Test equipment and portable test device

• US 8,359,179 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2003
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Forstgarten International Holding GmbH
• Original Assignee: 3D Diagnostic Imaging, PLC
• Inventors: Bruce, Peter George, Christie, Alasdair McCall, Longbottom, Christopher, Pitts, Nigel Berry
• Primary Examiner(s): Teixeira Moffat, Jonathan C
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/503,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,636 Days
• Field of Search: 702/108, 702/124, 702/112, 702/57, 702 71- 77, 433/27, 433/72, 433/224
• US Class Current: 702/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0534 for testing vitality of teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms

Abstract

The present invention relates to an equipment, device (10; 110) and apparatus for applying electrical stimuli to a system and acquiring a system response. According to the present invention there is provided a test equipment such as a portable test device (10; 110) for testing a system, the equipment comprising: signal generation means, signal receiving means, and signal processing means, wherein, in use, the signal generation means generates a signal to be applied to a system to be tested and the signal receiving means receives a response signal of the system, and the generated and response signals undergo processing by the signal processing means so as to provide a measure of a characteristic of the system, wherein further the generated signal comprises a plurality of periodic signals each of different frequency and phase and which are applied to the system simultaneously. The equipment finds particular use in the field of dentistry, but also finds other uses, e.g. in medicine and also in corrosion detection and battery testing.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus for detecting a dental condition in dental hard tissue by applying electrical stimulus to the dental hard tissue in a dental system and acquiring response of the dental system, the apparatus comprising:

signal generation means;

signal receiving means;

signal processing means; and

electrode means which are, in use, applied to an outer surface of the dental hard tissue,

wherein a generated signal is applied to the outer surface of the dental hard tissue by said electrode means, a response signal is detected by said electrode means and received by the signal receiving means, the applied and received signals undergo processing by the signal processing means,

wherein the signal generation means and signal receiving means are configured to apply the electrical stimulus to the outer surface of the dental hard tissue having an impedance of at least 100 kOhms and wherein the signal processing means is configured to process the generated signal so as to detect a dental condition in the said dental hard tissue.

2. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal generation means comprises a signal assembly unit that is software controllable and operates at least in one mode according to an algorithm:

3. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising data storage means to which the data is transferred for storage.

4. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is adapted to be hand held.

5. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes means for visually displaying data.

6. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is adapted to measure an electrical impedance of the system.

7. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is battery operated.

8. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the apparatus is connectable to a main power supply to allow charging of the battery to take place.

9. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrode means comprise at least a first electrode and a second electrode wherein the first electrode applies the generated signal to the system to be tested and the second electrode collects a response signal from the system tested.

10. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the apparatus includes means for ensuring connection to an external power supply and connection to the electrode means cannot occur simultaneously.

11. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the apparatus is arranged such that connection to an external power supply and the electrode means can occur simultaneously.

12. A portable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrode means comprises a hand-held counter electrode.

13. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is provided with only one input/output port and wherein the apparatus cannot be connected to an external power supply and a system to be tested simultaneously.

14. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is provided with two or more input/output ports wherein the power to the apparatus and the signals transferring to and from the apparatus are assigned to individual input/output ports.

15. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the signal applied to the system comprises at least one period of a periodic signal such as an AC signal.

16. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the applied signal is formed of a plurality of sine waves.

17. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of the sine waves is of a different frequency and random phase.

18. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the applied signal is of a single frequency.

19. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the applied signal is a sine wave.

20. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the signal applied to the system is a DC signal.

21. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the applied signal is a square, triangle or saw tooth wave.

22. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the signal processing means performs Fast Fourier Transform spectrum analysis upon the applied signal and received signal.

23. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the signal receiving means includes data acquisition means.

24. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is adapted for detecting a dental condition in vivo.

25. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is adapted for detecting a dental condition in vitro.

26. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is controlled in use by embedded PC-based control software.

27. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is adapted to perform measurements with subsequent analysis, presentation, data storage and retrieval.

28. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises means for performing variable amplification on the received signal.

29. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the signal processing means performs signal analysis on the generated signal and received signal.

30. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrode means comprises an array of electrodes.

31. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further adapted to generate a signal having a frequency in the range of 1Hz-100kHz.