The Timed Up and Go test (TUG) is a simple and easy way to assess a person’s mobility and evaluate the chances of experiencing a dangerous fall. The test essentially involves a person getting up from a chair, walking forward, turning around, and getting back in the chair. A trained specialist watches this process, measuring the timing and watching how the person does the task. While this works fairly well, the lack of high quality objective analysis of the walking gait limits the usefulness of the test and may prevent the diagnosis of certain conditions.
Kinesis, a company out of Dublin, Ireland, has developed the QTUG (Quantitative Timed Up and Go) system that turns the TUG test into a powerful high-tech evaluation tool. Two devices with accelerometers and gyroscopes built-in are attached to each leg, which sync up with the specialist’s computer tablet. The TUG test is performed as usual and the QTUG sensors monitor and record the way the legs move during the test. This information is sent to an app on the tablet which interprets it and provides the specialist with a detailed look at the results.
The system is now available in the U.S. and Europe for use by clinical facilities and physiotherapists.
Product page: QTUG mobility and falls risk assessment technology…