Home Gait Assessment System

描述（由申请人提供）：老年人中的福尔斯是需要医疗干预的最常见原因之一，也是40%的疗养院入院的一个促成因素，是一个主要的健康问题。几项研究已经确定了可量化的步态标记，似乎可以区分老年人“跌倒者”和非跌倒者。这些研究依赖于步态实验室获得的数据。将步态评估能力和福尔斯检测扩展到家庭中可以提供关于步态弱点演变的有价值的事前信息，这反过来可以用于评估对抗措施的效率。目前的移动的步态分析技术是不够的，因为它们依赖于顺应性或过于侵入。提出了一种新型步态评估监测仪的研制。该设备是被动的，从微型的、穿鞋的、无线设备获得步态数据，从而不需要戴上传感器、手表等，在特殊表面上行走，或者被摄像头观察。这项研究的主要目的是通过与弗吉尼亚大学健康系统运动分析和运动性能实验室接受的步态评估技术进行比较，以及与当地退休社区接受的步态评估测试进行比较研究，来验证该设备的性能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Falls among the elderly, one of the most common reasons requiring medical intervention and a contributing factor in 40% of nursing home admissions, are a major health problem. Several studies have identified quantifiable gait markers that appear to distinguish between elderly "fallers" and non-fallers. These studies have relied on data acquired in gait-laboratories. Extending gait assessment capability, and falls detection, into the home could provide valuable before-the-fact information on gait weakness evolution, which in turn could be used to assess the efficiency of counter measures. Current mobile gait analysis techniques are insufficient because they rely on compliance or are too intrusive. The development of a new gait assessment monitor is proposed. The device is passive and obtains gait data from miniature, shoe-worn, wireless devices, precluding the need to put on sensors, watches etc, walk on special surfaces, or be observed by cameras. This study's principal aim is to validate the device's performance through a comparison with accepted gait assessment techniques at the Motion Analysis & Motor Performance Laboratory at the University of Virginia Health System as well as a comparison study with accepted gait assessment tests at a local retirement community.