Device for Measuring Real-Time Pressure Exerted By a Support Surface on a Perineal Artery

• US 20100292615A1
• Filed: 05/12/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Inventors: Niederberger, Craig S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,022,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4393 Sexual arousal or erectile dysfunction evaluation, e.g. tumescence evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6813 Specially adapted to be attached to a specific body part A61B5/6802 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Provided are methods and devices for measuring real-time pressures on the perineum of a user positioned on a surface. In an embodiment the surface is a bicycle seat and the real-time measurement is a pressure map of the pressure distribution during a bicycle ride. The methods relate to connecting a pressure sensor to the perineum region of the user, positioning the user on the surface, wherein the pressure sensor is positioned between the perineum and the surface, and obtaining output from the pressure sensor while the user is positioned on the surface, such as during a bicycle ride. The devices relate to a plurality of pressure sensors capable of being connected to the perineum region and a microcontroller containing a drive circuit and chip for analog-to-digital conversion and storage. One use of the methods and devices are to assess risk of erectile dysfunction for bicycle riders.

Claims

1. A method of measuring the pressure exerted by a surface on the perineum of a user positioned on the surface, said method comprising the steps of:

connecting a pressure sensor to the perineum region of the user;

positioning the user on the surface, wherein the pressure sensor is positioned between the perineum and the surface; and

obtaining output from the pressure sensor while the user is positioned on the surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface is formed from a bicycle seat and the method further comprises the step of:

evaluating the risk of erectile dysfunction by the bicycle seat on the user from the obtained output.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a plurality of pressure sensors are connected to the perineum region of the user to obtain a pressure map of the perineum region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pressure map corresponds to the pressure on one or more of the following arteries of the perineum region selected from the group consisting of:

left proximal artery;

left distal artery;

right proximal artery, right distal artery, and internal pudendal artery.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the pressure map is generated by six individual pressure sensors.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the output is a time course of the pressure map.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the time course is for a period that is greater than or equal to two hours.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the obtained output is from non-stationary bicycle riding for a time period.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the analyzing step further comprises comparing the obtained output to a user-selected pressure level.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the risk of erectile dysfunction is identified as high for a bicycle seat that exerts a maximum pressure on the perineum that is greater than or equal to the user-selected pressure level for a time period that is greater than or equal to a user-selected time period, wherein the user-selected pressure level is related to a perineal artery occlusion pressure.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of determining perineal artery occlusion pressure for the user by:

exerting a pressure on a perineal artery of the user;

identifying the pressure as the perineal artery occlusion pressure for the user; and

identifying the output of the pressure sensor for the perineal artery occlusion pressure to obtain an occlusion pressure sensor value.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the evaluating step comprises

comparing a maximum output of the pressure sensor against the occlusion pressure sensor value;

and

identifying the risk of erectile dysfunction as high for a maximum output that is greater than or equal to the occlusion pressure sensor value.

13. A method of assessing a bicycle seat erectile dysfunction risk factor for a user of the bicycle seat, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a bicycle seat having a surface with a geometry;

connecting a plurality of pressure sensors to the perineum of the user to obtain a pressure map of the perineum;

introducing the user to the bicycle seat surface to at least simulate bicycle riding, wherein the pressure sensors are positioned between the perineum and the bicycle seat surface;

obtaining a time course of the perineum pressure map from the plurality of pressure sensors; and

assessing the bicycle seat erectile dysfunction risk factor from the obtained time course.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the assessing step comprises comparing a maximum pressure output from the time course and identifying the bicycle seat erectile dysfunction factor as at least medium for maximum pressure output that is greater than or equal to a user-selected pressure.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising identifying the bicycle seat erectile dysfunction factor as high for maximum pressure output that exceeds the user-selected pressure for a user-selected time period.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

modifying the bicycle seat surface geometry to minimize the bicycle seat erectile dysfunction risk factor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the modification step reduces a maximum pressure output of the time course by at least 20%.

18. A device for measuring perineal pressure during bicycle riding, said device comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors adapted for connection to a perineal region of a bicycle rider for generating a pressure map over the perineal region; and

a microcontroller operably connected to the plurality of pressure sensors to store a time course of the pressure map from the plurality of pressure sensors, wherein the microcontroller is self-contained and functionally portable.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the pressure map comprises a pressure exerted against one or more of the arteries of the perineal region, the arteries selected from the group consisting of:

left proximal artery;

left distal artery;

right proximal artery;

right distal artery; and

pudendal artery.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the microcontroller is positioned on the bicycle rider.