MEASUREMENT DEVICE FOR THE MUSCULAR-SKELETAL SYSTEM HAVING LOAD DISTRIBUTION PLATES

• US 20130226034A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howmedica Osteonics Corp. (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OrthoSensor, Inc (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Stein, Marc, Carrasco, Gabriel
• Granted Patent: US 9,844,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0252 Load cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4509 Bone density determination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4585 Evaluating the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6878 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A measurement device suitable to measure a force, pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system is disclosed. The measurement module includes a unitary circuit board that couples electronic circuitry to sensors. In one embodiment, the sensors are integrated in the unitary circuit board. Using more than one sensor allows the position of applied load by the muscular-skeletal system to be measured. In one embodiment, the sensors of a sensor array can be elastically compressible capacitors. A load plate can underlie the sensor array. Similarly, a load plate can overlie the load plate. Load plates are rigid structures for distributing a force, pressure, or load. The measurement device can include an articular surface for allowing movement of the muscular-skeletal system. A remote system can be in proximity to the measurement device. The remote system can receive, process, and display data from the measurement module in real-time.

Claims

1. A measurement device for measuring a force pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system comprising:

a first support structure;

a first load plate overlying a surface of the first support structure;

a sensor array overlying the first load plate; and

a second load plate overlying the sensor array.

2. The measurement device of claim 1 further including:

a second support structure coupled to the first support structure;

electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor array configured to transmit data from the sensor array to a remote system where the first and second support structures form a housing to isolate the electronic circuitry and sensor array from an external environment.

3. The measurement device of claim 2 further including a load pad overlying each sensor of the sensor array where the load pads couple to the second load plate.

4. The measurement device of claim 3 where each load pad is non-conductive.

5. The measurement device of claim 3 where each load pad is conductive.

6. The measurement device of claim 3 further including at least one alignment feature configured to align the sensor array to a surface of the second support structure.

7. The measurement device of claim 6 where the at least one alignment feature aligns the second load plate, sensor array, and first load plate to the second support structure.

8. The measurement device of claim 7 where the at least one alignment feature is a post extending from the first support structure and where the second support structure includes an opening that aligns with and couples to the post.

9. The measurement device of claim 8 where the first and second support structures include a peripheral channel and flange to align, retain, and seal and where an adhesive couples the channel to the flange.

10. The measurement device of claim 9 where the sensor array comprises a plurality of capacitors.

11. A measurement device for measuring a force pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system comprising:

a first support structure where the first support structure includes at least one alignment feature;

a sensor array configured to measure the force, pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system where the sensor array is coupled to the at least one alignment feature; and

a first load plate overlying the sensor array where the first load plate is coupled to the at least one alignment feature.

12. The measurement device of claim 11 further including:

electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor array configured to transmit data;

a second support structure coupled to the at least one alignment feature where the first and second support structures form a housing to isolate the electronic circuitry and sensor array from an external environment.

13. The measurement device of claim 12 where the at least one alignment feature aligns the sensor array to a surface of the second support structure and where the device is configured to measure a position of load applied to the surface of the second support structure by the muscular-skeletal system.

14. The measurement device of claim 13 further including a second load plate overlying the first support structure and underlying the sensor array.

15. The measurement device of claim 14 further including load pads overlying sensors of the sensor array where the load pads couple to the second support structure.

16. A measurement device for measuring a force pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system comprising:

a first support structure where the first support structure includes at least one alignment feature;

a sensor array configured to measure the force, pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system where the sensor array is coupled to the at least one alignment feature;

a load pad overlying each sensor of the sensor array;

a first load plate coupled to the load pad overlying each sensor of the sensor array where the first load plate is coupled to the at least one alignment feature; and

a second support structure coupled to the at least one alignment feature where a surface of the second support structure is configured to receive the force, pressure, or load.

17. The measurement device of claim 16 where the at least one alignment feature aligns the sensor array to the surface of the second support structure at predetermined locations.

18. The measurement device of claim 17 further including a second load plate underlying the sensor array.

19. The measurement device of claim 18 further including electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor array configured to receive sensor data from the sensor array and transmit data to a remote system and where the first and second support structures couple together to form a housing to isolate the sensor array and electronic circuitry from an external environment.

20. The measurement device of claim 19 where the at least one alignment feature is a post extending from the first support structure and where the second support structure includes an opening that aligns with and couples to the post.