Contour mapping system and method particularly useful as a spine analyzer and probe therefor

• US 6,524,260 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orthoscan Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ortho SCAN Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Sturlesi, Gideon E., Coter, Florin, Shechtman, Adi
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANS, ROBIN OCTAVIA
• Application Number:
  US10/035,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 600/594, 600/587, 600/409
• US Class Current: 600/594
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1077 Measuring of profiles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4561 Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature A61B5/1116 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips

Abstract

A contour mapping system useful as a spine analyzer includes a probe for application to a user'"'"'s hand with the outer tip of at least one finger of the hand movable along the outer surface of the person'"'"'s spine or other object whose contour is to be mapped. A position sensor carried by the probe is movable with the user'"'"'s finger as the finger moves along the outer surface of the object. The system tracks and displays the movements of the position sensor as the probe is moved with the user'"'"'s hand along the outer surface of the object. An ultrasonic transducer may be combined with the position sensor on the same probe and used to examine particular vertebrae, such as apex vertebrae, for rotation and/or deformation.

Claims

1. A probe for use in a contour mapping system, said probe being constructed so as to be carried by a user'"'"'s hand with a finger tip of at least one finger of the user'"'"'s hand movable along the outer surface of the object whose contour is to be mapped;

said probe including a position sensor to be located at a predetermined position with respect to said finger tip for sensing the position of the probe, and thereby of said finger tip, as the probe is moved by the user'"'"'s hand along the outer surface of the object whose contour is to be mapped.

2. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said probe further comprises a depressible button depressible by the thumb of the user'"'"'s hand to enter the location of said position sensor at the instant the button is depressed.

3. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said probe is constructed for grasping by the user'"'"'s hand with the finger tip of at least one finger in said predetermined position with respect to said position sensor of the probe.

4. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said probe includes a handle graspable by the user'"'"'s hand, and a finger supporting member fixed at one end of said handle for supporting the user'"'"'s index finger tip at said predetermined position with respect to the position sensor of the probe.

5. The probe according to claim 4, wherein said position sensor is fixed within said finger supporting member.

6. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said probe is constructed for mounting on said at least one finger of the user'"'"'s hand, with said position sensor at said predetermined position with respect to said finger tip.

7. The probe according to claim 6, wherein said probe is constructed so as to expose said finger tip for direct contact with the outer surface of the object whose contour is to be mapped.

8. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said probe is constructed for mounting on two adjacent fingers of the user'"'"'s hand with the tips of the two adjacent fingers exposed for direct contact with the object whose contour is to be mapped.

9. The probe according to claim 1, wherein said probe also includes an ultrasonic transducer for sensing the physical structure of the object whose contour is to be mapped.

10. The probe according to claim 9, wherein said probe includes two position sensors located on opposite sides of said ultrasonic transducer.

15. A contour mapping system for mapping the contour of an object, comprising:

a probe according to claim 1; and

a position tracking system for tracking the movements of the position sensor of the probe, and thereby of the finger tip of the user'"'"'s hand, as the probe is moved with the user'"'"'s hand along the outer surface of said object.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said position tracking system includes a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field in the space occupied by said object, and the position sensor of the probe is a magnetic sensor for sensing the instantaneous position of the probe within said magnetic field.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said position tracking system is included in a workstation which further includes a data processor and a display for displaying data corresponding to the instantaneous position of the probe as it is moved along the outer surface of the object.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said data processor further includes a storage device for storing said displayed data in a manner enabling it to be retrieved for comparison with corresponding data obtained by subsequently mapping said object.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said system further comprises a reference fixed to said object, and said position tracking system tracks the movements of said position sensor with respect to said reference.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said probe also includes an ultrasonic transducer for sensing the physical structure of said object;

and wherein said system further includes a display for displaying the position of said probe position sensor, and thereby of the outer tip of said at least one finger, together with information representing the physical structure of said object.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said probe includes two position sensors located on opposite sides of said ultrasonic transducer, said display displaying the physical structure of said object together with the positions of said two position sensors.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein the object whose contour is to be mapped is the spine of a person, and said data processor is programmed to display data regarding the person'"'"'s spine as mapped by said probe.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the system further includes a weighing scale for measuring the weight of the person and for displaying the measured weight on the display.

11. A probe for contour mapping the outer surface of an object comprising:

a position sensor carried by the probe for sensing the position of the probe as it is moved along the outer surface of the object whose contour is to be mapped; and

an ultrasonic transducer carried by the probe for sensing the physical structure of the object whose contour is to be mapped.

12. The probe according to claim 11, wherein the probe also includes a display screen for displaying the movements of the probe as it is moved along the outer surface of the object.

13. The probe according to claim 11, wherein the probe includes two position sensors on opposite sides of the ultrasonic transducer.

14. The probe according to claim 11, wherein the probe further includes a handle for grasping the probe and for moving it along the outer surface of the object.

24. A contour mapping system for mapping the contour of an object, comprising:

a probe according to claim 11;

a position tracking system for tracking the movements of the position sensor as the probe is moved along the outer surface of the object; and

a display screen for displaying the movements of the probe as the probe is moved along the outer surface of the object, and the physical structure of the object at any selected location thereon.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the object whose contour is to be mapped is the spine of a person, and said data processor is programmed to display data regarding the person'"'"'s spine as mapped by said probe.

26. A method of examining a subject'"'"'s spine, comprising:

providing the hand of an examiner with a probe having a position sensor at a predetermined location with respect to a finger tip of the examiner'"'"'s hand;

moving the finger tip along the spinous processes of the vertebrae of the subject'"'"'s spine;

upon feeling a spinous process with the finger tip, recording the position of the probe, and thereby of the felt spinous process;

and utilizing said recorded positions of the felt spinous processes to calculate and display the curvature of the subject'"'"'s spine.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the location and angle of each vertebra is determined, the curvature of the spine is calculated, and the deformity angle of at least one segment of the spine defined by two inflection points is determined by the deformity angles of the two vertebrae at the inflection points defining the respective segment.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the examiner'"'"'s finger tip is moved to the top of the subject'"'"'s head, and the position of the probe is recorded to also provide a measurement of the subject'"'"'s height.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein at least one vertebra in the subject'"'"'s spine is examined for rotation and/or deformation.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said examined vertebra is examined by an ultrasonic transducer carried by said probe and producing a display of information regarding the physical structure of said vertebra.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said examined vertebra is an apex vertebra at an inflection point in the curvature of the subject'"'"'s spine.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein said displayed information includes information as to the location and contour of the two transverse processes relative to each other and to the spinous process of said apex vertebra such as to provide an indication of the rotation and/or deformation of the examined apex vertebra.

33. A method of examining a subject'"'"'s spine, comprising:

moving a position sensor along the outer surface of the subject'"'"'s spine to map the subject'"'"'s spine curvature;

and utilizing an ultrasonic transducer to examine the physical structure of at least one vertebra of the subject'"'"'s spine to detect deformation and/or rotation of the examined vertebra.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein said position sensor and said ultrasonic transducer are both carried by the same probe.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein said at least one vertebra examined is an apex vertebra at an inflection point of the subject'"'"'s spine curvature.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein said position sensor maps the subject'"'"'s spine curvature by sensing the spinous processes of the vertebrae in the subject'"'"'s spine;

and said ultrasonic transducer examines the physical structure of at least one vertebra by sensing and displaying the location and contour of the two transverse processes relative to each other and to the spinous process of the examined vertebra such as to provide an indication of the rotation and/or deformation of the examined vertebra.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the location and angle of each vertebra is determined, the curvature of the spine is calculated, and the deformity angle of at least one segment of the spine defined by two inflection points is determined by the deformity angles of the two vertebrae at the inflection points defining the respective segment.

38. The method according to claim 33, wherein said position sensor and said ultrasonic transducer are both on a probe carried by a hand of an examiner examining said subject'"'"'s spine.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein said probe is carried by the examiner'"'"'s hand such that said position sensor is at a predetermined location with respect to a finger tip of the examiner'"'"'s hand, and the examiner'"'"'s finger tip is moved along the spinous processes of the subject'"'"'s spine to map the curvature of the subject'"'"'s spine.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein said ultrasonic transducer is utilized to display the location of the two transverse processes relative to each other and to the spinous process of said examined vertebra such as to provide an indication of the rotation and/or deformation of the examined vertebra.