System and method for providing quantified hand analysis
First Claim
1. A system for objective, repeatable, non-invasive analysis of a person'"'"'s hand and/or wrist to determine the presence or absence of neural, muscular, soft tissue, bone or joint damage thereto, said system comprising:
- three or more force members one of which is engageable by the thumb of said person'"'"'s hand and two of which are engageable by other digits at least one of which is innervated by the ulnar nerve and through which forces exerted in moving said thumb and other digits toward or away from each other in natural gripping and releasing motions may be transmitted, force detector means operatively connected to at least two of said force members one of which is engaged by an ulnar nerve innervated digit and one of which is engaged by a median nerve innervated digit, for measuring the quantity of force applied through said force members by a respective thumb or other digit of said person'"'"'s hand and for producing outputs indicative of the forces generated by said digits; and
display means for displaying said outputs.
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Abstract
A non-invasive system and method of determining the presence or absence of neural, muscular, soft tissue, bone or joint damage to a person'"'"'s hand and/or wrist. The system includes a plurality of force members, one of which is engageable by the person'"'"'s thumb and two of which are engageable by other digits of the hand, at least one of the other digits being innervated by the ulnar nerve. Force detectors are operatively connected to at least two of the force members for measuring the quantity of force applied through respective force members as the thumb and other digits are brought toward each other in a natural gripping motion. The measured forces are displayed for analysis of the hand and/or wrist.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for objective, repeatable, non-invasive analysis of a person'"'"'s hand and/or wrist to determine the presence or absence of neural, muscular, soft tissue, bone or joint damage thereto, said system comprising:
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three or more force members one of which is engageable by the thumb of said person'"'"'s hand and two of which are engageable by other digits at least one of which is innervated by the ulnar nerve and through which forces exerted in moving said thumb and other digits toward or away from each other in natural gripping and releasing motions may be transmitted, force detector means operatively connected to at least two of said force members one of which is engaged by an ulnar nerve innervated digit and one of which is engaged by a median nerve innervated digit, for measuring the quantity of force applied through said force members by a respective thumb or other digit of said person'"'"'s hand and for producing outputs indicative of the forces generated by said digits; and
display means for displaying said outputs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A non-invasive method of determining the presence or absence of neural, muscular, soft tissue, bone or joint damage to a person'"'"'s hand and/or wrist, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) having said person engage, with the pads of the tip of at least three digits of said hand, respective ones of three or more force transmitting members which are operatively aligned so that the surface of each of said force members is perpendicular to the force exerted thereto by its respectively engaging digit;
(b) having said person move said digits toward or away from each other as said person closes or opens said hand in natural gripping and releasing motions;
(c) measuring the force transmitted to at least two of said force transmitting members, one of which is engaged by a median nerve innervated digit and one of which is engaged by an ulnar nerve innervated digit, to provide quantifiable outputs therefor; and
(d) displaying said quantifiable outputs representing the forces exerted by at least two digits innervated by differing nerves. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification