Description:
Invention Summary
An automated apparatus to measure the progress of a patient’s mobility through the “Timed-Up-and-Go” (TUG) test. This apparatus contains a stool with an attached force platform that measures the forces and the time that the forces are being applied to the stool. This stool also has an adjustable height allowing the test to be performed by small children and taller adults.
Market Opportunity
The TUG test is a routinely performed functional test administered in many different populations such as the geriatric population, and those affected by orthopedic, neurological conditions, cognitive impairments, and chronic diseases in physical therapy and rehabilitation centers.
Features and Benefits
• Using this apparatus provides a non-subjective, consistent result for the patient. Regardless of who administers the TUG test, the apparatus will provide test-retest reliability. The reliability analyses revealed that the load-based timing method yielded generally better reliability than the handheld stopwatch method.
• Automated test that uses software to analyze the patient’s mobility with quick, quantitative results.
• Adjustable seat height allows for children and taller adults to perform this test and have a more accurate and reliable result. Taller individuals exhibited a 0.35-seconds faster time when using an individualized height vs. the standard height.
Intellectual Property
Utility patent filed. Publication number: WO2015073875 A1