Advanced play environment for screening and early diagnosis of infant developmental delays and neurological impairments

Abstract

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a play environment for children and infants for detecting motor delays or impairments, evaluating neurological development, and for diagnosing developmental disorders, and methods and systems of using the same.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A play environment for evaluating neurological development in a child comprising:
 a. a mat or a toy, and   b. one or more sensors,   c. wherein said sensors are adapted for measuring at least one type of movement or cognitive data.   
     
     
         2 . The play environment of  claim 1 , wherein said movement or cognitive data is selected from the group consisting of: touch, grasp, force, acceleration, velocity, orientation, position, pressure, attention, stimulus-response, or play behavior. 
     
     
         3 . The play environment of  claim 1 , comprising a toy, wherein said toy is embedded with one or more sensors, said one or more sensors are adapted for measuring at least one type of movement or cognitive data. 
     
     
         4 . The play environment of  claim 3 , wherein said toy further comprises a feedback mechanism that generates sound, vibration or light. 
     
     
         5 . The play environment of  claim 1 , comprising a mat, wherein said mat is embedded with one or more sensors, said one or more sensors are adapted for measuring at least one type of movement or cognitive data. 
     
     
         6 . The play environment of  claim 1 , further comprising a framework. 
     
     
         7 . The play environment of  claim 6 , wherein said framework comprises a cross connection, wherein said cross connection comprises two to four flexible bars. 
     
     
         8 . The play environment of  claim 6 , wherein said framework is collapsible. 
     
     
         9 . The play environment of  claim 7 , wherein said framework further comprises one or more adjustable parallel bars attached to the flexible bars of the cross connection, wherein said parallel bars are detachable from the flexible bars. 
     
     
         10 . The play environment of  claim 6 , comprising a toy, wherein said toy is attached to said framework. 
     
     
         11 . The play environment of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor is an imaging sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The play environment of  claim 11 , wherein said imaging sensor comprises a 3D Kinect imaging system. 
     
     
         13 . The play environment of  claim 11 , wherein said imagining sensor comprises a GoPro. 
     
     
         14 . The play environment of  claim 1 , wherein said child is an infant. 
     
     
         15 . The play environment of  claim 14 , wherein said child is an infant between the ages of 2 months and 11 months old. 
     
     
         16 . A method for detecting motor delays or impairments in a child comprising
 a. placing a child in a play environment which comprises
 i. a mat or a toy and 
 ii. one or more sensors, wherein said sensors are adapted for measuring at least one type of movement or cognitive data and 
   b. measuring at least one type of movement or cognitive data.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising measuring a plurality of movement data points or a plurality of cognitive data points. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising measuring at least one type of movement data and at least one type of cognitive data. 
     
     
         19 . A method for monitoring infant motion comprising
 a. placing an infant in a play environment which comprises a mat and one or more sensors, wherein said sensors are adapted for measuring at least one type of movement or cognitive data and   b. measuring at least one type of movement or cognitive data.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one type of movement or cognitive data is pressure data.