ACCELERATION DOSIMETER FOR PRIMARY FALL DATA RESEARCH

FALLS AMONG THE ELDERLY POSE A GROWING PROBLEM IN GERIATRICSCARE AND RESEARCH IN THAT ACTUAL FALLS ARE HARD TO PREDICT, DETECT, INSTRUMENT, AND DOCUMENT AMONG SUCH A LARGE AND DIVERSE POPULATION. A NEW AND INNOVATIVE PATIENT-WORN DOSIMETER IS PLANNED FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD FACILITATE ASTANDARDIZED METHODOLOGY FOR THE ECONOMICAL MONITORING AND RECORDING OF SELECTED POPULATIONS IN AREAS OF INCREASED FALLRISK ALONG WITH THE SUBSEQUENT DOCUMENTATION OF THE FALLS FOR LATER STUDY. AT THE INCEPTION OF A PATIENT FALL, THE DOSIMETER WOULD RECORD THE ACCELERATION OR G FORCES INVOLVED ALONG WITH THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. AN INTERROGATOR COULD THEN POLL THE DATA AND INPUT IT INTO APPROPRIATE DATABASE/STATISTICAL PROGRAMS. THE SYSTEM WILL UTILIZE THE LATEST IN STATE-OF-THE-ART, YET COST-EFFECTIVE, SENSOR AND MICROPROCESSOR TECHNOLOGY ANDWILL BE TESTED IN A CONTROLLED LABORATORY SETTING WITH AN INSTRUMENTED MANNEQUIN. THE SYSTEM COULD THEN BE EVALUATED IN A CLINICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR PATIENT ACCEPTANCE. USE WILL ALSO BE MADE OF ADVANCED VIDEO-BASED MOTION ANALYSIS SYSTEMS FOR QUALIFYING THE PHASE I LABORATORY DATA AND DEFINING FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS FOR A PHASE II PROGRAM.