A load cell apparatus for use with a bed includes a housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, and a load cell device held by the bottom portion of the housing. The load cell device is structured to generate a signal having a magnitude that is proportional to a first force being applied to the load cell device. The load cell apparatus also includes a button member held by the housing in a manner wherein the button member is structured to engage the load cell device and apply the first force to the load cell device in response to a second force being applied to the top portion of the housing. Also, various systems for monitoring parameters such as weight, sleep quality, fall risk, and/or pressure sore risk that may incorporate such a load cell apparatus.

A joint replacement balancing system which provides real-time feedback to a surgeon during a joint replacement surgery to assist the surgeon to balance a joint replacement. The joint replacement balancing system includes a non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to receive a signal from a joint balancing apparatus, determine if the joint replacement is out of balance, determine a corrective course of action to bring the joint into balance and generate and display to the surgeon during the joint replacement surgery a recommended corrective course of action to complete the joint replacement surgery.

A person support apparatus, such as a bed, stretcher, cot, recliner, or the like, includes an exit detection system having a plurality of force sensors that support the weight of an occupant positioned on a support surface and obstruction detection system having one or more obstruction sensors. The force sensors are part of an exit detection system that issues an alarm when the occupant exits, or is about to exit, the person support apparatus. The bed exit system can react to detection of an obstacle. The distribution of weight applied to the force sensors is used to determine if the occupant is about to exit the person support apparatus. Compensation is made to the exit detection system for changes in the weight distribution that are not caused by movement of the occupant. Such changes may be due to not only movement of the person support apparatus or components thereof, but obstacles encountered by the person support apparatus or components thereof.

To better fulfill a sleep-inducing function for a seated person, a seat device includes a pressing device provided in a seat back and configured to press a back or a waist of a seated person to induce breathing; at least one of a temperature adjusting device configured to change a temperature of a seat cushion and/or the seat back and a shape adjusting device configured to change a surface shape of the seat cushion and/or the seat back; and a controller configured to control the pressing device to press the back or the waist of the seated person at a set cycle corresponding to a breathing cycle of a person at a sleeping time, and control the at least one of the temperature adjusting device and the shape adjusting device.

A furniture system includes an office productivity structure (OPS). The furniture system also includes a sensor coupled to the OPS, the sensor operable to detect occupancy of the OPS and generate an output signal indicative of the occupancy; and a processor coupled to the sensor. The processor is operable to receive the output signal generated by the sensor, determine, based on the output signal, that the OPS is occupied, and, in response to determining that the OPS is occupied, generate a command to initiate at least one action associated with the OPS or an operator of the OPS.

A wearable device and a method of operating the same are provided. The wearable device includes a shoe assembly, a plurality of pressure sensors, a processing circuit and an alarm module. The plurality of pressure sensors are disposed on the shoe assembly and configured to generate a plurality of pressure sensing values. The processing circuit is configured to calculate a center of gravity coordinate according to the plurality of pressure sensing values and coordinates of the plurality of pressure sensors, and generate a determination result according to the center of gravity coordinate. The alarm module is configured to output an alarm signal to perform an alarm function.

A smartphone or other mobile computer device, general purpose or specialized, wherein the smartphone device is configured to actively control the configuration of one or more bladders, compartments, chambers or internal sipes and one or more sensors located in either one or both of a sole or a removable inner sole insert of the footwear of the user and/or located in an apparatus worn or carried by the user, glued unto the user, or implanted in the user. The one or more bladders, compartments, chambers, or sipes, and one or more sensors are configured for computer control. A sole and/or a removable inner sole insert for footwear, including one or more bladders, compartments, chambers, internal sipes and sensors in the sole and/or in a removable insert; or on an insole; all being configured for control by a smartphone or other mobile computer device, general purpose or specialized.

A contractile tissue-based analysis device is provided, in which a strip of contractile tissue is supported by support structure. The support structure comprises a substantially planar base element, and first and second support pillars extending from said base element. An optical detection device is arranged on the side of the base element opposite to said support pillars, and is arranged to capture image data from at least one of the head portions of the support pillars. The motion of the support pillars induced by the strip of contractile tissue can thus be captured from below, i.e. through the planar base element.

A system for assessing laxity of a joint of a patient is disclosed. The system comprises a tensioner tool having a substantially rigid portion that may be inserted within the joint to apply a force against a bone surface thereof. The system further comprises a tensioner sock having a flexible body with an opening to receive the tensioner tool and a sensor array disposed on the flexible body. Each sensor of the sensor array is configured to contact the bone surface and detect a pressure when the force is applied against the bone surface. The system further comprises a processor configured to receive the detected pressure from each sensor and calculate the force applied to the bone surface based on the detected pressures.

A sensor apparatus for footwear includes at least one pair of light sources and at least one pair of light receivers, each light receiver being positioned and configured to receive light emitted from a respective one of the light sources. A pair of movable curtains functions to adjust the amount of light received by the pair of light receivers. The curtains are movable conjointly such that the amount of light received by one of the light receivers is inversely proportional to the amount of light received by the other light receiver. (FIG. 1B).