Method and device for the non-invasive assessment of bones
First Claim
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1. A method for non-invasive assessment of bones, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one transducer that functions as a transmitter and at least one transducer that functions as a receiver;
directing in vivo an ultrasound signal emitted by the transmitter onto a bone, the ultrasound signal propagating within the bone and being emitted from the bone,detecting in vivo the ultrasound signal emitted from the bone with the receiver at two or more transmitter-to-receiver distances along the bone and recording the detected ultrasound signal,calculating at least one bone property from the recorded signals using a method includingdetecting one or more modes of Lamb waves, said one or more detected wave modes having a relationship with said bone property or properties,measuring the velocity of said one or more detected wave modes, andcalculating the bone property or properties from the measured velocity or velocities.
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Abstract
A method for the in vivo non-invasive characterization of the material and architectural properties of a bone in which an ultrasonic wave is introduced into a bone in such way as to produce one or more guided wave modes within the bone, and the signals emerging from the bone are stored and analyzed to determine the propagation characteristics of the guided wave/s. These measured guided wave propagation characteristics are then processed to obtain estimates of desired bone properties such as cortical thickness, bone density and bone elastic constants. The invention also includes an unltrasound arrangement with movable transducers.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for non-invasive assessment of bones, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one transducer that functions as a transmitter and at least one transducer that functions as a receiver; directing in vivo an ultrasound signal emitted by the transmitter onto a bone, the ultrasound signal propagating within the bone and being emitted from the bone, detecting in vivo the ultrasound signal emitted from the bone with the receiver at two or more transmitter-to-receiver distances along the bone and recording the detected ultrasound signal, calculating at least one bone property from the recorded signals using a method including detecting one or more modes of Lamb waves, said one or more detected wave modes having a relationship with said bone property or properties, measuring the velocity of said one or more detected wave modes, and calculating the bone property or properties from the measured velocity or velocities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification