Device, Sensor, Sensor Element and Method for Measuring the Profile of a Spinal Column and for Measuring Changes in the Profile of the Spinal Column

• US 20090234250A1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bausewein, Andreas, Happel, Tobias, Goldbeck, Dirk David, Bierhoff, Thomas, Schrage, Hans-Jürgen
• Granted Patent: US 8,241,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/594
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0266 Optical strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/187 Strain relief means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1077 Measuring of profiles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4566 Evaluating the spine A61B5/4561 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip

Abstract

The profile of the spinal column and changes in the profile of the spinal column are continuously measured during movement along the entire spinal column in all degrees of freedom of its deformation.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A device for measuring a profile of a spinal column, comprising:

profile measurement means for continuously measuring the profile of the spinal column; and

change measurement means for continuously measuring changes to the profile of the spinal column during movement along all of the spinal column in all degrees of freedom of deformation of the spinal column.

29. The device as claimed in claim 28, wherein said profile measurement means and said change measurement means together comprise:

at least one sensor, sensitive to a deformation in a direction of at least one degree of freedom, that detects at least part of the spinal column to be measured; and

an evaluation unit connected to the sensor.

31. The device as claimed in claim 29, wherein said sensor is divided into portions, each portion including at least one optical waveguide having at least one bending-sensitive zone relative to the deformation in the direction of at least one degree of freedom, for continuously measuring the profile of the spinal column and changes to the profile of the spinal column within the respective portion and/or over adjacent portions.

32. The device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the portions are in succession, at least at intervals of adjacent vertebrae of the spinal column.

33. The device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the portions are directly in succession.

34. The device as claimed in claim 33,

wherein three optical waveguides are included with at least one respective bending-sensitive zone per portion,

wherein each of the optical waveguides has at least one bending-sensitive zone within a respective portion for measuring one respective degree of freedom, in lateral and dorsal movement as well as in torsion.

30. The device as claimed in claim 30, wherein said sensor comprises:

at least one optical waveguide extending over at least one part of the spinal column to be measured, having at least one bending-sensitive zone relative to a deformation in the direction of at least one degree of freedom;

at least one light source radiating a constant light output at a first end of said at least one optical waveguide; and

at least one receiver measuring output light incident at a second end of said at least one optical waveguide, said receiver being connected to the evaluation unit.

35. A sensor that is part of a device for continuously measuring a profile of a spinal column and changes to the profile during movement along all of the spinal column in all degrees of freedom of deformation of the spinal column, said sensor comprising:

at least one optical waveguide extending over at least one part of the spinal column to be measured, having at least one bending-sensitive zone relative to a deformation in a direction of at least one degree of freedom;

at least one light source radiating a constant light output at a first end of the at least one optical waveguide; and

at least one receiver measuring output light incident at a second end of the at least one optical waveguide.

36. The sensor as claimed in claim 35, wherein sensor elements are arranged directly in succession or at least at intervals of adjacent vertebrae of a spinal column, each sensor element respectively continuously measuring the profile of the spinal column and changes to the profile of the spinal column within a portion formed by the respective sensor element, and each sensor element including

at least one optical waveguide segment having at least one bending-sensitive zone relative to a deformation in the direction of at least one degree of freedom;

at least one light source radiating a constant light output at the first end of the optical waveguide segment; and

at least one receiver measuring the output light incident at the second end of the optical waveguide segment.

37. The sensor as claimed in claim 36, further comprising a common elastically expandable strip-shaped support material on which said sensor elements are arranged and having mobility at least corresponding to all of the spinal column in all the degrees of freedom of deformation thereof.

38. The sensor as claimed in claim 37, wherein the optical waveguide segments are arranged in a meandering manner on said support material.

39. The sensor as claimed in claim 37, further comprising support plates, having a high tensile strength but which are flexible, arranged on said strip-shaped support material, on which the optical waveguides are fastened partially and are arranged extending between adjacent support plates in arcuate expansion loops.

40. The sensor as claimed in claim 39, further comprising protection means for protecting the strip-shaped support material from overexpansion.

41. The sensor as claimed in claim 40, wherein said protection means includes tension straps arranged on both sides along longitudinal sides of said strip-shaped support material and tensioned beyond a definable expansion of said strip-shaped support material and thus prevent a further expansion of said strip-shaped support material.

42. A sensor element for use in a sensor that is part of a device for continuously measuring a profile of a spinal column and changes to the profile during movement along all of the spinal column in all degrees of freedom of deformation of the spinal column, comprising:

at least one optical waveguide extending over a part of the spinal column to be measured and having at least one bending-sensitive zone relative to a deformation in the direction of at least one degree of freedom.

43. The sensor element as claimed in claim 42, wherein said at least one optical waveguide includes one respective optical waveguide for each degree of freedom, each optical waveguide having at least one respective bending-sensitive zone designed for deformation in a respective direction of a respective degree of freedom.

44. The sensor element as claimed in claim 43, wherein the sensor element is provided for measuring a spinal column in the degrees of freedom, in dorsal and lateral movement and in torsion, and

wherein the sensor element includes three optical waveguides with at least one respective bending-sensitive zone measuring the respective degree of freedom.

45. The sensor element as claimed in claim 44, wherein the bending-sensitive zone of the respective optical waveguide is formed by partial geometric changes in a core-cladding transition zone.

46. The sensor element as claimed in claim 45, wherein the partial geometric changes in the core-cladding transition zone is produced by mechanical machining of the respective optical waveguide in a region of the core-cladding transition zone thereof.

47. The sensor element as claimed in claim 46, wherein the bending-sensitive zone of the respective optical waveguide is arranged on a peripheral position thereof.

48. The sensor element as claimed in claim 47, wherein the respective optical waveguide has an interior and the partial geometric changes depending on the bending of the respective optical waveguide include indentations in the core-cladding transition zone influencing scattering behavior and reflection behavior in the interior of the respective optical waveguide.

49. A method for continuously measuring a profile of a spinal column and changes to the profile of the spinal column during movement along all of the spinal column in all degrees of freedom of deformation of the spinal column, comprising:

arranging at least one optical waveguide with at least one bending-sensitive zone along the spinal column relative to at least one degree of freedom to be measured;

radiating light into the optical waveguide at a first end of the optical waveguide;

measuring incident light output at a second end of the optical waveguide; and

determining the deformation of the spinal column by comparing the incident light output with the light radiated into the optical waveguide.

50. The method as claimed in claim 49,

further comprising initially dividing the spinal column into a plurality of portions to be measured,

wherein the at least one optical waveguide has at least one bending-sensitive zone for a degree of freedom to be measured along the spinal column within at least one sensor element, and

wherein said arranging arranges at least one respective sensor element per portion along the spinal column.

51. A method as claimed in claim 49,

wherein the at least one optical waveguide includes a plurality of optical waveguides which are fastened to a support strip, and

wherein said arranging arranges the support strip with the optical waveguides fastened thereon, along the spinal column to be measured.

52. A method as claimed in claim 51, wherein three respective optical waveguides are provided for measuring one respective degree of freedom within each portion along the spinal column.

53. A method as claimed in claim 52, wherein the bending-sensitive zones of the optical waveguides are produced by mechanical machining of the optical waveguides.

54. A method as claimed in claim 53,

wherein said determining the deformation of the spinal column includes comparing the incident light output with the light radiated into the optical waveguide in a time-discrete manner, and

wherein said method further comprises storing the deformations thus determined.