PAL Technologies Ltd

Dougie Maxwellfounder & ceodouglas@paltechnlogies.com

Who, why, where, when?

• University spin-out– Founded in 2001– Founders Dougie Maxwell, Malcolm Granat

& Nikos Mourselas– Technology developed in Bioengineering Unit the

founders and exclusively licenced to company– Traditional focus on measures of (dis)ability, our

desire was to measure participation

Origins

Group: Goal:

PATIENT Get Better

ACADEMIC Get Famous

INDUSTRIALIST Get Rich

(old) Model of health

World Health Organization (WHO) Rehabilitation Outcomes Model

(ICIDH, 1980)

Disease/Condition

Impairment Disability Handicap

Model proposes a linear, left-to-right association

I nternational Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (I CF) Framework (WHO, 2002)

Health condition (disorder or disease)

Body Structure & Functions(Impairment)

Activity Participation

EnvironmentalFactors

PersonalFactors

(New) Model of health

Ability or Participation?

GAPS project physical activity monitoring datainpatient ~1 month post-stroke (n = 41)

-5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

18 35 15 5 40 12 10 29 4 2 8 24 28 1 13 22 11 3 26 6 27 32 25 30 14 41 36 21 9 19 16 39 7 31 38 17 23 33 20 34 37subject's ranked by increasing upright time

Tim

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t (%

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upright% standard physio augmented physio

The Glasgow Augmented Physiotherapy Study (GAPS) group (2004) Can augmented physiotherapy input enhance recovery of mobility after stroke? A randomized controlled trial. Clin Rehabil. 2004 Aug;18(5):529-37

Background – stroke rehab

Ability or participation?

Age = 80Walking speed = 0.28m/s

Data source: Dr Margaret Grant, Glasgow Caledonian University

Age = 75Walking speed = 0.14m/s

Easily understood outcomes

pensioner

stroke patient

taxi driver

teacher

“by jove, the taxi driver doesn’t do much”

Peer to peer

Customers

• 35 Clinical trials

• 95 Intervention studies

• 211 Validation/descriptive studies

Cardiometobolic research

“TV viewing time may have adverse health consequences that rival those of lack of physical activity, obesity and smoking; every single hour

of TV viewed may shorten life by as much as 22 min.”

Veerman JLet al. Br J Sports Med (2011) doi:10.1136/bjsm.2011.085662

Sedentary behaviour modification

• Self monitoring has been demonstrated as most effective intervention for increasing physical activity

• What are the options for sedentary behaviour modification?– Chair based – Screen based– Self monitoring

Sitting disease

Increased sendentary time associated with increased risk of:• Cardiovascular disease• Diabetes• Obesity• Stroke• Metabolic syndrome

First Step Award

Development of novel metrics for the assessment of free-living physical behaviourDr Jason Gill, Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical SciencesUniversity of Glasgow

First Steps

Behaviour (change)

•Anatomy•Physiology•Psychology

HAPTIC ENGAGEMENT

• activPAL VT (vibro-tactile)• Self-monitoring of sedentary bout

duration• Changing sedentary behaviour

one tickle at a time• “a PAL in your pants”

EuroFIT - sitFIT

SitFITTo enable self-monitoring of free-living sedentary behaviour and physical activity. Cumulative sitting time is given context by visualising alongside upright time

microUSBfor download of detailed performance measures and battery charging

Steps Cumulative daily total

Sitting time Cumulative daily total

Upright time Cumulative daily total

Sedentary Behaviour IndexThe index reflects duration of sitting bouts, short bouts are better

Sitting bout timerVibro-tactile feedback tells the wearer how long they have been sitting for

Bluetooth SMARTfor connection to BT 4.0 enabled smartphones and displays and integration with other software, for example MatchFIT

EuroFIT – keeping fit at the fitba

EuroFIT

http://eurofitfp7.eu/