Biomedical subjects

W Morton Caldwell

Publications and source records attributed to W Morton Caldwell.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

A new microcomputer-based safety and life support system for solitary-living elderly people.

A new safety and life support system has been developed to detect emergency situations of solitary-living elderly persons. The system employs a dual axis accelerometer, two low-power active filters, a low-power 8-bit single chip microcomputer and a personal handy phone. Body movements due to walking, running and posture changes are detected by the dual axis accelerometer and sent to the microcomputer. If the patient is in an inactive state for 5 minutes after falling, or for 64 minutes without previously falling, then the system automatically alarms the emergency situation, via the personal handy phone, to the patient's family, the fire station or the hospital.

Acceleration↗

PubMed2003

A wrist-mounted arterial pulse interval and movement recording system.

A wrist movement and arterial pulse interval recording system has been developed for continuous data acquisition in studies of activity/rest time ratios, sleep quantity and quality, general activity level, resting heart rate and circadian rhythms. The system employs a wrist-mounted piezoelectric sensor, a low-power 8-bit one-chip microcomputer and a 512 KB EEPROM. The microcomputer detects whether the wrist is moving or inactive; if it is moving, wrist movement is stored into memory. If the wrist is at rest, the arterial pulse interval is continuously detected and stored. After recording, these stored data are downloaded to a desktop computer and analyzed.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

A Web-based home welfare and care services support system using a pen type image sensor.

A long-term care insurance law for elderly persons was put in force two years ago in Japan. The Home Helpers, who are employed by hospitals, care companies or the welfare office, provide home welfare and care services for the elderly, such as cooking, bathing, washing, cleaning, shopping, etc. We developed a web-based home welfare and care services support system using wireless Internet mobile phones and Internet client computers, which employs a pen type image sensor. The pen type image sensor is used by the elderly people as the entry device for their care requests. The client computer sends the requests to the server computer in the Home Helper central office, and then the server computer automatically transfers them to the Home Helper's mobile phone. This newly-developed home welfare and care services support system is easily operated by elderly persons and enables Homes Helpers to save a significant amount of time and extra travel.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

A compact ECG R-R interval, respiration and activity recording system.

An ECG R-R interval, respiration and activity recording system has been developed for monitoring variability of heart rate and respiratory frequency during daily life. The recording system employs a variable gain instrumentation amplifier, an accelerometer, a low power 8-bit single-chip microcomputer and a 1024 KB EEPROM. It is constructed on three ECG chest electrodes. The R-R interval and respiration are detected from the ECG. Activity during walking and running is calculated from an accelerator. The detected data are stored in an EEPROM and after recording, are downloaded to a desktop computer for analysis.

Acceleration↗

PubMed2003

A microcomputer-based daily living activity recording system.

A new daily living activity recording system has been developed for monitoring health conditions and living patterns, such as respiration, posture, activity/rest ratios and general activity level. The system employs a piezoelectric sensor, a dual axis accelerometer, two low-power active filters, a low-power 8-bit single chip microcomputer and a 128 MB compact flash memory. The piezoelectric sensor, whose electrical polarization voltage is produced by mechanical strain, detects body movements. Its high-frequency output components reflect body movements produced by walking and running activities, while the low frequency components are mainly respiratory. The dual axis accelerometer detects, from body X and Y tilt angles, whether the patient is standing, sitting or lying down (prone, supine, left side or right side). The detected respiratory, behavior and posture signals are stored by the compact flash memory. After recording, these data are downloaded to a desktop computer and analyzed.

Acceleration↗

PubMed2002

A microcomputer-based respiratory and activity recording system.

A respiratory and activity recording system has been developed for monitoring health conditions and living patterns, such as activity/rest time periods and general activity level. The system employs a piezoelectric sensor, a low-power operational amplifier, a low-power 8-bit microcomputer and a 512 KB EEPROM. The piezoelectric sensor, whose electrical polarization voltage is produced by mechanical strain, records body movements produced by respiration, heart pulse, walking and running. The high and low frequency components from the recorded body movements are discriminated by high and low pass filters. The high frequency components reflect the body movements produced by cardiac vibrations, walking and running activities. The low frequency components are mainly generated by respiration. The degree of activity is obtained by summing the high frequency components for 1 second. The microcomputer stores the obtained low frequency components and activity to the EEPROM at 0.2 second and 1 second intervals, respectively. After recording, these stored data are downloaded to a desktop computer. The computer then detects behavior patterns from the activity data and respiration from the low frequency components.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗

PubMed2002

A system for monitoring heart pulse, respiration and posture in bed.

A non-invasive system has been developed to monitor cardiac vibrations, respiration and posture of inbed hospitalized patients and elderly people who need constant care. These physiological variables are recorded by four 2 x 28 cm piezoelectric film acceleration sensors, eight 2 x 2 cm small pressure sensors and a 5 x 100 cm long pressure sensor. The piezoelectric sensors, attached to the chest over the heart during bed sleep or rest, detect the movements produced by the heartbeat and respiration. The eight small pressure sensors are attached at various positions on the upper and lower body. A longer pressure sensor, to detect the patient leaving the bed, is attached to the side of the bed. These sensor outputs are digitized at a sampling rate of 200 Hz using a 12-bit A/D converter and stored on a personal computer. The computer detects cardiac vibrations and respiration from upper chest movements and posture from the pressures recorded by small and long pressure sensors.

Bed Rest↗

PubMed2002

Evaluation of the web-based "home helper" support system using wireless Internet mobile phones.

In Japan, Home Helpers provide the home welfare and care services such as cooking, bathing, washing, cleaning, shopping, etc. Last year, we developed the web-based Home Helper support system using wireless Internet mobile phones for improving scheduling and record keeping efficiency and for eliminating unnecessary travel. We have evaluated by questionnaire whether the system can be easily operated. All in all, the system has performed satisfactorily and is in functional use daily.

Adult↗