The goal of this proposal is to build and test a compliance and posture sensor for attachment to an orthopedic brace or directly to the body. This sensor will measure and store information on adherence to brace treatment and inclination of a limb. The appropriate sensors to measure human proximity, as well as inclination, will be developed and packaged in a module small enough to be attached to a brace or worn directly by the person. The ultimate goals are to develop a clinical tool that objectively and remotely measures compliance with prescribed brace treatment and to remotely measure what posture the person was in while being monitored and the level of activity they performed. This information would be valuable in assessing the outcome a brace treatment, surgery and other therapeutic interventions. Scoliosis bracing will be a major target for compliance measurement. It is hoped this small sensor will become a standard part of the scoliosis brace prescription that will not only measure compliance but increase it too. The deliverables from the phase I study will be the construction and testing of a prototype sensor and logger combination. This will measure presence of the human in close proximity to the sensor and the inclination of the sensor. Two prototype units will be constructed. Tests of the units will be carried out on five subjects. Once technical feasibility has been demonstrated with human subjects a clinical trial will be undertaken in phase II of the grant.
