Non-invasive determination of mechanical characteristics in the body
First Claim
1. A method for inducing vibrations in a selected element of the human body and detecting the nature of response for determining internal pressure of said selected element non-invasively, said method comprising steps of:
- inducing vibrations in a selected element of the body by use of a driver means, including vibrations at multiple frequencies below 20 KHz by operation of said driver means,determining a velocity parameter and a force parameter, said parameters being related in a manner whereby mechanical power flowing between a predetermined region of said driver means and said body, including power arising from operation of said driver means below 20 KHz, is a function of said velocity and force parameters,sensing time-variation of at least one dimension of said selected element, including in response to operation of said driver means below 20 KHz,determining, from said time-variation, at least one component of vibration mode shape,determining time-samples of said velocity parameter, said force parameter and said component of mode shape,processing said time-samples by time-windowing and correlation with sinusoids at multiple frequencies, to obtain time-frequency parameters of window-center-time and frequency for each said velocity parameter, force parameter and component of vibration mode shape, and including amplitude and phase information,determining changes in said time-frequency parameters from one said window-center-time to another caused at least in part by change in internal pressure of said selected element from one window-center-time to another,calculating, from said time-frequency parameters and changes, mechanical vibrational impedances of said selected element in its surroundings at more than one frequency, andcomputing, from said impedances, said internal pressure.
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Abstract
A non-invasive system and method for inducing vibrations in a selected element of the human body and detecting the nature of responses for determining mechanical characteristics of the element are provided. The method comprises the steps of: inducing multiple-frequency vibrations, including below 20 KHz, in a selected element of the body by use of a driver; determining parameters of the vibration exerted on the body by the driver; sensing variations of a dimension of the element of the body over time, including in response to the driver; correlating the variations with frequency components of operation of the driver below 20 KHz to determine corresponding frequency components of the variations; resolving the frequency components into components of vibration mode shape; and determining the mechanical characteristics of the element on the basis of the parameters of vibration exerted by the driver and of the components of vibration mode shape.
249 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method for inducing vibrations in a selected element of the human body and detecting the nature of response for determining internal pressure of said selected element non-invasively, said method comprising steps of:
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inducing vibrations in a selected element of the body by use of a driver means, including vibrations at multiple frequencies below 20 KHz by operation of said driver means, determining a velocity parameter and a force parameter, said parameters being related in a manner whereby mechanical power flowing between a predetermined region of said driver means and said body, including power arising from operation of said driver means below 20 KHz, is a function of said velocity and force parameters, sensing time-variation of at least one dimension of said selected element, including in response to operation of said driver means below 20 KHz, determining, from said time-variation, at least one component of vibration mode shape, determining time-samples of said velocity parameter, said force parameter and said component of mode shape, processing said time-samples by time-windowing and correlation with sinusoids at multiple frequencies, to obtain time-frequency parameters of window-center-time and frequency for each said velocity parameter, force parameter and component of vibration mode shape, and including amplitude and phase information, determining changes in said time-frequency parameters from one said window-center-time to another caused at least in part by change in internal pressure of said selected element from one window-center-time to another, calculating, from said time-frequency parameters and changes, mechanical vibrational impedances of said selected element in its surroundings at more than one frequency, and computing, from said impedances, said internal pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A non-invasive system for inducing vibration in a selected element of the body and detecting the nature of the response for determining internal pressure of said selected element,
said system comprising: -
a driver means adapted for inducing vibrations, including vibrations below 20 KHz, in said selected element of the body, means for determining a velocity parameter and a force parameter related in a manner whereby mechanical power flowing between a predetermined region of said driver means and said body, including power arising from operation of said driver means below 20 KHz, is a function of said velocity and force parameters, means for sensing time-variation of at least one dimension of said selected element, including in response to operation of said driver means below 20 KHz, means for determining from said time-variation, at least one component of vibration mode shape, means for determining time-samples of said velocity parameter, said force parameter and said component of mode shape, means for processing said time-samples by time-windowing and correlation with sinusoids at multiple frequencies, to obtain time-frequency parameters of window-center-time and frequency for each said velocity parameter, force parameter and component of vibration mode shape, and including amplitude and phase information, means for determining changes in said time-frequency parameters from one said window-center-time to another caused at least in part by change in internal pressure of said selected element from one window-center-time to another, means for calculating, from said time-frequency parameters and changes, mechanical vibrational impedances of said selected element in its surroundings at more than one frequency, and computer means for computing, from said impedances, said internal pressure. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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Specification