ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 10 -- United States Patent no. 12,408,854, issued on Sept. 9.
"Functional capacity evaluation systems and methods" was invented by Tony Bridges (Wetumpka, Ala.) and Steven F. Windham (Birmingham, Ala.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Systems and methods are provided for testing the ability of an individual to lift objects under various conditions. During standard lifting tests, the average acceleration and velocity of each lift, as well as the distribution of force between the hands and feet of the patient, are electronically measured and recorded. These objective factors can then be used to determine whether the patient is exerting maximal effort, and to assess a patient...