Hardness tester for living body

• US 5,879,312 A
• Filed: 10/29/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Imoto Machinery Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Imoto Machinery Company Limited
• Inventors: Imoto, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US08/960,287
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 600/550, 600/552, 600/553, 600/587, 73/81, 73/82
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0053 by applying pressure, e.g. compression, indentation, palpation, grasping, gauging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/442 Evaluating skin mechanical properties, e.g. elasticity, hardness, texture, wrinkle assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/42 by performing impressions under a steady load by indentors, e.g. sphere, pyramid G01N3/54 takes precedence

Abstract

In a hardness tester according to the present invention, an indentor is urged by an indentor spring and moves against the indentor spring when pressed against an object part of a living body. The indentor is inserted in a sleeve which is urged by a sub spring weaker than the indentor spring and moves against the sub spring when pressed against the part of the living body. A converter converts an amount of movement of the indentor into an electrical signal. A trigger generates a trigger signal when the sleeve has moved by a predetermined amount. A control unit carries out a process when receiving the trigger signal, the process including steps of: receiving the digital signal from the converter; displaying the amount of movement of the indentor on a display; storing the amount in a memory unit; calculating a difference in hardness of the part of the living body between a relaxed condition and a strained condition; and displaying the difference on the display.

Claims

1. A hardness tester for a living body, comprising:

a) an indentor which is urged by an indentor spring and moves against the indentor spring when pressed against a part of the living body;

b) a sleeve in which the indentor is inserted and which is urged by a sub spring weaker than the indentor spring and moves against the sub spring when pressed against the part of the living body;

c) a converter for converting an amount of movement of the indentor into an electrical signal;

d) a trigger for generating a trigger signal when the sleeve has moved by a predetermined amount; and

e) a control unit for carrying out a process when receiving the trigger signal, the process including steps of;

receiving the electrical signal from the converter;

displaying the amount of movement of the indentor on a display;

storing the amount in a memory unit;

calculating a difference in hardness of the part of the living body between a relaxed condition and a strained condition; and

displaying the difference on the display.

2. The hardness tester according to claim 1, wherein the converter includes a linear scale and an encoder for converting the amount of movement of the indentor into a digital signal.

3. The hardness tester according to claim 1, wherein the converter includes a displacement sensor for measuring the amount of movement based on a change in the capacitance of a condenser.

4. A hardness tester for a living body, comprising a plurality of measurement units, each measurement unit including:

a) an indentor which is urged by an indentor spring and moves against the indentor spring when pressed against a part of the living body;

b) a sleeve in which the indentor is inserted and which is urged by a sub spring weaker than the indentor spring and moves against the sub spring when pressed against the part of the living body;

c) a converter for converting an amount of movement of the indentor into an electrical signal; and

d) a trigger for generating a trigger signal when the sleeve has moved by a predetermined amount, where the measurement units are combined together so that all the lower ends of the indentors and the sleeves are aligned on the same plane, and the hardness tester further includes;

e) a control unit for carrying out a process when receiving the trigger signal, the process including steps of;

receiving the electrical signals from the converters of the measurement units;

taking an average of the movements of the indentors measured by the measurement units corresponding to the plurality of points in proximity to an object point on the part of the living body;

displaying the average of movements of the indentors on a display;

storing the average in a memory unit;

calculating a difference in hardness of the part of the living body between a relaxed condition and a strained condition; and

displaying the difference on the display.

5. The hardness tester according to claim 4, wherein the converter includes a linear scale and an encoder for converting the amount of movement of the indentor into a digital signal.

6. The hardness tester according to claim 4, wherein the converter includes a displacement sensor for measuring the amount of movement based on a change in the capacitance of a condenser.

7. A hardness tester for a living body, comprising a plurality of measurement units, each measurement unit including:

a) an indentor for indenting a part of the living body;

b) a sleeve in which the indentor is inserted;

c) an urging mechanism for urging the indentor and the sleeve, where a stress on the indentor is larger than that on the sleeve; and

d) a calculator for calculating a hardness of the part of the living body based on a difference between a displacement of the indentor and a displacement of the sleeve when pressed against the part of the living body, where the measurement units are combined together so that all the lower ends of the indentors and the sleeves are aligned on the same plane, and the hardness tester further comprising;

e) an average calculator for taking an average of hardness measured by the measurement units at the plurality of points around an object point at one time.