping over, then movement initiation is improved, but the method requires someone to be available to place and retrieve objects
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects FOG episodes using sensors and provides auditory cues without requiring external assistance or user activation. The device monitors gait patterns independently and intervenes autonomously when freezing is detected, eliminating the need for caregivers to provide visual cues manually.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical visual cueing methods (requiring external assistance to place objects or draw lines) with an automated sensor-based detection system that uses accelerometers and gyroscopes to detect FOG and triggers auditory cues electronically, substituting manual mechanical interventions with automated electronic systems.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the device provides immediate auditory cues upon detecting FOG, then the risk of falls is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is segmented into multiple independent sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone) that each perform a specific function. The accelerometer detects gait patterns, the gyroscope detects head movement and orientation, and the microphone detects environmental sounds. This segmentation allows the system to achieve reliable FOG detection through simple, well-defined sensor functions rather than complex integrated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor array serves multiple functions: detecting FOG episodes, monitoring gait patterns, and providing feedback for training. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the ability to immediately respond to FOG and reduce fall risk.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject invention involves a device and method for treating patients with a movement disorder experiencing a sudden change in regularity of gait or akinesia, and comprising a device that detects the sudden change in regularity of gait or temporary akinesia and automatically issues a cue signal that restarts the movement.