Himachal Researcher Ankita Raghuvanshi Secures Patent for Technology to Help Parkinson’s Patients
Researcher Ankita Raghuvanshi from Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, has brought recognition to the state by securing a patent for an important health technology developed during her PhD research at Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar.
The technology, titled “A System for Predicting Freezing of Gait in User,” has been granted a patent by the Indian Patent Office. Patent number 580118 (application number 202321087668) was filed on December 21, 2023, and approved on February 6, 2026. The patent has been granted to Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, with inventors listed as Uttama Lahiri, Priya Pallavi, and Ankita Raghuvanshi.
The research focuses on a major symptom of Parkinson’s disease known as Freezing of Gait (FoG), a condition in which patients suddenly struggle to move their feet while walking, increasing the risk of falls and injuries.
During the study, researchers analyzed eight Parkinson’s patients and eight healthy individuals to understand differences in their walking patterns. The goal was to identify early indicators that appear before a freezing episode begins.
The developed system uses a wearable gait-monitoring setup, including sensor-based smart shoes and motion-tracking devices attached to the legs. These sensors continuously record data such as speed, rhythm, and movement patterns. By analyzing the collected data, the system can predict potential freezing episodes in advance, allowing doctors and caregivers to take timely preventive measures and improve patient safety.
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