Method and apparatus for the acoustic detection and analysis of joint disorders
First Claim
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1. A procedure for diagnosing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, including the steps of:
- detecting in timed sequence sound patterns propagated at the temporomandibular joint and defined as TMJ propagated sound patterns;
detecting in corresponding timed sequence time varying mandibular bone displacement in three dimensions with respect to the detected TMJ propagated sound patterns; and
correlating the TMJ propagated sound patterns and the occurrence and duration thereof to the duration and displacement of the corresponding mandibular bone movement whereby joint disorders are diagnosed.
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Abstract
A noninvasive method and apparatus is presented for detecting and analyzing joint disorders utilizing an acoustic signal processing technique. The diagnostic procedure and apparatus graphically correlates joint induced sound patterns relative to the joint position in time and space thereby providing a quantitative approach for the diagnosis of specific joint disorders. The present invention, termed Arthrophonometry, is particularly well suited for differential diagnosis of the temporomandibular (TMJ) joint.
57 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A procedure for diagnosing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, including the steps of:
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detecting in timed sequence sound patterns propagated at the temporomandibular joint and defined as TMJ propagated sound patterns; detecting in corresponding timed sequence time varying mandibular bone displacement in three dimensions with respect to the detected TMJ propagated sound patterns; and correlating the TMJ propagated sound patterns and the occurrence and duration thereof to the duration and displacement of the corresponding mandibular bone movement whereby joint disorders are diagnosed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A procedure for diagnosing arthrodial, spheroid and ginglymo-arthrodial bone joint disorders, including the steps of:
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detecting in timed sequence sound patterns propagated at the bone joint and defined as bone joint propagated sound patterns; detecting in corresponding timed sequence time varying bone displacement in three dimensions with respect to the detected bone joint propagated sound patterns; and correlating the bone joint propagated sound patterns and the occurrence and duration thereof to the duration and displacement of the corresponding bone movement whereby bone joint disorders are diagnosed. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. And apparatus for diagnosing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders comprising:
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means for detecting in timed sequence sound patterns propagated at the temporomandibular joint and defined as TMJ propagated sound patterns; means for detecting in corresponding timed sequence time varying mandibular bone displacement in three dimensions with respect to the detected TMJ propagated sound patterns; and means for correlating the TMJ propagated sound patterns and the occurrence and duration thereof to the duration and displacement of the corresponding mandibular bone movement whereby joint disorders are diagnosed. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for diagnosing arthroidal, speroid and gingylmo-arthrodial bone disorders comprising:
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means for detecting in timed sequence sound patterns propagated at the joint and defined as bone joint propagated sound patterns; means for detecting in corresponding timed sequence time varying bone displacement in three dimensions with respect to the detected bone joint propagated sound patterns; and means for correlating bone joint propagated sound patterns and the occurrence and duration thereof to the duration and displacement of the corresponding bone movement whereby bone joint disorders are diagnosed. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for diagnosing bone joint disorders comprising:
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means for detecting the presence or absence of sound patterns propagated at a juncture or joint between bones and defined as bone joint propagated sound patterns; means for detecting time varying bone displacement with respect to the detected bone joint propagated sound patterns; and means for correlating the bone joint propagated sound patterns to the duration and displacement of the corresponding bone movement wherein joint disorders are diagnosed. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus for diagnosing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders comprising:
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means for detecting the presence or absence of sound patterns propagated at the temporomandibular joint and defined as TMJ propagated sound patterns; means for detecting time varying mandibular bone displacement with respect to the detected TMJ propagated sound patterns; and means for correlating the TMJ propagated sound patterns to the duration and displacement of the corresponding mandibular bone movement wherein joint disorders are diagnosed.
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37. A method for diagnosing bone joint disorders comprising the steps of:
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detecting the presence of absence of sound patterns propagated at a juncture or joint between bones and defined as bone joint propagated sound patterns; detecting time varying bone displacement with respect to the detected bone joint propagated sound patterns; and correlating the bone joint propagated sound patterns to the duration and displacement of the corresponding bone movement wherein joint disorders are diagnosed. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for diagnosing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders comprising:
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detecting the presence or absence of sound patterns propagated at the temporomandibular joint and defined as TMJ propagated sound patterns; detecting time varying mandibular bone displacement with respect to the detected TMJ propagated sound patterns;
Andcorrelating the TMJ propagated sound patterns to the duration and displacement of the corresponding mandibular bone movement wherein joint disorders are diagnosed.
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Specification