Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Orientation or position
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-07
2002-10-29
Hoff, Marc S. (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Orientation or position
C702S094000, C702S095000, C702S150000, C702S151000, C702S152000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06473717
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for evaluating a movement pattern that is recorded using a number of markers moving together with the body of a subject. It relates further to a corresponding apparatus for carrying out the method. In this context, movement pattern is understood to mean the pattern of the head and trunk movement (cranio-corpo-gram).
Balance dysfunctions occur as a main or consequential phenomenon of a multiplicity of pathological findings. In the first instance, these are constitutional phenomena, such as vertigo, or damage caused during an accident, e.g. whiplash. In the second instance, numerous clinical pictures are linked to reversible or irreversible balance control disorders, also including psychosomatic illnesses, such as schizophrenia, dementia, depression and Parkinson's syndrome. Particularly when a person is standing up, keeping one's balance requires a highly complicated control mechanism that involves not only the organ of balance (vestibular apparatus) situated in the inner ear but also, in particular, the eyes and ears as well as touch receptors and various regions of the brain. The so-called “cranio-corpo-graphy” method of examination used for diagnosis purposes leads to the realization that disorders in various regions of the organs involved in balance control produce a particular characteristic movement pattern in a subject to be examined. By observing the movement pattern, cranio-corpo-graphy can be used to locate the disorder empirically within the balance control system. This in turn allows conclusions to be drawn about the illness causing the balance dysfunction.
On the basis of the device disclosed in the document “Forschungsbericht Cranio-Corpo-Graphie (CCG) [Cranio-corpo-graphy (CCG) Research Report]”, ISBN 3-88383-126-3 (June 1986), which appeared in the documentary series of the Hauptverband der gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften e.V. [Main association of the registered organization of professional business associations], the head and trunk movement of a subject is made visible using markers in the form of incandescent lamps. A respective lamp is positioned on each of the subject's two shoulders, one is positioned above his/her forehead and one is positioned at the back of his/her head. The movement of each marker in the horizontal plane is recorded photographically by a camera configured above the subject under continuous exposure as a luminous trace in a so-called cranio-corpo-gram. The luminous traces are evaluated manually on the photograph after the experiment has been carried out.
However, manual evaluation of the recordings, which is done either by measuring the geometry of the luminous traces or by associatively linking the complex movement pattern to comparison patterns, termed “graphical element”, is associated with a considerable time requirement. Furthermore, a fundamental disadvantage is that some of the information produced in the experiment is lost during photographic recording of the marker movement. Thus, the photograph shows only the horizontal components of the marker movement. It is thus not possible to make any statements about vertical movements and the absolute height of a marker in space. Complex calibration of the photograph is therefore necessary in order to be able to compare cranio-corpo-grams for subjects of different heights. Since the luminous traces of all the markers are contained in a single photograph, there is often masking due to the luminous traces overlapping, which makes it more difficult, or even impossible, to characterize an individual luminous trace. Information is also lost in the blind angle, which is situated directly below the camera and in which the camera projects into the path of rays running between the mirror and a marker.
DE 38 29 885 C2 discloses a device in which, instead of a camera, a configuration of photoelectric cells positioned above the subject is used for recording the luminous traces. This configuration eliminates the blind angle. In this case, the luminous traces are analyzed using a digital computer for calculating the movement deviations relevant to cranio-corpo-graphy. However, this does not provide for evaluation in terms of interpreting recorded movement patterns.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and a device for evaluating movement patterns recorded using a number of markers moving together with the body of a subject, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known methods and devices of this general type in such a way that the movement pattern can be evaluated while maintaining a particularly high information density and without taking up a lot of time.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for evaluating a head and trunk movement pattern of a subject that includes configuring a plurality of markers to move together with the body of a subject. For each of the plurality of markers, a locus curve in three-dimensional space is detected as a function of time and the locus curve is stored as a data field of a measured data record that is common to the plurality of markers. The movement pattern of the body of the subject is characterized using characteristic variables derived from the measured data record. Reference variables are derived from a stored plurality of reference data records. Each of the characteristic variables is compared with the reference variables derived from the stored reference data records. Each of the characteristic variables is derived from a projection the locus curve of at least one of the plurality of markers onto one of the three datum planes of a Cartesian coordinate system.
In this case, the locus curve for each marker is recorded in three-dimensional space with temporal resolution and is stored as a data field of a data record which is common to all markers. The locus curves representing the movement pattern are then characterized by means of a data processing system using characteristic variables derived from the data record. Each characteristic variable is subsequently compared with reference variables derived accordingly from a stored reference data record, in the style of pattern recognition. To this end, the or each reference variable is ascertained, in a reference measurement, as a characteristic variable of a reference movement pattern. In this context, characteristic variable and reference variable are understood to mean any information which can be derived from the locus curves in order to characterize the movement pattern with regard to pattern recognition.
In this regard, the invention sets out from the consideration that more or less prediagnostic statements that can be derived from a cranio-corpo-gram are based on empirically obtained experimental values. Reliable diagnosis of a clinical picture on the basis of an observed movement pattern therefore requires a multiplicity of reference examinations, because individual properties that are also contained in the movement pattern need to be isolated from pathological properties. The amount of data needed to be processed for statistical validation of the findings becomes so complex that reliable statements are possible only when a lot of time is involved. However, time-consuming evaluation of an examination makes any use in the clinical field unprofitable. Furthermore, it is desirable to keep the loss of information when recording an experiment as low as possible, especially since new findings frequently necessitate renewed evaluation of old examinations or experiments from a new standpoint. Automatic pattern recognition using a computer or a data processing system can result in a particularly detailed analysis of a movement pattern, resulting in standardization of movement forms. It is acknowledged that this result can already contain a probability statement for later diagnosis.
As a result of the three-dimensional recording with temporal
Claussen Claus-Frenz
Haralanov Svetlozar
Greenberg Laurence A.
Locher Ralph E.
Stemer Werner H.
Tsai Carol S
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