Arthroscopic diagnostic probe to measure mechanical properties of articular cartilage
First Claim
1. A diagnostic probe for articular cartilage, comprising (A) a probe handle and (B) a probe shaft, fixed to said handle;
- that comprises a housing cylinder having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein said probe shaft further comprises, from distal to proximal, (i) an ultrasonic transducer attached to the probe shaft at the distal end of said housing cylinder;
(ii) a plurality of strain-gauges attached to the probe shaft; and
(iii) a linear displacement actuator which is displaceably mounted to said housing cylinder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mechanical diagnostic probe is used to determine the thickness of articular cartilage, so that any degeneration in the articular cartilage can be detected at an early stage. The probe advantageously allows for calibrating the speed of the ultrasound in situ thereby allowing for more accurate measurements of the tissue thickness. The probe also can be used to monitor the condition of the cartilage after surgery and/or after or during physical rehabilitation of the cartilage. The probe is comprised of a probe handle and a probe, which is comprised of an ultrasonic transducer, strain-gauges, and a linear displacement actuator. A predetermined displacement then is applied to the indenter tip and a computer program is then used to analyze the results.
159 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A diagnostic probe for articular cartilage, comprising (A) a probe handle and (B) a probe shaft, fixed to said handle;
- that comprises a housing cylinder having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein said probe shaft further comprises, from distal to proximal, (i) an ultrasonic transducer attached to the probe shaft at the distal end of said housing cylinder;
(ii) a plurality of strain-gauges attached to the probe shaft; and
(iii) a linear displacement actuator which is displaceably mounted to said housing cylinder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
- that comprises a housing cylinder having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein said probe shaft further comprises, from distal to proximal, (i) an ultrasonic transducer attached to the probe shaft at the distal end of said housing cylinder;
- 4. A diagnostic probe for articular cartilage, comprising (A) a probe handle and (B) a probe shaft, fixed to said handle, that comprises a housing cylinder having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein said probe shaft further comprises, from distal to proximal, (i) an ultrasonic transducer, attached to the probe shaft at the distal end of said housing cylinder, that is adapted to receive an ultrasound echo, (ii) a plurality of strain-gauges attached to the probe shaft, and (iii) a linear displacement actuator that is displaceably mounted to said housing cylinder.
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9. A diagnostic probe for articular cartilage, comprising:
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a probe shaft;
an ultrasonic transducer positioned at a distal end of the probe shaft; and
a linear displacement actuator adapted to displace the ultrasonic transducer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for examining articular cartilage, comprising:
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(a) contacting a surface of articular cartilage with an ultrasonic transducer;
(b) applying a predetermined displacement, ds, to said surface; and
(c) determining a thickness of said articular cartilage as a function of the true ultrasound speed thereof, vs, which is defined by the equation;
- View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification