title: Accelerometer based calf muscle pump activity monitoring.
abstract: Long distance travel is associated with increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). There is an increased risk of travel related DVT in passengers with a predisposition to thrombosis. Assisting blood circulation in the lower limb will reduce the risk of DVT. Leg exercises are recommended as a DVT preventative measure while flying but this fails to account for a passenger who is distracted by in flight entertainment or who falls asleep for an extended period. A method for monitoring calf muscle pump activity using accelerometers has been developed and evaluated. The proposed technique could be used to alert the traveller that there is a need to exercise their calf muscle, thus reducing the risk of DVT.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Electronics Laboratory, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland. karol.odonovan@ul.ie
authors.forename: Karol J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: O'Donovan
authors.forename: Derek T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: O'Keeffe
authors.forename: Pierce A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Grace
authors.forename: Gerard M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lyons
mesh_terms: D000401:Aircraft; D000465:Algorithms; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D014195:Travel; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis