This works investigates the possibility of identifying the elders' fall using accelerometers located on the ground. The work is divided in three parts: in the first we have designed a force platform to measure the forces generated during the fall and we have estimated the force generated by the impact of a subject with the floor using a crash test dummy. The effect of the dummy initial posture, of the presence of obstacles on the fall trajectory and of other parameters has been analysed as well. In the second part of the study we have analysed the vibration transmissibility in different dwellings. The final part of the research was focused on the estimation of the force starting from the vibration and from the impedance of the floor. Results have shown the possibility of identifying the elders' falls in the majority of dwellings.
GASPARINI, M., et al .: Is the Left Ventricular Lateral Wall the Best Lead Implantation Site for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy? Short‐term hemodynamic studies consistently report greater effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients stimulated from a LV lateral coronary sinus tributary (CST) compared to a septal site. The aim of the study was to compare the long‐term efficacy of CRT when performed from different LV stimulation sites. From October 1999 to April 2002, 158 patients (mean age 65 years, mean LVEF 0.29, mean QRS width 174 ms) underwent successful CRT, from the anterior (A) CST in 21 patients, the anterolateral (AL) CST in 37 patients, the lateral (L) CST in 57 patients, the posterolateral (PL) CST in 40 patients, and the middle cardiac vein (MCV) CST in 3 patients. NYHA functional class, 6‐minute walk test, and echocardiographic measurements were examined at baseline, and at 3, 6, and 12 months. Comparisons were made among all pacing sites or between lateral and septal sites by grouping AL + L + PL CST as lateral site (134 patients, 85%) and A + MC CST as septal site (24 patients, 15%). In patients stimulated from lateral sites, LVEF increased from 0.30 to 0.39 (P < 0.0001) , 6‐minute walk test from 323 to 458 m (P < 0.0001) , and the proportion of NYHA Class III–IV patients decreased from 82% to 10% (P < 0.0001) . In patients stimulated from septal sites, LVEF increased from 0.28 to 0.41 (P < 0.0001) , 6‐minute walk test from 314 to 494 m (P < 0.0001) , and the proportion of NYHA Class III–IV patients decreased from 75% to 23% (P < 0.0001) . A significant improvement in cardiac function and increase in exercise capacity were observed over time regardless of the LV stimulation sites, either considered singly or grouped as lateral versus septal sites. (PACE 2003; 26[Pt. II]:162–168)
<span lang="EN-GB">This work investigates the possibility of monitoring the activity and the falls of people in dwellings using three or more accelerometers fixed on the ground. The main difference between the proposed method and existing ones is the use of acceleration to estimate the impact force by using the apparent mass of the floor; the latter is experimentally identified in each room in which the tests were performed using the heel drop test. The study has two parts: 1. the apparent masses of different dwellings’ floors have been measured. 2. the ground reaction force is studied using a purposely designed force platform with a surface of approximately 2 m x 1 m. The force platform allowed the measurement of the forces generated by the falls of 21 subjects, of a crash test dummy (falling in front or rear direction from seated and standing position, with or without the interposition of objects on the trajectory), and of common objects (e.g. dishes, water bottles, books). The impact location is estimated by triangulation, using a wavelet algorithm derived from the existent literature. The results show the possibility of identifying the presence of subjects inside the room and the fall of subjects in the majority of dwellings. We conclude that the proposed method allows a clear distinction between the fall of subjects and objects, given that the difference in terms of force (which is estimated from the floor’s apparent mass and from the measured acceleration) is at least of one order of magnitude.</span>
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