Fuzzy monitoring of in-bed postural changes for the prevention of pressure ulcers using inertial sensors attached to clothing

Abstract

Postural changes while maintaining a correct body position are the most efficient method of preventing pressure ulcers. However, executing a protocol of postural changes over a long period of time is an arduous task for caregivers. To address this problem, we propose a fuzzy monitoring system for postural changes which recognizes in-bed postures by means of micro inertial sensors attached to patients’ clothes. First, we integrate a data-driven model to classify in-bed postures from the micro inertial sensors which are located in the socks and tshirt of the patient. Second, a knowledge-based fuzzy model computes the priority of postural changes for body zones based on expert-defined protocols. Results show encouraging performance in the classification of in-bed postures and high adaptability of the knowledge-based fuzzy approach.