A shoe-integrated sensor system for wireless gait analysis and real-time therapeutic feedback

Thesis (Sc. D.)--Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 307-314).Clinical gait analysis currently involves either an expensive analysis in a motion laboratory, using highly accurate, if cumbersome, kinematic systems, or a qualitative analysis with a physician or physical therapist making visual observations. There is a need for a low cost device that falls in between these two methods, and can provide quantitative and repeatable results. In addition, continuous monitoring of gait would be useful for real-time physical rehabilitation. To free patients from the confines of a motion laboratory, this thesis has resulted in a wireless wearable system capable of measuring many parameters relevant to gait analysis. The extensive sensor suite includes three orthogonal accelerometers, and three orthogonal gyroscopes, four force sensors, two bi-directional bend sensors, two dynamic pressure sensors, as well as electric field height sensors. The "GaitShoe" was built to be worn on any shoes, without interfering with gait, and was designed to collect data unobtrusively, in any environment, and over long periods of time. Subject testing of the GaitShoe was carried out on ten healthy subjects with normal gait and five subjects with Parkinson's disease. The calibrated sensor outputs were analyzed, and compared to results obtained simultaneously from The Massachusetts General Hospital Biomotion Lab; the GaitShoe proved highly capable of detecting heel strike and toe off, as well as estimating orientation and position of the subject. A wide variety of features were developed from the calibrated sensor outputs, for use with standard pattern recognition techniques to classify the gait of the subject. The results of the classification demonstrated the ability of the GaitShoe to identify the subjects with(cont.) Parkinson's disease, as well as individual subjects. Real-time feedback methods were developed to investigate the feasibility of using the continuous monitoring of gait for physical therapy and rehabilitation.by Stacy J. Morris.Sc.D

Development of the machine shop instruction and the Stirling Engine Project for 2.670, ME Tools

Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1996.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 120).by Stacy J. Morris.B.S

Quantitative Digital Rectal Exam

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-68).Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in American males. However, current methods of screening for prostate cancer have low sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing patients with prostate cancer. A new methodology of screening for prostate cancer was formulated by developing a method and device to quantify the traditional digital rectal exam. The Quantitative Digital Rectal Exam (QDRE) measures the relative compliance at discrete locations on the posterior surface of the prostate. The Test Head of the QDRE indents the prostate and measures the pressure distribution across a rigid disk using an matrix of pressure transducers. The position of the Test Head is tracked by the Location Tracking System. The Mapping Algorithm analyzes each Test Head measurement and the position information recorded by the Location Tracking System, and generates a map showing magnitudes and locations of relative compliance across the measured surface of the prostate. A proof of concept test used a mock-up of the Test Head, a mechanical Location Tracking System and a rudimentary Mapping Algorithm to examine a clinical model of the prostate which had one nodule. The results were presented as a map of the measured surface of the prostate model, and results showed the size of the nodule (6.4 mm in diameter) and the relative compliance of the nodule (0.08 relative to the healthy tissue of the model), as well as the location within the measured surface.by Stacy J. Morris.S.M