SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

• US 20090076732A1
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McGill University, Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: McGill University, Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Wang, Qi, Hayward, Vincent, Caspall, Jayme, Kong, Linghua, Sprigle, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0051 by applying vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/442 Evaluating skin mechanical properties, e.g. elasticity, hardness, texture, wrinkle assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore

Abstract

The various embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the analysis of the mechanical properties of materials. More particularly, the various embodiments of the present invention relates to systems and methods of deriving the static and dynamic mechanical properties of deformative materials, for example, but not limited to, biological surfaces. The systems and methods of the present invention can be used to derive and evaluate the mechanical properties of many biological surfaces and subsurfaces, including but not limited to the skin.

Claims

1. A system for deriving at least one mechanical property of a surface, the system comprising at least one dual-pinned flexion element adapted to derive at least one mechanical property of the surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the at least one dual-pinned flexion element comprises a piezoelectric material.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one dual-pinned flexion element comprises at least two dual-pinned flexion elements.

4. A system for deriving at least one property of a surface, the system comprising:

at least two flexion elements adapted to contact the surface, at least two of the at least two flexion elements comprising a first flexion element and a second flexion element;

at least two support members, wherein the first flexion element is attached to a first support member by a first pair of attachment elements, and wherein the second flexion element is attached to a second support member by a second pair of attachment elements;

a drive system for driving at least two of the at least two flexion elements;

a detection system to detect deflection of at least two of the at least two flexion elements; and

a processing system to interpret the deflection of at least two of the at least two flexion elements detected by the detection system to derive at least one mechanical property of the surface.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first flexion element is positioned substantially parallel to the second flexion element in a non-driven state.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein at least two of the at least two flexion elements comprise a piezoelectric material.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein at least two of the at least two flexion elements are driven tangentially to the surface by the drive system.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein at least one flexion elements is driven from a position not in contact with the surface to position in contact with the surface by the drive system.

9. The system of claim 4, further comprising a control system, wherein the control system controls the application of force to the surface by the system for deriving at least one property of a surface.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the detection system comprises at least one sensor that contacts the surface.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one mechanical property comprises elasticity, viscosity, surface stiffness surface thickness, relaxation, creep, hysteresis, or combinations thereof.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the surface is a biological surface.

13. A method for deriving at least one property of a surface, the method comprising:

contacting the surface with a dual-pinned flexion element;

stimulating the surface by displacing the dual-pinned flexion element from an initial state to an open state with a drive system;

detecting the deflection of the dual-pinned flexion element by the surface; and

deriving at least one mechanical property of the surface based upon the deflection of the dual-pinned flexion element.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein contacting a dual-pinned flexion element to a surface comprises contacting a dual-pinned piezoelectric flexion element

15. The method of claim 13, wherein contacting a dual-pinned flexion element to a surface further comprises applying a desired force to the surface.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein stimulating the surface with the dual-pinned flexion element comprises driving the dual-pinned flexion element tangential to the surface by the drive system.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein stimulating the surface with the dual-pinned flexion element comprises driving the dual-pinned flexion element from a position not in contact with the surface to position in contact with the surface by the drive system.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling the application of force to the surface by the dual-pinned flexion element.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein deriving at least one property of the surface comprises calculating elasticity, viscosity, surface stiffness surface thickness, relaxation, creep, hysteresis, or combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting the surface response to mechanical stimulation by contacting a sensor to the surface.