Apparatus and Method for Imaging the Relative Motion of Skeletal Segments

• US 20080125678A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AECC Enterprises Limited
• Original Assignee: AECC Enterprises Limited
• Inventors: Breen, Alan
• Application Number:
  US11/972,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20080125678A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/704 Tables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/04 Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like operating tables A61G13/00; operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/50 specially adapted for specific body parts; specially adapted for specific clinical applications
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/508 for non-human patients
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10088 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10116 X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30008 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

Apparatus provided for the measurement of skeletal joint motion in a subject which comprises a passive motion device, an imaging device and a processing system incorporating a means for real time digital sampling of images of moving joints, means for recognising templates attributed to individual bones and tracking these automatically using cross-correlation functions and means for geometric transformation of the positional data to graphically display their relative motion over time. Also provided is a method for the automated measurement of the relative motion of skeletal structures in vivo using such apparatus and a method for the diagnosis of a pseudoarthrosis in a subject which comprises the use of such apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring skeletal joint motion in a subject comprising:

a) a passive motion device adapted and configured to continuously move a joint of the subject, the passive motion device comprising;

a platform base, and

a passive motion platform further comprising a static platform connected to an upper surface of the platform base, a movable platform connected to at least one of the static platform or an upper surface of the platform base, wherein the static platform is adjacent the movable platform wherein movement of the movable platform is achieved in operation by a motor in communication with the moveable platform; and

b) an imaging device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the imaging device is an X-ray tube and image intensifier with dosage control.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the imaging device is a magnetic resonance scanner.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the platform is a laterally moveable platform.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movable platform is situated on a support which lies on the upper surface of the platform base.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the imaging device is an X-ray tube and image intensifier with dosage control.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the imaging device is a magnetic resonance scanner.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control arm for driving movement of the moveable platform.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a processing system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the passive motion device is adapted to communicate motion information to the imaging device during use.

11. A method for obtaining an automated measurement of a relative motion of skeletal structures in vivo comprising:

i) positioning a subject on a passive motion device adapted and configured to continuously move a joint during a use session;

ii) imaging the subject positioned on the passive motion device during the use session with an imaging device;

iii) collecting image data while the passive motion device is continuously moving the joint;

iv) sampling data collected and superimposing a time code on the collected image data;

v) tracking a template marked on an individual bone segment; and

vi) transforming a result of tracking to reflect a changing spatial relationship of the individual bone segment between image segments.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the imaging device is an X-ray tube and image intensifier with dosage control.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the imaging device is a magnetic resonance scanner.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the passive motion device further comprises a movable platform situated on a support which lies on an upper surface of a platform base.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the imaging device is an X-ray tube and image intensifier with dosage control.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the imaging device is a magnetic resonance scanner.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein a calibration step is carried out prior to the method steps i) to vi).

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the relative motion of lumbar vertebrae L3 to L3, L3 to L4 and L4 to L5 are tracked simultaneously or separately.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the relative motion of lumbar vertebrae L3 to L3, L3 to L4 and L4 to L5 are tracked simultaneously or separately.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is for a diagnosis of a pseudoarthrosis in the subject, and the method comprising analysing the relative motion of skeletal structures in the subject.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the imaging device is an X-ray tube and image intensifier with dosage control.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the imaging device is a magnetic resonance scanner.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the platform is a laterally moveable platform.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the movable platform is situated on a support which lies on an upper surface of a platform base.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the imaging device is an X-ray tube and image intensifier with dosage control.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the imaging device is a magnetic resonance scanner.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein a calibration step is carried out prior to the method steps i) to vi).

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the relative motion of lumbar vertebrae L3 to L3, L3 to L4 and L4 to L5 are tracked simultaneously or separately.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the relative motion of lumbar vertebrae L3 to L3, L3 to L4 and L4 to L5 are tracked simultaneously or separately.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of presenting an output in graphical form.