IPTeL Tracking ID: MPS-IAP-2017-31
Researchers from IISc have made an invention which relates to a Fibre Bragg Grating sensorbased gait analysis system comprising of knee angle measurement device and forefoot load measurement device. It can be used to assess the knee joint motion in the case of surgical interventions like total knee arthroplasty. It can also provide information regarding knee osteoarthritis, neuromuscular disorders and diabetes along with evaluation of therapeutic efficiency of the prescribed drug.
BACKGROUND
Gait is a pattern of human locomotion and is unique to an individual because of one’s specific muscular-skeletal bio-mechanism. Generally, neuropathy and diseases of the musculoskeletal system will cause the problem in walking. From the medical perspective, the disease changes the coordination, harmonization and interaction of the muscle, skeleton, nerves, joints etc, and thus influences the human’s gait. Existing techniques include knee angle measurement by either handheld devices or wearable devices. Range of motion of knee joint in clinical diagnostics is carried out primarily by handheld goniometers. Further, inertial magnetic unit, accelerometer, gyroscope, monometer and MEMS based devices are also developed for knee angle measurements. However, the use of these devices is limited by the fluctuating offsets with drawbacks of electrical devices. Existing insole plantar force measurement systems include use of various sensor methodologies like piezo resistive pressure sensors, capacitive pressure sensors, bend sensors and the like. However, these devices have inherent disadvantages like variation in strain acquisition with respect to direction of force application on the footwear, the use of electric power for the sensor element etc.
TECHNOLOGY
The technology relates to a system and method for Gait analysis using Fibre Bragg Grating sensors with knee angle measurement device and wearable forefoot load measurement device to acquire strain variations while human is in motion.