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.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 717-722 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Medical Engineering and Physics |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2005 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Accelerometers
- Calf muscle pump
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Lower leg