Apparatus and Method for Monitoring Rehabilitation from Joint Surgery

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described for setting rehabilitation goals for a patient, measuring patient movements, storing the movement data for later transfer to a computer, displaying progress indicators and inspirational messages based on progress towards goals, reporting movement, skin temperature and swelling data to a caregiver so that they monitor compliance and be aware of potential infection. The invention consolidates data from motion, temperature and swelling sensors placed on the patient with data received directly from the patient in response to questions displayed on a tablet computer screen, to create one or more representative values indicating the patient's current status. These representative values may include the patient's degree of compliance with their prescribed exercise and icing regimen; their degree of wellness based on their self-reported pain scale and sensed temperature and limb swelling; and their current level of physical activity as detected by the motion sensors.

1 . A method monitoring a patient, comprising the steps of:
 a) attaching a sensor to the patient for measuring a patient parameter;   b) recording patient parameter data from the sensor;   c) providing an input device to the patient and prompting the patient to enter patient input data into the input device;   d) recording the patient input data; and   e) assigning a score that is indicative of a patient condition by combining the first patient parameter data and patient input data.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  including the steps of
 a) attaching plural sensors to the patient for measuring plural patient parameters; 
 b) recording patient parameter data from each of the sensors; 
 c) prompting the patient to enter patient input data; 
 d) recording the patient input data and 
 e) assigning a score to each of the patient parameters, each score determined by combining the patient parameter data and patient input data. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  including the step of prompting the patient to enter patient input data correlating to a level of pain. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein one of the sensors is a motion sensor and the patient parameter relates to the number of times the patient has flexed a joint. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein one of the sensors is a temperature sensor and the patient parameter relates to the temperature of the patient at a location of interest. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein one of the sensors measures the girth of the patient's limb and the patient parameter relates to tissue swelling. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4  in which one of the scores is a patient activity score that is determined according to the following steps
 a) comparing the amount of motion detected by the motion sensor with a predetermined amount of motion to thereby determine a first activity score; 
 b) comparing the number of times the patient has entered patient input data into the input device with a predetermined number to thereby determine a second activity score. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7  including the steps of:
 a) with patient parameter data, determining a third activity score representing the percentage of time that the patient is moving; and 
 b) combining the first, second and third activity scores. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8  in which the first, second and third activity scores are weighted before they are combined to generate a total activity score that is between 0 and 100. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 5  in which one of the scores is a patient wellness score that is determined according to the following steps:
 a) prompting the patient to enter patient input data correlating to the patient's perceived level of pain and from the patient input data generating a pain score; 
 b) comparing the patient parameter data derived from the temperature sensor with a predetermined temperature to generate a temperature score; and 
 c) combining the pain score and temperature score to generate a wellness score. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 2  including displaying each of the plural scores on display screen for a caregiver. 
     
     
         12 . A method for monitoring a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) attaching one or more sensors to the patient, each sensor adapted for measuring a different patient condition;   b) recording patient condition data from each sensor;   c) providing an input device to the patient and prompting the patient to enter patient input data into the input device;   d) recording the patient input data; and   e) for each patient condition, calculating a status score that is indicative of patient condition.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein one of the sensors is a motion sensor and a first patient condition correlates to patient joint flexion at a desired joint. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein one of the sensors is a temperature sensor and a second patient condition correlates to the patient's temperature at a desired location proximate the joint. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein one of the sensors is a limb girth sensor and a third patient condition correlates to swelling of the patient's limb proximate the joint. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15  including the step of generating a status score for the first patient condition, the second patient condition and the third patient condition and displaying the status score for each patient condition on a caregiver's display screen. 
     
     
         17 . A method for monitoring a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing an input device to the patient;   b) prompting the patient to enter patient input data into the input device, the patient input data correlating to a desired patient condition;   c) recording the time of the prompt;   d) recording the patient input data entered by the patient and the time that the patient input data are entered by the patient;   e) determining the time between when the patient is prompted and the time when the patient enters the patient input data; and   f) generating a patient compliance score from the time between when the patient is prompted when the patient enters the patient input data, the patient compliance score providing a measure of the patient's compliance with a treatment regimen for the desired patient condition.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the step of generating a patient compliance score includes summing the time between when the patient is prompted when and when the patient enters the patient input data. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18  in which the patient input data correlating to a desired patient condition is assigned a predetermined weighting value and the predetermined weighting value is multiplied by the time between when the patient is prompted when and when the patient enters the patient input data before the summing step. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19  further comprising the step of attaching first and second motion sensors to the patient, the first sensor attached to the patient's limb proximate to a joint and the second sensor attached to the patient's limb distal to the joint, the sensors adapted for measuring a flexion of the joint. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20  and the method further comprises the steps of:
 a) with the sensors, measuring the angle between the patient's limb proximate to a joint and distal to the joint; 
 b) with the sensors, detecting the number of times the patient has flexed the joint; and 
 c) for each flexion of the joint, detecting the maximum and minimum flex angle of the joint by determining the angular orientation between the limb distal to the joint relative to the limb proximate to the joint during flexion.