Analyzing center of pressure progression during bed exits

This paper presents a new approach for analyzing center of pressure (COP) progression using pressure data collected from a pressure-sensitive array placed under the bed mattress. Pressure data were collected from a young female participant who was healthy and an older 78 year old female participant who had a history of falls. Information relevant to movement direction, time, path trajectory, magnitude and frequency was presented in three dimensional plots and color differentiated displays. When tested on data collected from an older participant who experienced a fall, this method of analyzing COP was able to illustrate distinct differences in bed exit patterns used pre and post fall episode. This analysis approach shows the potential to detect changes in bed exit patterns indicative of a critical health event. Future applications include home monitoring to assist with early intervention in the event of bed mobility decline.