The present invention relates to a device (1) for measuring a pressure force. The device (1) comprises a hand-held body (10) made of an elastic material (8) and a sensor unit (11). The sensor unit (11) is at least partly enclosed by the hand-held body (10) such that a force (F) applied by a person (12) onto the hand-held body (10) is transmitted via the elastic material (8) of the hand-held body (10) to the sensor unit (11). The sensor unit (11) is configured for measuring a pressure force (F.sub.p) which is transmitted to the sensor unit (11) and which is caused by the force (F) applied onto the hand-held body (10) by the person (12). Moreover, the sensor unit (11) is configured for generating data corresponding to the measured pressure force (F.sub.p). The invention further relates to a system (2) for determining a sensation experienced by a person (12), the use of a device (1) for evaluating a current pain sensation perceived by a person (12) and a method for determining a sensation experienced by a person (12).

An action management apparatus includes a bodily information measurement unit that measures bodily information, a communication unit for performing near-field wireless communication with another apparatus having a function of measuring bodily information, a bodily information acquisition unit that acquires the bodily information measured by the other apparatus included in a group along with the action management apparatus via a communication unit, and an information output unit that, based on first bodily information measured by the bodily information measurement unit and second bodily information acquired by the bodily information acquisition unit, outputs management information for managing an action of a wearer of an apparatus belonging to the group.

Provided is a method for evaluating muscle strength characteristics of a limb based on a muscle group model including a first pair of antagonistic one-joint muscles, a second pair of antagonistic one-joint muscles, and a pair of antagonistic two-joint muscles, where the limb has a first rod having a proximal end supported by a first joint and a second rod supported on a free end of the first rod through a second joint. The method includes: measuring a maximum output of a free end of the second rod in at least one predetermined direction; measuring orbiting outputs of the free end of the second rod in all directions in the plane; and creating a hexagonal maximum output distribution corresponding to a contribution amount of each muscle of the muscle group model based on the maximum output in the predetermined direction and the orbiting outputs.

A training apparatus includes an operating rod, a strength detector, a motion position detector, a strength speed calculator, a boundary line arrival speed calculator, and a motion speed calculator. The operating rod moves a held limb. The strength detector outputs a strength component signal based on a magnitude of a strength component. The motion position detector detects a motion position of the operating rod. The strength speed calculator calculates a strength speed. The boundary line arrival speed calculator calculates a boundary line arrival speed whose absolute value is smaller as a boundary line distance is shorter. The motion speed calculator calculates a lower one of the strength speed and the boundary line arrival speed as the motion speed at which the operating rod should move.

An advice generation system including: a measuring unit which measures a subject's activity status and outputs activity data based on the activity status; an achievement state acquisition unit which acquires achievement state information that is achievement state information with respect to a goal to be achieved by the subject; an amount of action calculation unit which calculates action information amount that is a cumulative amount of action taken by the subject to achieve the goal, based on the activity data acquired by the measuring unit; a motivation determination unit which determines the subject's motivation to achieve the goal based on trends of change in the achievement state information and in the amount of action information, during a period until the achievement of the goal planned by the subject; and an advice generation unit which generates advice for the subject based on the determination's result on the motivation.

A muscle fatigue monitoring system includes an sEMG amplifier module configured to receive sEMG signals and amplify the received sEMG signals; a filter module connected with the sEMG amplifier module; a bit-stream converter connected with the filter module and configured to digitize the sEMG signals and convert the sEMG signals to a discrete signal based on a single threshold without digitizing the complete sEMG signals, and a bit-stream cross correlator connected with the bit-stream converter, the bit-stream cross correlator including a plurality of correlation stages connected in series, a plurality of counters connected with the correlation stages respectively, and a maximum value selector connected to the counters, and configured to continuously correlate the sEMG signals in a given time window, count all time instances where the sEMG signals are the same, compares all the counters in cycles, and find distance between specific reference points on the sEMG signals through the counter with a maximum value.

Methods for evaluating subjects having conditions associated with loss of muscle function (e.g., a motor neuron disease, a neuromuscular disease, or a myopathy) by measuring muscle function (e.g., muscle strength) are disclosed.

There is provided a radio device, comprising: a Bluetooth circuitry configured to generate and advertise a Blue-tooth beacon signal having frame format according to the Bluetooth standard; a proximity communication circuitry configured to receive configuration commands wirelessly from a physically separate user device over a magnetic induction-based proximity communication; and at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer pro-gram code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the radio device to perform operations comprising: reconfiguring at least part of data content of the Bluetooth beacon signal on the basis of the received configuration commands, wherein the data content of the Bluetooth beacon signal is set to comprise at least physical activity related information.

A vaginal dilation device is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the vaginal dilation device is that it is configured to dilate vaginal tissue during labor to prevent tissue damage. Another feature of the vaginal dilation device is that it can be manually controlled to dilate vaginal tissue, or can be automatically controlled to dilate vaginal tissue. In some embodiments, the vaginal dilation device is configured to measure a force applied by the device to tissue. In other embodiments, the vaginal dilation device is configured to apply a constant force to tissue. In other embodiments, the vaginal dilation device is configured to expand at a constant rate. Methods associated with use of the vaginal dilation device are also provided.

A vaginal dilation device is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the vaginal dilation device is that it is configured to dilate vaginal tissue during labor to prevent tissue damage. Another feature of the vaginal dilation device is that it can be manually controlled to dilate vaginal tissue, or can be automatically controlled to dilate vaginal tissue. In some embodiments, the vaginal dilation device is configured to measure a force applied by the device to tissue. In other embodiments, the vaginal dilation device is configured to apply a constant force to tissue. In other embodiments, the vaginal dilation device is configured to expand at a constant rate. Methods associated with use of the vaginal dilation device are also provided.