FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention, relates to the field of non-invasively remote patient monitoring, particularly to an improved impact sensing device integrated into a protective garment. The intelligent device, capable of recognising an actual fall among the daily activities of the wearer can send an automatic notification to a family member, a carer or a nursing station in case the fall event occurred. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a protective garment with impact detection and alarm notification capability. The monitoring garment, while offering protection from fall related injuries allows for automatically detecting falls, with great reliability by employing a fall v. daily activity recognition algorithm. As a result, false alarms are discarded while the real event triggers the alarm.

The protective & monitoring garment is preferably constructed as a hip or a shoulder protector with the aim at shielding parts of the wearer's body which are most commonly affected in case of a fall, which are the trochanter bone and the shoulder bone. The garment is truly wearable, easy to put on and undo, and houses the wireless monitoring device in an unobtrusive way. The monitoring device may acquire data from an analog or digital accelerometer, which can sense changes in acceleration of the user in two or three dimensions X, Y and Z. The monitoring device may incorporate a microprocessor, a flash memory with pre stored software program suite, a wireless transmitter and a power source. In case of a serious fall, an alarm notification is generated and transmitted. The alarm message may be sent by wireless GSM/GPRS mobile phone technology to a remote receiver, which may be a mobile phone or PDA. This feature caters for situations when the user is located in open spaces, or living at home.

The alarm message may be sent wirelessly to a Central Monitoring Station, such as a nursing station. This feature caters for situations when the wearer resides in a nursing home or a hospital. The protective & monitoring garment may also monitor basic vital signs such as temperature and heart beat by analysing data acquired from additional sensors incorporated into the garment, in order to assess the user's state of emergency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may be better understood from the detailed description given of specific embodiments examples accompanied by drawings, where:

FIG. 1 represents a block diagram of the monitoring and protecting system for the preferred embodiment of this invention

FIG. 2 represents a block diagram of the monitoring and protecting system for an embodiment of this invention

FIG.3 illustrates a schematic representation of the configuration stage for an embodiment of this invention FIG. 4A illustrates a preferred embodiment of the garment of this invention with further details of the shoulder protector & monitoring system presented in FIG. 4B

FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the garment of this invention, named the hip protector & monitoring system

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram for the algorithm employed by the fall detection method of the preferred embodiments of this invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a system and method for non-invasively remote monitoring and protecting of people at risk of falling and their wellbeing. It offers protection to weakened bones and prevention from serious injury by absorbing the force of fall and diverting it away from the bone. It detects serious fall events and transmits an alarm message to family members or the monitoring nursing station.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of the system 100 for the preferred embodiment of the invention. The system consists of a protective garment 1, a monitoring device 2, a sensor strip 3 and a remote alarm receiver 10. The garment 1 is preferably constructed out of a fully washable material with built-in sections of impact resistant material. For add-on protection, it may also contain hardened sections such as impact shields 4 and shock-absorbing pads 5.

The monitoring device 2 comprises of a Control Unit 6 with a micro processor, memory and Software Program Suite, a wireless transmitter 7, such as a GSM, a Zigbee, or Bluetooth module and a power supply 8. The impact sensing capability is given by an accelerometer-based sensor 9, i.e. dual or tri-axis acceleronieter located on the sensor strip 3.

The remote alarm receiver 10 may be a nursing station 11, or a mobile device 12, i.e. mobile phone or PDA. The accelerometer 9 preferably enables access to the X-Y or X-Y-Z axis acceleration measurements representing the current acceleration of the wearer and also to the X-Y or X-Y-Z Combined acceleration, to the Control Unit 6. The accelerometer 9 may have embedded signal processing capability like the /MEMS sensors with /Sensor™ integration technology offered by Analog Devices. The alarm receiver 10 may be represented by the Nursing Station 11 in a nursing home, enabling the carers to attend the resident or patient at minimum notice.

The alarm receiver 10 may also be represented by a family member or care giver, owner of a mobile phone or PDA 12, which agreed to be notified in the event of a fall of the wearer. By receiving the alarm message, the notified people may quickly asses the gravity of the situation and act accordingly.

FIG.2 illustrates a block diagram of the system 100 for another preferred embodiment of this invention. In this embodiment, the sensor strip contains a plurality of sensors, such as the dual- axis accelerometer sensor 9 and vital signs sensors, with capability of measuring body temperature 13 and heart rate 14. The method of fall detection may be carried out in the same way as previously described. The micro processor preferably takes readings from these sensors when a serious fall is detected and include them into the alarm message, before the wireless module proceeds with the transmission.

FIG.3 illustrates a schematic representation of the configuration stage for the embodiment of the system that caters for people living at home. Information, such as mobile phone numbers belonging to the family members or care givers that wish to be notified in the event of a fall of the wearer, may be uploaded onto the monitoring system 100 through a web-interface 200. The interface may be also used for maintaining and updating the priorities of the uploaded data.

FIG. 4A illustrates a preferred embodiment of the protective and monitoring system of this invention. The garment 1 is constructed as a shoulder protector in the form of a vest.

The main material used in the garment construction is preferably light, fully washable and comfortable to wear. A fabric blend of Nylon and Cotton or Nylon and Rayon are preferred. Such fabrics combine the light-weight, elasticity, shape retention, dirt rejection and strength of Nylon, with the moisture absorption and softness of Cotton or Rayon.

The garment may contain built-in sections of impact resistant fabric with the aim at protecting the shoulder bones of the user. It may accommodate the wireless monitoring device 2 in a little detachable pocket and it may incorporate the sensor strip 3.

The garment is easy to put on and undo. It may contain hardened sections such as impact shields 4 and shock-absorbing pads 5 surrounding the monitoring device.

FIG. 4B illustrates the construction of the protective gaπnent. The impact sections 4 in the shoulder region may be attached to the main garment by sewing, gluing, or Velcro hook and loop strips. They may also be integrant part of the garment, by means of weaving, knitting or coating with Silicone or other polymer type.

To provide for better comfort and easier movement of the arms, ribbed strips of material may be used to attach the sleeves to the body of the vest. The gaπnent may easily be fitted to the torso by using two adjustable elastic lateral straps 41 and hook & loop type of front closure 42.

The sensor strip and pocket containing the monitoring device form a detachable unit 43, to allow for the washability of the garment. It is fastened to the vest, preferably to the rim with textile fasteners such as press studs 44, or Velcro strips. FIG. 5 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the protective and monitoring system of this invention. The piece of clothing 1 is constructed as a hip protector in the form of an underwear garment. The main material used in the gaπnent construction is preferably light, fully washable and comfortable to wear.

The impact shields 4 may be permanently fixed to the garment or placed into a pocket on the garment in the hip area, so that the greater trocanter part of the femur will be protected. They are used for reducing the risk of hip fracture by absorbing the force of fall and diverting it away from the hip bone.

The garment may accommodate the wireless monitoring device 2 in a little detachable pocket surrounded by shock-absorbing pads S and it may incorporate the sensor strip 3. FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram for the algorithm employed by the fall detection method. Measurements are preferably taken at regular intervals from the sensor; the rate of change between two successive readings is computed and compared to a pre-determined - sudden drop - threshold value.

The micro processor analyses further readings, compares them to a range of values characteristic to daily activities, generates an alarm message in the case of a serious fall event and instructs the wireless transmitter to proceed with transmission.

The message may include wearer's information such as name, date, time when the event occurred.