A 'Sense of Balance' AHRS with Low-Cost Vibrating Gyroscopes for Medical Diagnostics

摘要

In the field of Neurotology it is of great interest to measure head and body sway in order to evaluate disturbances of a patient's sense of balance. The control of posture, as one main achievement of the sense of balance, can show disturbances, which are more complex to detect than other symptoms of disturbed vestibuloequilibratory control. In the past, several approaches have been made to achieve sensitive and effective methods of measuring head and body sway. These either used a platform equipped with pressure sensors to measure the position of the patient's centre of gravity or used ultrasonic and photo-optic methods to determine position. A new method, described here, uses an AHRS (Attitude and Heading Reference System) secured to the patient's head to obtain directional and attitude data regarding the patient's movements. This paper deals with an AHRS using low-cost Vibrating Gyroscopes secured to the patient's head and the tests being performed with this system. It also compares the results with one of the most commonly used methods, i.e. measuring the centre of gravity. The possibilities of integrating inertial systems with other medical equipment are also reviewed.