Method for obtaining a signal for analyzing human and animal joint functions

• US 4,986,281 A
• Filed: 01/12/1990
• Issued: 01/22/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Preves, David A., Holte, James E., Leonard, Myer S., Rosengren, Brian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US07/469,756
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 178/660.01, 178/739, 178/773, 178/774, 178/782, 73/602, 73/641, 455/126, 455/158
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0051 by applying vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/006 Detecting skeletal, cartilage or muscle noise A61B7/003 and A61B7/008 take precedence

Abstract

A non-invasive, non-ionizing, reproducible method and apparatus for analyzing the normal and abnormal function of human and animal joints is presented. The method includes passing vibrations through the joint to be analyzed and measuring the modulation of the amplitude and the phase characteristics of the vibrations caused by movement of the joint through a predetermined cycle. More specifically, the method includes transmitting a sinusoidal vibratory signal through a joint structure to be analyzed and measuring the amplitude and phase of the signal received on the opposite side of the joint during a prescribed movement of the joint both with and without the application of external mechanical forces, and comparing the profile of the modulated signal to the profiles obtained from reference joints. The apparatus includes a piezoelectric or magnetic transducer adapted to be positioned on one side of a joint to be analyzed to provide the vibrational signal and one or more receiving transducers placed on the other side of the joint to detect the modulated vibratory signal produced by the associated joint structure.

Claims

1. A non-invasive method for obtaining a signal to be used for analyzing functions of human and animal joints which comprises:

producing a sinusoidal vibrational first signal having a signal predetermined frequency with measurable phase and amplitude characteristics,

transmitting the first signal through the joint to be analyzed,

moving the joint through a series of positions during such transmission to produce a modulated signal,

detecting at least one of the characteristics of the modulated signal after the transmitted signal has passed through the joint during opening and closing thereof,

presenting for analysis the detected modulated signal,

and detecting the transmitted signal without passing the same through the articulated joint and differencing the second detected signal from the first detected signal to produce a resultant signal modulated solely by the transmission of the signal through the articulated joint.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the modulated signal being detected constitutes the amplitude characteristic of the signal passing through the joint.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the modulated signal being detected constitutes the phase characteristic of the signal passing through the joint.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the modulated signal being detected constitutes both the phase and amplitude characteristic of the signal passing through the joint.