Tension sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus to measure forces in a portion of tissue comprising:
- a frame;
a flexure member cantilevered from the frame, the flexure member comprising parallel flexure plates and a connector wall, the flexure plates having first ends thereof attached to the frame and second ends thereof joined with the connector wall;
a load plate mounted to the flexure member;
support means mounted to said frame and opposite said load plate for supporting a tissue portion to be measured;
means for adjusting the load plate to clamp the tissue portion between said load plate and said support means; and
sensing means connected to said flexure member for providing an output signal representative of flexure forces on said flexure member, said flexure member being responsive to loading exerted between the load plate and the support means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A force sensor is used to determine tension forces present in a portion of tissue adjacent a body joint. A support plate is inserted under a tissue portion through two spaced apart incisions. The ends of the support plate are exposed and are mounted to a sensor frame along with a flexure member. A load plate mounted to the flexure member transfers force loads sensed from the tissue portion to the flexure member. A strain gage is mounted to the flexure member to provide an output signal representative of the force on the flexure member and thus forces in the tissue.
93 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. An apparatus to measure forces in a portion of tissue comprising:
-
a frame; a flexure member cantilevered from the frame, the flexure member comprising parallel flexure plates and a connector wall, the flexure plates having first ends thereof attached to the frame and second ends thereof joined with the connector wall; a load plate mounted to the flexure member; support means mounted to said frame and opposite said load plate for supporting a tissue portion to be measured; means for adjusting the load plate to clamp the tissue portion between said load plate and said support means; and sensing means connected to said flexure member for providing an output signal representative of flexure forces on said flexure member, said flexure member being responsive to loading exerted between the load plate and the support means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A force sensor for determining tension forces present in a portion of tissue surrounding a body joint, the force sensor comprising:
-
a frame; a flexure member cantilevered from the frame, the flexure member comprising parallel flexure plates and a connector wall, the flexure plates having first ends thereof attached to the frame and second ends thereof joined with the connector wall; a load plate mounted to the flexure member; support means mounted to said frame and opposite said load plate for supporting a portion of tissue to be measured; sensing means mounted to the flexure member for sensing tension forces, the tension forces being transferred from the load plate to the flexure member; a press assembly acting on the load plate to clamp the tissue between the load plate and the support means; and guide means operatively connected to the load plate and the flexure member for aligning the load plate relative to the support means and flexure member as the press assembly clamps the tissue between the load plate and the support means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method to measure forces in a portion of tissue including the steps of:
-
providing a sensor assembly having a support plate, a substantially rigid load plate opposite said support plate, a flexure member joined to said load plate, the flexure member having a flexure sensing device; locating said support plate to support a portion of tissue; compressing the tissue between said load plate and said support plate; generating a force in said tissue; sensing the force transferred from said load plate to said flexure member; and providing an output signal from the flexure sensing device representative of the force. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification