# US 10,863,928 B1 · System and methods for monitoring the spine, balance, gait, or posture of a patient > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,863,928 B1 - Document ID: US10863928B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/775,026 - Filed: 2020-01-28 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-28 - Applicants: Consensus Orthopedics, Inc. - Inventors: Ralph J. Mobbs; Curt Wiedenhoefer; Graeme Phillip McMeekan; Anthony J. Habib - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863928B1 ## CPC - A61B 5/1117: {Fall detection} - A61B 5/0004: {characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted} - A61B 5/1116: {Determining posture transitions} - A61B 5/112: {Gait analysis} - A61B 5/486: {Biofeedback (using electroencephalography [EEG] A61B5/375)} - A61B 5/6833: {Adhesive patches} - A61B 5/7278: {Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesizing signals from measured signals} - A61B 5/7282: {Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition (cough events A61B5/0823; seizures A61B5/4094; sleep apnoea A61B5/4818)} - A61B 5/742: {using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339)} - A61B 5/02438: {with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient} - A61B 5/6832: {using adhesives (conductive adhesive for bioelectric electrodes A61B5/259)} - A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A system for monitoring a user that includes a sensor unit configured and arranged to be disposed on the user, the sensor unit including an accelerometer and a communication arrangement; and at least one processor configured and arranged for performing actions including: receiving signals from the accelerometer of the sensor unit; determining a step count from the signals; determining a gait velocity from the signals; determining a step distance from the signals; determining a posture of the user from the signals; and determining a gait posture index as a function of the step count, gait velocity, step distance, and posture. In other embodiments, the system can be used to determine metrics other than the gait posture index, such as a fall prediction score based on gait velocity and posture deviation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for monitoring a user, the system comprising: a sensor unit configured and arranged to be disposed on the user, the sensor unit comprising an accelerometer and a communication arrangement; and at least one processor configured and arranged for performing actions comprising: receiving signals from the accelerometer of the sensor unit; determining a step count from the signals; determining a gait velocity from the signals; determining a step distance from the signals; determining a posture of the user from the signals; and determining a gait posture index as a function of the step count, gait velocity, step distance, and posture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor comprises a sensor processor disposed in the sensor unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a patient device comprising a display and a communication arrangement configured for communication with the sensor unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor comprises a sensor processor disposed in the sensor unit and a patient device processor disposed in the patient device, wherein the actions further comprise displaying the gait posture index on the display of the patient device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a clinician device comprising a display and a communication arrangement configured for communication with the sensor unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor comprises a sensor processor disposed in the sensor unit and a clinician device processor disposed in the clinician device, wherein the actions further comprise displaying the gait posture index on the display of the clinician device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein determining the gait posture index comprises determining a score for each of the step count, gait velocity, step distance, and posture using measurements and combining the scores to obtain the gait posture index. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein combining the scores comprises weighting the scores and adding the weighted scores together to determine the gait posture index. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein determining the score comprises determining the score for a one of the measurements by determining a position of the measurement between a minimum value and a maximum value for the measurement. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the actions further comprise performing an action selected from providing a warning to the user or a clinician if the gate posture index meets a threshold criterion; altering a treatment, a physical therapy regimen, or an exercise regimen based on the gait posture index; recommending an alteration of a treatment, a physical therapy regimen, or an exercise regimen based on the gait posture index; or providing a preliminary or final diagnosis based on the gait posture index. ### Claim 11 A system for monitoring a user, the system comprising: a sensor unit configured and arranged to be disposed on the user, the sensor unit comprising an accelerometer and a communication arrangement; and at least one processor configured and arranged for performing actions comprising: receiving signals from the accelerometer of the sensor unit; determining a gait velocity from the signals; determining a posture deviation from the signals; and determining a fall prediction score as a function of the gait velocity and the posture deviation, wherein determining the fall prediction score comprises determining a score for each of the gait velocity and posture deviation using measurements and combining the scores to obtain the fall prediction score. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor comprises a sensor processor disposed in the sensor unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising a patient device comprising a display and a communication arrangement configured for communication with the sensor unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor comprises a sensor processor disposed in the sensor unit and a patient device processor disposed in the patient device, wherein the actions further comprise displaying the fall prediction score on the display of the patient device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising a clinician device comprising a display and a communication arrangement configured for communication with the sensor unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor comprises a sensor processor disposed in the sensor unit and a clinician device processor disposed in the clinician device, wherein the actions further comprise displaying the fall prediction score on the display of the clinician device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein combining the scores comprises weighting the scores and adding the weighted scores together to determine the fall prediction score. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein determining the score comprises determining the score for a one of the measurements by determining a position of the measurement between a minimum value and a maximum value for the measurement. ### Claim 19 A system for monitoring a user, the system comprising: a sensor unit configured and arranged to be disposed on the user, the sensor unit comprising an accelerometer and a communication arrangement and at least one processor configured and arranged for performing actions comprising: receiving signals from the accelerometer of the sensor unit determining a gait velocity from the signals; determining a posture deviation from the signals; determining a fall prediction score as a function of the gait velocity and the posture deviation; and performing an action selected from provide a warning to the user or a clinician if the fall prediction score meets a threshold criterion; altering a treatment, a physical therapy regimen, or an exercise regimen based on the fall prediction score; recommending an alteration of a treatment, a physical therapy regimen, or an exercise regimen based on the fall prediction score; or providing a preliminary or final diagnosis based on the fall prediction score.