Measuring skeletal distraction
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system, comprising:
- a bone-lengthening device;
a first transponder and a second transponder, the transponders being coupled to the bone-lengthening device and spaced apart from each other along a length of the bone-lengthening device, the transponders each being operable to transmit a radio-frequency signal in response to an interrogation signal; and
a movable handheld reader comprisinga radio-frequency transceiver operable to transmit a wireless interrogation signal and detect responsive signals from the first transponder and the second transponder,one or more processing devices, andone or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processing devices, to cause the movable handheld reader to perform operations including;
transmitting the wireless interrogation signal from the movable handheld reader at each of a plurality of positions with respect to the bone-lengthening device,detecting response signals from the first transponder and the second transponder produced in response to the wireless interrogation signal transmitted from the movable handheld reader, comprising detecting, for each transmission of the wireless interrogation signal from the plurality of positions, (i) a corresponding first response signal from the first transponder, and (ii) a corresponding second response signal from the second transponder,determining delays between the transmission of the wireless interrogation signal from the movable handheld reader and detection of the response signals from the first transponder and the second transponder by the movable handheld reader, anddetermining a distance spanned by the transponders based on the delays comprising;
determining, for each transmission of the wireless interrogation signal, a first delay between the transmission of the wireless interrogation signal and detection of the corresponding first response signal from the first transponder;
identifying a shortest delay of the first delays;
determining a related delay between the transmission of the wireless interrogation signal that resulted in the shortest delay and detection of the corresponding second response signal; and
determining the distance spanned by the transponders based on the shortest delay and the related delay.
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Abstract
In one aspect, a method includes transmitting an interrogation signal. A first signal transmitted in response to the interrogation signal is detected, the first signal being transmitted by a first transponder arranged to move with a first bone fragment. A second signal transmitted in response to the interrogation signal is detected, the second signal being transmitted by a second transponder arranged to move with a second bone fragment. A distance between the bone fragments is determined using the detected signals.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a bone-lengthening device; a first transponder and a second transponder, the transponders being coupled to the bone-lengthening device and spaced apart from each other along a length of the bone-lengthening device, the transponders each being operable to transmit a radio-frequency signal in response to an interrogation signal; and a movable handheld reader comprising a radio-frequency transceiver operable to transmit a wireless interrogation signal and detect responsive signals from the first transponder and the second transponder, one or more processing devices, and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processing devices, to cause the movable handheld reader to perform operations including; transmitting the wireless interrogation signal from the movable handheld reader at each of a plurality of positions with respect to the bone-lengthening device, detecting response signals from the first transponder and the second transponder produced in response to the wireless interrogation signal transmitted from the movable handheld reader, comprising detecting, for each transmission of the wireless interrogation signal from the plurality of positions, (i) a corresponding first response signal from the first transponder, and (ii) a corresponding second response signal from the second transponder, determining delays between the transmission of the wireless interrogation signal from the movable handheld reader and detection of the response signals from the first transponder and the second transponder by the movable handheld reader, and determining a distance spanned by the transponders based on the delays comprising; determining, for each transmission of the wireless interrogation signal, a first delay between the transmission of the wireless interrogation signal and detection of the corresponding first response signal from the first transponder; identifying a shortest delay of the first delays; determining a related delay between the transmission of the wireless interrogation signal that resulted in the shortest delay and detection of the corresponding second response signal; and determining the distance spanned by the transponders based on the shortest delay and the related delay. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system, comprising:
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a bone-lengthening device; a first transponder and a second transponder, the transponders being coupled to the bone-lengthening device and spaced apart from each other along a length of the bone-lengthening device, the transponders each being operable to transmit a radio-frequency signal in response to an interrogation signal; and a reader comprising a radio-frequency transceiver operable to transmit a wireless interrogation signal and detect responsive signals from the first transponder and the second transponder, one or more processing devices, and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processing devices, to cause the reader to perform operations including; transmitting multiple transmissions of the wireless interrogation signal from the reader, each of the multiple transmissions of the wireless interrogation signal being transmitted with the reader located at a different location relative to the bone lengthening device, detecting, for each of the multiple transmissions of the wireless interrogation signal, a corresponding first response signal from the first transponder and a corresponding second response signal from the second transponder, determining, for each of the multiple transmissions of the wireless interrogation signal, a first delay between the transmission of the wireless interrogation signal and detection of the corresponding first response signal from the first transponder, identifying a shortest delay of the first delays, determining a related delay that is a delay between the transmission of the wireless interrogation signal that resulted in the shortest delay and detection of the corresponding second response signal, and determining a distance spanned by the transponders based on the shortest delay and the related delay.
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Specification