We Claim:
1. A method for facilitating gait analysis of a subject, wherein the method comprises:
obtaining a forefoot load measurement data of at least one of a left forefoot and
a right forefoot of the subject using at least one of first forefoot load measurement
device 104-A (FLMD) and a second FLMD 104-B, wherein the first FLMD 104-A is
10 attached to the left forefoot of the subject and the second FLMD 104-B is attached to
the right forefootof the subject;
receiving, by the gait analysis unit 106, the forefoot load measurement data from
atleast one of the first FLMD 104-A and the second FLMD 104-B;
determining, by the gait analysis unit 106, a forefoot strain variation of at least one
15 of the left forefoot of the subject and the right forefoot of the subject based on the
forefoot load measurement data received from at least one of the first FLMD 104-A
and the second FLMD 104-B; and
evaluating, by the gait analysis unit 106, a plurality of irregularities in a gait cycle
of the subject based on deviations in the forefoot strain variation of at least one of the
20 left forefoot and right forefoot of the subject.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the forefoot load measurement data is
obtained by measuring load on the forefoot of the subject.
25 3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises determining stance phase and
swing phase in the gait cycle of the subject, and time duration of the stance phase and
the swing phase achieved by at least one of the left forefoot and the right forefoot
during the gait cycle.
30 4. A gait analysis system 100 for facilitating gait analysis of a subject, wherein the gait
analysis system 100 comprises:
at least one of a first Forefoot Load Measurement Device (FLMD) 104-A and a
second FLMD 104-B, wherein the first FLMD 104-A is attached to a left forefoot and
20
5 the second FLMD 104-B is attached to a right forefoot of the subject for collecting
forefoot load measurement data using a fibre bragg grating sensor (104-1, 104-2)
configured in the first FLMD 104-A and the second FLMD 104-B respectively;
a gait analysis unit 106 associated with at least one of the first FLMD 104-A
and the second FLMD 104-B, wherein the gait analysing unit 106 is configured to:
10 receive a forefoot load measurement data of at least one of the left forefoot and
the right forefoot of the subject from at least one of the first FLMD 104-A and the
second FLMD 104-B respectively;
determine forefoot strain variations of at least one of the left forefoot of the
subject and right forefoot of the subject based on the forefoot load measurement data;
15 and
evaluate irregularities in the gait cycle of the subject based on the deviations in
the forefoot strain variation of at least one of the left forefoot and right forefoot of the
subject.
20 5. A forefoot load measurement device 104 to measure load on forefoot of a subject, the
forefoot load measurement device 104 comprises:
a foot wear sole 302 with a plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of layers
comprises a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer; wherein the middle layer of
the foot wear sole 302 comprises an open slot in the fore foot area;
25 a cantilever beam 304 placed on the open slot in the forefoot area of the middle
layer, wherein one end of the cantilever beam 304 is fixed to the middle layer and other
end is connected to the top layer using a probe 306, wherein any strain on the top layer
of the footwear sole 302 is exerted on the cantilever beam 304;
a fibre bragg grating (FBG) sensor 104-1 with a photosensitive optical fibre 308
30 is bonded to the cantilever beam 304 to acquire strain variations on the cantilever
beam 304; and
a FBG interrogator 310 is connected to the FBG sensor 104-1 to determine the
strain variations on the FBG sensor 104-1 by transmitting a light beam of broad
wavelength through the photosensitive optical fibre 308 of the FBG sensor 104-1 and
35 by recording a shift in Braggs wavelength from the reflected light due to the strain
variations on the photosensitive optical fibre 308 of the FBG sensor 104-1.
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5 6. The forefoot load measurement device 104 as claimed in claim 5, wherein the top
layer and the bottom layer of the footwear acts as a protecting case to protect the
fibre bragg grating(FBG) sensor 104-1 and cantilever beam 304 from external damage.