Non-invasive determination of mechanical characteristics in the body
First Claim
1. An non-invasive system for inducing vibrations in a selected element of the human body and detecting the nature of responses for determining mechanical characteristics of said element,said system comprising:
- a drive means for inducing multiple-frequency vibrations, including below 20 KHz, in .[.a.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.selected element of the body,means for determining parameters of the vibration exerted on the body by the driver means,.Iadd.means for determining the frequency components of mechanical impedance of the body based on said parameters of vibration exerted by said driver means, .Iaddend.means for sensing variations of a dimension of said element of the body over time, including in response to said driver means,means for correlating said variations with frequency components of .[.operation.]. .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.of .Iadd.said parameters of vibration exerted by .Iaddend.said driver means below 20 KHz, in order to determine corresponding frequency components of said variations.means for resolving said frequency components .Iadd.of said variations .Iaddend.into components of vibration mode shape, andcomputer means for interpreting said parameters of vibration exerted by the driver means.Iadd., said frequency components of mechanical impedance, .Iaddend.and said components of vibration mode shape in a manner to determine said mechanical characteristics.
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Abstract
A non-invasive system and method for inducing vibrations in a selected element of the human body and detecting the nature of responses for determining mechanical characteristics of the element are provided. The method comprises the steps of: inducing multiple-frequency vibrations, including below 20 KHz, in a selected element of the body by use of a driver; determining parameters of the vibration exerted on the body by the driver; sensing variations of a dimension of the element of the body over time, including in response to the driver; correlating the variations with frequency components of operation of the driver below 20 KHz to determine corresponding frequency components of the variations; resolving the frequency components into components of vibration mode shape; and determining the mechanical characteristics of the element on the basis of the parameters of vibration exerted by the driver and of the components of vibration mode shape.
106 Citations
47 Claims
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1. An non-invasive system for inducing vibrations in a selected element of the human body and detecting the nature of responses for determining mechanical characteristics of said element,
said system comprising: -
a drive means for inducing multiple-frequency vibrations, including below 20 KHz, in .[.a.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.selected element of the body, means for determining parameters of the vibration exerted on the body by the driver means, .Iadd.means for determining the frequency components of mechanical impedance of the body based on said parameters of vibration exerted by said driver means, .Iaddend. means for sensing variations of a dimension of said element of the body over time, including in response to said driver means, means for correlating said variations with frequency components of .[.operation.]. .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.of .Iadd.said parameters of vibration exerted by .Iaddend.said driver means below 20 KHz, in order to determine corresponding frequency components of said variations. means for resolving said frequency components .Iadd.of said variations .Iaddend.into components of vibration mode shape, and computer means for interpreting said parameters of vibration exerted by the driver means.Iadd., said frequency components of mechanical impedance, .Iaddend.and said components of vibration mode shape in a manner to determine said mechanical characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 47)
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21. A method for inducing vibrations in a selected element of the human body and detecting the nature of responses for determining mechanical characteristics of said element non-invasively,
said method comprising the steps of: -
inducing multiple-frequency vibrations, including below 20 KHz, in .[.a.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.selected element of the body by use of a driver means, determining parameters of the vibration exerted on the body by the driver means, .Iadd.determining freuqency components of mechanical impedance of the body based on said parameters of vibration exerted by said driver means, .Iaddend. sensing variations of a dimension of said element of the body over time, including in response to said driver means, correlating said variations with frequency components of .[.operation.]. .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.of .Iadd.said parameters of vibration exerted by .Iaddend.said driver means below 20 KHz to determine corresponding frequency components of said variations, resolving said frequency components .Iadd.of said variations .Iaddend.into components of vibration mode shape, and interpreting said parameters of vibration exerted by the driver means.Iadd., said frequency components of mechanical impedance, .Iaddend.and said components of vibration mode shape in a manner to determine said mechanical characteristics of said element. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A non-invasive system for inducing vibrations in a selected element of the human body and detecting the nature of responses for determining mechanical characteristics of said element,
said system comprising: -
a driver means for inducing multiple-frequency vibrations, including below 20 KHz, in the selected element of the body, means for determining parameters of the vibration exerted on the body by the driver means, means for determining frequency components of mechanical impedance of the body based on said parameters of vibration exerted by said driver means, means for determining a dimension of the selected element of the body, and computer means for interpreting said frequency components of mechanical impedance and said determined dimension in a manner to determine said mechanical characteristics. .Iaddend. .Iadd.
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41. A method for inducing vibrations in a selected element of the human body and detecting the nature of responses for determining mechanical characteristics of said element non-invasively,
said method comprising the steps of: -
inducing multiple-frequency vibrations, including below 20 KHz, in the selected element of the body by use of a driver means, determining parameters of the vibration exerted on the body by the driver means, determining frequency components of mechanical impedance of the body based on said parameters of vibration exerted by said driver means, determining a dimension of the selected element of the body, and interpreting said frequency components of mechanical impedance and said determined dimension in a manner to determine said mechanical characteristics of said element. .Iaddend. .Iadd.
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42. In a non-invasive system for determining characteristics of an entire organ in a human body using an ultrasound beam,
apparatus for aligning said beam with respect to said entire organ in two axes, comprising means for generating at least one magnetic field in response to a control signal, an assembly adapted to rotate about said two axes in response to said at least one magnetic field, said assembly comprising an ultrasound component for steering said beam with respect to said two axes as said assembly rotates, and means for producing said control signal as a function of the relative alignment of said beam with said entire organ to cause said beam to be steered with respect to said two axes and into alignment with said entire organ. .Iaddend. .Iadd.
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46. Iadd.53. The systtem of claim 52 wherein said angular sector is two-dimensional and said beam has a predetermined depth range, whereby said scanning permits features in a volume of said entire organ to be
Specification