System and method for detecting inflammation in a foot
Inventors
Ma, Ran • Fu, Jie • Scholten, Henk Jan
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10602932-B2
Publication Date
2020-03-31
Expiration Date
Abstract
One variation of a method for detecting inflammation in a foot includes: accessing a first temperature measured through a left temperature sensor and a second temperature measured through a right temperature sensor at approximately a first time, the left temperature sensor arranged in a left sock and the right temperature sensor arranged in a right sock worn on the user's feet; calculating a baseline difference between the first and second temperatures based on confirmation of absence of inflammation in the user's left and right feet at the first time; accessing a third temperature measured through the left temperature sensor and a fourth temperature measured through the right temperature sensor at approximately a second time; and in response to a second temperature difference—between the third and fourth temperatures—differing from the baseline difference by more than a threshold difference, issuing an alarm through the user interface.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a method for detecting inflammation in a foot using temperature sensors arranged in a left sock worn on the left foot and a right sock worn on the right foot. The method receives confirmation of absence of inflammation in the left foot and the right foot at a first time, accesses a first temperature measured by the left temperature sensor and a second temperature measured by the right temperature sensor, and calculates a baseline difference as a function of a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature.
After baseline calculation, the method receives temperature measurements at a first sampling rate during a first period of time and determines a user state based on one or more sensors in at least one of the left sock and the right sock. In response to the determined user state, the method receives temperature measurements at a second sampling rate during a monitoring period, where the second sampling rate is greater than the first sampling rate.
The method determines sampled temperature differences between spatially corresponding regions on the left and right feet and predicts inflammation in at least one of the first region and the second region based on the sampled temperature differences differing from the baseline difference by more than a threshold difference. In a broader form, a computing device executing a computer program performs these steps and issues an alarm or notification when sampled temperature differences exceed the threshold difference.
Claims Coverage
The document includes three independent claims covering: baseline difference calculation from left and right sock temperature sensors, user-state-dependent sampling, regional temperature-difference prediction, and alarm or notification issuance. The claims center on threshold-based inflammation prediction from left/right temperature sensors with a first period and a second period, where the second sampling rate is greater than the first sampling rate.
User-confirmed baseline difference from left and right sock temperature sensors
In response to receipt of confirmation of absence of inflammation in a left foot and a right foot at a first time, accessing a first temperature through a left temperature sensor in a left sock and a second temperature through a right temperature sensor in a right sock, and calculating a baseline difference as a function of a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature.
User-state-dependent sampling rate for monitoring temperature measurements
Determining a user state based on one or more sensors in at least one of the left sock and the right sock, and in response to the determined user state receiving a second sampling rate greater than a first sampling rate and receiving temperature measurements during a monitoring period.
Regional temperature-difference prediction against a threshold and alarm via user interface
Determining sampled temperature differences between spatially corresponding regions on the left and right feet from second sampling-rate measurements, predicting inflammation in at least one of the regions based on sampled temperature differences differing from the baseline difference by more than a threshold difference, and in response to the predicted inflammation issuing an alarm through a user interface.
Linear-combination baseline difference with alarm through user interface
Receiving confirmation of absence of inflammation in the left foot and the right foot through a user interface, accessing left and right temperatures through left and right foot-borne devices, calculating a linear combination of the first temperature and the second temperature and storing it as a baseline difference in response to the confirmation, determining sampled temperature differences between spatially corresponding regions, predicting inflammation when sampled temperature differences differ from the baseline by more than a threshold difference, and issuing an alarm through the user interface.
Two-period system sampling and notification based on threshold difference
A computer program configured to execute on a computing device, during a first period accessing left and right temperature data read at a first sampling rate from a first left sock and a first right sock, determining a user state based on one or more sensors in at least one of the first left sock and the first right sock, during a second period accessing left and right temperature data at a second sampling rate greater than the first sampling rate, calculating sampled temperature differences between second left and second right temperature data, and issuing a notification on a display of the computing device in response to the sampled temperature differences exceeding a threshold difference.
Across the independent claims, the inventive approach is to establish a baseline difference from left/right sock temperature sensors using user-confirmed absence of inflammation, determine a user state to select an increased second sampling rate during monitoring, compute sampled temperature differences across spatially corresponding regions between the left and right feet, and predict inflammation when the sampled differences exceed a threshold difference, resulting in an alarm or notification.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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