Patent Application
20230218200
The present disclosure relates generally to wearable fall prevention systems, devices and methods.
As an individual ages, blood vessel walls tend to thicken due to an aging process known as arteriosclerosis. This thickening results in partial occlusion, with a gradual decrease of blood flow to the inner ear structures. The balance mechanism of the vestibular system usually adjusts to this, but at times persistent unsteadiness develops. Unsteadiness can cause a user to fall, resulting in minor to serious injuries.
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a fall preventative device worn by a user comprises at least one gyroscope, wherein the gyroscope senses the movement and/or orientation of the user about two distinct axes, at least one actuator, at least one spring, at least one output shaft located within the actuator, at least one pressure applicator. The gyroscope is configured to detect and signal when a user's movement and/or orientation exceeds a certain orientation threshold. The controller is configured to receive a movement and/or orientation signal from the gyroscope and generates an actuation signal, activating the actuator and causing the output shaft to release the spring and thrust the pressure applicator into contact with a user's neck and the vagus nerves at a specified pressure. The pressure provides an early stimulation of the vagus nerves and enables to user to detect an imminent fall and react to prevent a fall.
According to the present disclosure, a wearable fall preventative device comprising at least one gyroscope, wherein the gyroscope senses the movement and/or orientation of the user about two distinct axes, at least one actuator, at least one spring, an output shaft located within the actuator and at least one pressure applicator. The gyroscope is configured to generate and signal when a user's movement and/or orientation drops below a specified orientation threshold. The controller receives the signal from the gyroscope and generates actuation signals, deactivating the actuator and disengaging the output shaft and pressure applicator from the user's neck and vagus nerves.
According to the present disclosure, a preventative fall method includes the steps of monitoring, by at least one gyroscope, the movement and/or orientation of a user, determining, by the gyroscope, if the movement and/or orientation of a user exceeds a specified orientation threshold, and generating, by the controller, a signal to initiate the actuator, the output shaft, the spring, and the pressure applicator, wherein the pressure applicator comes into contact with the user's neck and vagus nerves at a specified pressure.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent in light of the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Before the various embodiments are described in further detail, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the systems and methods described herein may be adapted and modified as is appropriate for the application being addressed and that the systems and methods described herein may be employed in other suitable applications, and that such other additions and modifications will not depart from the scope thereof.
Although various features have been shown in different figures for simplicity, it should be readily apparent to one of skill in the art that the various features may be combined without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring to
The gyroscopes 101, 102, 103 are configured to detect and signal when a user's movement and/or orientation exceeds a specified orientation threshold. The controller 112 is configured to receive movement and/or orientation signals from gyroscopes 101, 102, 103 and generate actuation signals to activate actuators 104 and 105, engage output shafts 106, 107, release springs 108, 109 and thrust pressure applicator(s) 110, 111 from recesses 113 and 114, thereby coming into contact with a user's neck and vagus nerves at a specified pressure. The actuators 104, 105 can receive signals from the controller 112 through wired connections or, alternatively, through wireless connections.
The gyroscopes 101, 102, and 103 are also configured to detect and signal when a user's movement and/or orientation drops below a specified orientation threshold. The controller 112 is configured to receive the signals from gyroscopes 101, 102, 103 and generate actuation signals to deactivate actuators 104 and 105, disengage output shafts 106, 107, coil springs 108, 109 and allowing pressure applicator(s) 110, 111 to disengage the user's neck and vagus nerves and return back into recesses 113 and 114 to their default positions. The actuators 104, 105 can receive signals from gyroscopes 101, 102, 103 through wired connections or, alternatively, through wireless connections.
The gyroscopes 101, 102, 103 may utilize any type of gyroscope technology. For instance, the gyroscopes may be ring laser, fiber-optic, quantum, or vibration gyroscopes 101, 102, 103. The gyroscopes are configured to generate movement and/or orientation signals, which are capable of being detected or received by the controller 112, when the user's movement and/or orientation exceeds a certain threshold. The threshold can be predetermined and/or adjusted based on the user's age, mobility, and previous fall history.
In operation, the controller 112 is configured to determine if a fall event is imminent. An imminent fall event occurs when a user's movement and/or orientation exceeds a specified orientation threshold that would indicate that a fall event is occurring, likely to occur or imminent. This will trigger a response from the controller 112 as outlined above.
The present disclosure advantageously provides a device 100 capable of storing various acceleration and/or orientation values through calibration or manual selection. This is advantageous because not every user will have the same orientation value threshold that indicates a fall event is imminent. Thus, the controller 112 may be configured to disregard certain orientation values below a preselected value to avoid triggering a false preventative fall determination.
Referring to
An exemplary algorithm executable by the controller 112 for detecting if a fall is imminent thus detecting a trigger event 502 or not detecting a trigger event 504 is illustrated in
In operation, the wearable fall prevention device 100 requires at least one gyroscope. More gyroscopes incorporated into the wearable fall prevention device 100 will allow for more movement signals capable of being detected. Thus, more orientation and movement data may be provided by the gyroscopes during operation, which may provide better operation of the wearable fall prevention device 100 by decreasing probability of a false positive determination of an imminent fall and/or false negative determinations of an imminent fall.
The present disclosure advantageously provides a wearable fall prevention device 100 and method 400 that does not require affirmative action by the user in order to receive an early warming of an imminent fall. This feature is advantageous at least because in some instances a user may not have time to recognize an imminent fall and take preventative action.
The exemplary wearable fall prevention device 100 and method 400 is shown and described as including three gyroscopes 101, 102, 103, two actuators 104, 105, two output shafts 106, 107, two springs 108, 109, two pressure applicators 110, 111, a controller 112, two recesses 113, 114, however, it should be understood that a wearable fall prevention device 100 and method 400 in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure can be designed with any number of gyroscopes, servo motors, output shafts, springs, pressure applicators, controllers, and recesses.
Advantageously, the device and method according to the present application serves as a secondary vestibular system to users whose primary vestibular system is aging or otherwise impaired. The secondary vestibular device and method in accordance with the present disclosure are configured to stimulate the vagus nerves of a user (e.g. with applied pressure) to cause a user response that would otherwise not occur (or not occur in a timely fashion) because of, for example, arteriosclerosis.
While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications of this disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, while the present disclosure provides a wearable fall prevention device system well-suited for elderly user use, it should be readily understood that principles of the present disclosure can be applied to applications where, for example, users are not elderly.
