Physiological diagnostic apparatus

• US 3,890,958 A
• Filed: 04/08/1974
• Issued: 06/24/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Louis P. Fister, Robert Paine
• Original Assignee: Louis P. Fister, Robert Paine
• Inventors: Fister, Louis P., Paine, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Application Number:
  US05/459,108
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2S,2N,2.5B 73/65,172,432,142
• US Class Current: 600/527
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1102 Ballistocardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/704 Tables

Abstract

Physiological diagnostic apparatus for determining the location of, and shifts in, the center of gravity of the human body incorporating a body support member engaged upon a base assembly for pivoting about a transverse axis, a load responsive device located beneath said body support member in a portion thereof remote from its pivot axis, a processor for receiving signals from said load responsive device, and a read-out instrument for accepting the output from said processor for display of the center of gravity behavior. Balancers are provided for eliminating the imposition of load upon said load responsive device caused by the weight of the support member and of the patient.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measurement of the extent of shifting of mass longitudinally within a patient'"'"''"'"'s recumbent body resulting from visceral changes and changes of distribution of blood and extra-cellular body fluids comprising a flat platform dimensioned for receiving a patient'"'"''"'"'s recumbent body thereon, said platform having opposed ends and side edges, a rigid support frame, rockable means mounting said platform on said frame for rockable movement about a pivot axis transversely of said platform, said rockable means inhibiting shiftable movement of said platform longitudinally and transversely and against lateral tilting, a load-actuated device provided beneath said platform and on one side of said pivot axis, said load-actuated device engaging the under face of said platform, signal processing means connected to said load-actuated device receiving signals therefrom and emitting output signals, means operatively provided with said signal processing means eliminating output signals caused by signals generated by said load-actuated device from the weight of said platform and from the weight of the patient'"'"''"'"'s body, and means driven by said signal processing means for recording output signals developed by the shifting of mass within a patient'"'"''"'"'s body in a direction longitudinally of said platform and within a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said platform.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by means cooperating with said rockable means to present said platform in horizontal disposition when at rest.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 And further characterized by said load-actuated device being located to engage said platform substantially intermediate its side edges.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said load-actuated device being a load cell productive of a voltage directly proportional to the load applied thereon.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said means operatively associated with said signal processing means being first and second balancers cancelling output signals caused by the weight of the platform and caused by the weight of the patient'"'"''"'"'s body, respectively.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 and further characterized by first and second manually operable control means for said first and second balancers, said first and second control means being independently operable.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 and further characterized by said signal processing means comprising a differential amplifier, means connecting said differential amplifier to said load-actuated device, said first and second balancers being first and second potentiometers, respectively, first and second conductors connecting said first and second potentiometers, respectively, to said differential amplifier, and manually operable control means for said first and second potentiometers.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 and further characterized by said manually operable control means for said first and second potentiometers being first and second operable independent control members.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by cushioning means provided on said platform.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said means driven by said signal processing means being a graphic recording instrument.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by graduated means provided on said platform and extending longitudinally thereof and having a portion aligned with the pivot axis thereof, and an indicator movable relatively of said graduated means whereby distances between said pivot axis and preselected locations on a patient'"'"''"'"'s body may be determined.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by detent means limiting the swinging of said platform.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by the opposed ends and side edges of said platform being free.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by manually operable control means connected to said means eliminating output signals.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said rockable means being located between the opposed ends of said platform.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 and further characterized by the spacing between the load-actuated device and said rockable means being such as to allow portions of the patient'"'"''"'"'s recumbent body to overlie said load-actuated device and said rockable means.

17. An apparatus to measure energy or power output of the heart and mass shifts in a human body comprising a base assembly, a platform assembly for supporting the human body, said platform assembly being pivotally mounted on said base assembly for swingable movement about a pivot axis, a load measuring device located between said base and platform assemblies at a predetermined distance from the said pivot axis, a signal processor connected to said load measuring device receiving signals therefrom and being productive of an output voltage, said signal processor comprising first balancing means cancelling signals produced by the weight of the platform assembly upon said load measuring device so that the output voltage from said signal processor is zero with respect to said weight, and second balancing means cancelling signals produced by the weight of the body upon said platform assembly upon said load measuring device so that the output voltage from said signal processor is zero with respect to sAid last mentioned weight, said signal processor providing resultant, conditioned output voltages produced by energy or power output of the heart or mass shifts in the body supported by said platform assembly, and a recording means driven by said resultant, conditioned output voltages.

18. An apparatus for measurement of the extent of shifting of mass longitudinally within a patient'"'"''"'"'s recumbent body resulting from visceral changes and changes of distribution of blood and extra-cellular body fluids comprising a base structure, a platform dimensioned for receiving a patient'"'"''"'"'s recumbent body thereon, said platform having at least one opening presented for underlying a predetermined portion of the patient'"'"''"'"'s body, a platform component provided within said opening, having opposed ends and said edges and with an upper surface substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the platform, rockable means mounting said platform component for rockable movement about a pivot axis transversely of said platform component, said rockable means inhibiting shiftable movement of said platform component longitudinally and transversely and against lateral tilting, a load-actuated device provided beneath said platform component and between said rockable means and one opposed end of said platform component, said load-actuated device engaging the under face of said platform component, signal processing means connected to said load-actuated device receiving signals therefrom and emitting output signals, means operatively provided with said signal processing means eliminating output signals caused by signals generated by said load-actuated device from the weight of said platform component and of the portion of a patient'"'"''"'"'s body supported on said platform component, and means driven by said signal processing means for recording output signals developed by the shifting of mass within said predetermined portion of a patient'"'"''"'"'s body in a direction longitudinally of said platform component and within a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the said platform component.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 and further characterized by said platform having a plurality of openings disposed for underlying predetermined portions of a patient'"'"''"'"'s recumbent body on said platform, said platform component being dimensioned for selected disposition within one of said openings, and closure means for the others of said openings substantially alignable with the upper surface of the platform.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 and further characterized by said platform having a plurality of openings disposed in said platform for underlying predetermined portions of a patient'"'"''"'"'s recumbent body on said platform, a platform component provided within each of said openings, conductor means connecting the load-actuated device with each platform component to said signal processing means, and selector switch means provided with said conductor means between said load-actuated device and said signal processing means.