Method of determining joint stress from sensor data
US10621425B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 6, 2018 |
| Grant date | Apr 14, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 6, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06V40/28
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method of calculating the stress on a joint by determining when a joint angle is outside the normal range of motion for the joint. Applications include analysis of elbow joint stress for baseball pitchers, for example to mitigate the risk of injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). During a movement such as a baseball pitch, sensor data is collected to track the position, orientation, or motion of body segments; joint angles are derived from this sensor data. Joint angles are then compared to a range of motion, which may be measured for each individual. Joint stress contributions from movements that exceed the range of motion may be combined over time to calculate cumulative joint fatigue. This joint fatigue measure may for example be used for pitchers to quantify recovery periods (days off) and future workloads (such as maximum pitch counts).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.