Activity level classification algorithm using SHIMMER™ wearable sensors for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) it is believed that symptoms associated with the progression of the disease result in a reduction in the physical activity level of the patient. One of the key flaws of the research surrounding this hypothesis to date is the use of non-validated physical activity outcomes measures. In this study, an algorithm to estimate physical activity levels in patients as they perform a simulated protocol of typical activities of daily living using SHIMMER kinematic sensors, incorporating tri-axial gyroscopes and accelerometers, is proposed.

Clinical Gait assessment of older adults using open platform tools.

Gait impairment is associated with increased falls risk. The gait of 321 community dwelling elderly adults was assessed using the TRIL Gait Analysis Platform (GAP), which was specially designed for ease of use in a research clinic setting by non-experts. The GAP featured body-worn kinematic sensors, a pressure sensitive electronic walkway, and two orthogonally mounted web cameras, and was developed using open platform tools.

Technology Innovation Enabling Falls Risk Assessment in a Community Setting.

Approximately one in three people over the age of 65 will fall each year, resulting in significant financial, physical, and emotional cost on the individual, their family, and society. Currently, falls are managed using on-body sensors and alarm pendants to notify others when a falls event occurs. However these technologies do not prevent a fall from occurring.

Quantitative falls risk assessment using the timed up and go test.

Falls are a major problem in older adults worldwide with an estimated 30% of elderly adults over 65 years of age falling each year. The direct and indirect societal costs associated with falls are enormous. A system that could provide an accurate automated assessment of falls risk prior to falling would allow timely intervention and ease the burden on overstretched healthcare systems worldwide.

Objective real-time assessment of walking and turning in elderly adults.

Recent research suggests that falls are the most common cause of injury and disability in older persons. Invasive systems or body worn sensors can be employed in controlled clinical and laboratory settings to determine clinical measures of gait and stability. This study by contrast aims to explore how video technology, can be employed to unobtrusively determine the same measures.

A clinical evaluation of a remote mobility monitoring system based on SMS messaging.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the accuracy and viability of a mobility telemonitoring system, based on the short message service (SMS), to monitor the functional mobility of elderly subjects in an unsupervised environment. A clinical trial was conducted consisting of 6 elderly subjects; 3 male, 3 female (mean: 81.7, SD: 5.

Long-term telemonitoring of mobility trends of elderly people using SMS messaging.

A telemonitoring system, based on short message service (SMS), has been developed to remotely monitor the long-term mobility levels of elderly people in their natural environment. Mobility is measured by an accelerometer-based portable unit, worn by each monitored subject. Mobility level summaries are transmitted hourly, as an SMS message, directly from the portable unit to a remote server for long-term analysis.

A review of approaches to mobility telemonitoring of the elderly in their living environment.

Rapid technological advances have prompted the development of a wide range of telemonitoring systems to enable the prevention, early diagnosis and management, of chronic conditions. Remote monitoring can reduce the amount of recurring admissions to hospital, facilitate more efficient clinical visits with objective results, and may reduce the length of a hospital stay for individuals who are living at home. Telemonitoring can also be applied on a long-term basis to elderly persons to detect gradual deterioration in their health status, which may imply a reduction in their ability to live independently.