Optical fiber sensors for monitoring joint articulation and chest expansion of a human body

• US 5,701,370 A
• Filed: 12/17/1996
• Issued: 12/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Muhs, Jeffrey D., Allison, Stephen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Palmer, Phan T. H.
• Application Number:
  US08/767,697
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 385/13, 385/12, 128/633, 128/634, 128/635, 128/774, 128/779, 128/781, 128/782, 250/227.14, 250/227.15, 250/227.16, 602/16, 602/5, 602/28, 602/20, 602/21, 602/22, 602/23, 602/26, 602/27
• US Class Current: 385/13
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/18 using photoelastic elements

Abstract

Fiber-optic sensors employing optical fibers of elastomeric material are incorporated in devices adapted to be worn by human beings in joint and chest regions for the purpose of monitoring and measuring the extent of joint articulation and chest expansion especially with respect to time.

Claims

1. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body, comprising base means having first and second end portions and a moveable central portion adapted to at least substantially span a selected movable component of a human body, securing means for fastening the first and second end portions of the base means to selected portions of the human body to maintain the base means in a fixed position with respect to said selected portions of a human body with the central portion of the base means at least substantially spanning the selected component of the human body for conjunctive movement therewith, optical fiber means formed of an elastomeric material and having first and second end regions and a central region therebetween, first attaching means for fixedly attaching the first and second end regions of the optical fiber means to the first and second end portions of the base means with the central region of the optical fiber means extending between the fixedly attached first and second end portions of the optical fiber means being positioned contiguous to the movable central portion of the base means and at least substantially spanning the selected body component, second attaching means for securing the central region of the optical fiber means to the movable central portion of the base means for effecting conjunctive movement therewith upon movement of the selected body portion to deform the central region of the optical fiber means with the extent of the deformation of the central region of the optical fiber means being dependent upon the extent of conjunctive movement of the central region of the optical fiber means with the central portion of the base means, light transmitting means coupled to one of said end regions of the optical fiber means for transmitting light through the optical fiber means, light receiving means coupled to one of said end regions of the optical fiber means for receiving light transmitted through the optical fiber means with the amount of light being received by the light receiving means being proportional to the extent of deformation of the central region of the optical fiber means and providing a signal indicative of the extent of each movement of the selected body portion from a selected position.

2. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected component of the human body is an articulation providing relative movement between adjacent skeletal portions of the human body.

3. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 2, wherein the articulation is a knee, wherein the first end and second end portions of the base means are respectively adapted to at least substantially encompass leg regions of the human body located above and below the knee, wherein the central portion of the base means comprises hinge means having first and second sections relatively movable with respect to one another about a arcuate plane upon genuflection of the knee, wherein the central region of the optical fiber means is supported by the first and second end sections by said means for attaching the central region optical fiber means to the central portion of the base means, and wherein the relative movement between the first and second sections of the hinge means effects the deformation of the central region of the optical fiber means.

4. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first and second sections of the hinge means are fixedly supported at one end region thereof to the first and second end portions of the base means and are coupled together at an opposite end region thereof by pivot means providing an axis for the relative movement between the first and second sections of the hinge means.

5. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first and second sections of the hinge means each have first and second oppositely disposed edge regions separated from one another by a substantially planar central region, wherein the pivot means are supported by the planar central region of the first and second sections of the hinge means, and wherein the central region of the optical fiber means is supported and extends along at least substantial portions of the first edge region of the first and second sections of the hinge means.

6. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second attaching means for securing the central region of the optical fiber means to the central movable portion of the base means comprises fastening means attached to the first and second sections of the hinge means and at least partially encompassing segments of the central region of the optical fiber means for supporting and maintaining the central region of the optical fiber means on said first edge region of the first and second sections of the hinge means.

7. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 6, wherein said fastening means comprises clip means for affixing the optical fiber means in place on said first edge region of the first and second sections of the hinge means, and wherein the deformation of said central region of the optical fiber means is provided by a bending of a segment of the central region of optical fiber means about said axis during the genuflection of the knee.

8. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 7, wherein said fastening means comprises tubular means affixed to said first edge region of the first and second sections of the hinge means, wherein at least substantial portions of central region of the optical fiber means is contained within said tubular means and relatively movable with respect thereto, and wherein the deformation of said central region of the optical fiber means is provided by stretching the central region of the optical fiber means during the genuflection of the knee.

9. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 3, wherein the optical fiber means comprises a core with a cladding concentrically disposed thereabout, and wherein the elastomeric material of at least one of the core and the cladding is silicone rubber.

10. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 3, wherein said securing means for fastening the first and second end portions of the base means to the selected body portions comprise strap means attached to the base means and supporting buckle means for securing the strap means in a selected position.

11. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 3, wherein timing means are coupled to receive said signal for providing a signal indicative of the number of movements with respect to time and the duration of time between and during each movement of the selected body portion.

12. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected portion of the human body is the chest region of the body subject to expansion and contraction, wherein the base means comprises elongated belt means encompassing the body about said chest region, wherein the moveable central portion of the base means comprises an elongated segment of the belt means formed of elastic material and substantially encompassing the chest region, wherein the central region of the optical fiber means is supported by the elastic segment, and wherein the deformation of said central region of the optical fiber means is provided by the stretching of the elongated segment of elastic material during the expansion of the chest region and thereby effecting at least one of stretching and bending of the central region of the optical fiber means.

13. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 12, wherein the optical fiber means comprises a core with a cladding concentrically disposed thereabout, and wherein the elastomeric material of at least one of the core and the cladding is silicone rubber.

14. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 12, wherein timing means are coupled to receive said signal for providing a signal indicative of the number of movements with respect to time and the duration of time between and during each movement of the selected body portion.

15. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 12, wherein the central region of the optical fiber means is supported on said elastic segment in a serpentine configuration, and wherein said second attaching means comprises thread means for securing the central region of the optical fiber means to the elongated segment of elastic material for conjunctive movement therewith.

16. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 12, wherein said second attaching means is provided by embedding the central region of the optical fiber means in the elongated segment of elastic material.

17. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 1, wherein timing means are coupled to receive said signal for providing a signal indicative of the number of movements with respect to time and the duration of time between and during each movement of the selected body portion.

18. A fiber-optic device for monitoring the extent of movement of a component of a human body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber means comprises a core with a cladding concentrically disposed thereabout, and wherein the elastomeric material of at least one of the core and the cladding is silicone rubber.