Device for Assistance of Patients Presenting Orthostatic Conditions

Incorrect posture is a problem that becomes increasingly wide-spread in today’s world. It can lead to short and long term pain in the back and neck areas, and has further been linked to depression. Modern lifestyle facilitates poor posture, especially because of the increasing amount of time people spend sitting. Even individuals that are considered physically active often still spend a considerable amount of time in sedentary behaviors. The spine presents itself with 3 physiological curves in the sagittal plane: concave cervically, convex thoracically, concave in the lumbar region. With the increase of curvature degrees in kyphosis come along the following risks: vertebral fractures, intervertebral discs degeneration, loss of bone density, and increase in mortality, reduction of physical activity, altered respiratory function, and implicitly, loss of quality of life. This project outlines an educational concept, which meets the need for the development of a postural educational system, based on sound signaling, meant to enforce an anatomically correct posture. It is based on the idea that every human has a ‘flex point’, a point where the body bends when one slouches. In other words: it is impossible to have a poor posture and keep the front of the body straight. The system consists of two main hardware parts: the controller and the bending sensor. According to specifications, the physician will define the anatomically correct position for the patient. After posture memorization, the device will send a sound signal for any deviation greater than 10% off the posture the doctor established.