Soft tissue impact assessment device and system

• US 8,292,830 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Louisville
• Original Assignee: University of Louisville
• Inventors: Bertocci, Gina
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoekstra, Jeffrey G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENSON, DEVIN B
• Application Number:
  US12/154,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20080289438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 600/372, 600/382, 600/388, 600/393, 600/553, 600/587, 434/262, 434/267, 434/274, 731/72, 733/790.4, 738/664
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/00 Other methods or instruments for diagnosis, e.g. instruments for taking a cell sample, for biopsy, for vaccination diagnosis vaccination prophylaxis, vaccination therapy A61B17/20; Sex determination; Ovulation-period determination menstruation tables G06C3/00; Throat striking implements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/008 Force sensors integrated in an article or a dummy workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/0078 Shock-testing of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/30 Anatomical models G09B23/281 - G09B23/288 take precedence

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention is a soft tissue impact assessment device. The device includes a skin that is shaped or moldable to a human-like form. A positional force or pressure sensor within the skin measures force or pressure and location of impact or contact with the skin and provides data regarding the force or pressure and location of impact or contact with the skin. In preferred embodiments, the skin includes a top layer made of a material and thickness that simulates the protection provided by particular human skin to underlying tissue. A pressure or force sensor sheet closely contacts the top layer in a manner that avoids any substantial movement between the top layer and the pressure or force sensor sheet during a range of anticipated force or pressure conditions to be experienced by the human surrogate during testing. A lining layer is suitable to be in close contact with a surface of a human like form. A preferred method for assessing potential for soft tissue injuries is implemented in software and includes accepting victim or human subject soft tissue injury data being assessed and comparing it to a database including objective data to determine compatibility between the stated cause of event and resulting soft tissue injuries. The database in preferred embodiments includes information organized by category of potentially injurious events, human age, and objective data relating magnitude of force or pressure, and location of impact(s) or contact(s) relative to various body regions.

Claims

1. A soft tissue impact assessment device, comprising:

a skin shaped or moldable to a human-like form;

a positional pressure or force sensor within the skin, the positional pressure or force sensor measuring magnitude of force or pressure, and identifying location of impact or contact with the skin from among a plurality of separate sensor identifiable points of impact or contact with the skin, and further providing data regarding the magnitude of force or pressure and providing data regarding the location of impact or contact with the skin, said skin consisting essentially of,

a top layer made of a material and thickness that simulates the protection provided by particular human skin to underlying tissue;

a pressure or force sensor sheet forming said positional pressure or force sensor and contacting the top layer in a manner that avoids any substantial movement between said top layer and said pressure sensor sheet during a range of anticipated force or pressure conditions to be experienced during testing;

a lining layer suitable to be in close contact with a surface of a human like form.

2. A system for measuring soft tissue impact or contact, the system comprising:

a soft tissue impact assessment device of claim 1; and

an output device for displaying information indicating magnitude of force or pressure, and displaying location of the impact or contact with the skin based upon the data provided from said positional or force sensor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said output device comprises a graphical user interface for interacting with data from a database.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said skin is fitted onto or forms part of anthropomorphic test dummy or human surrogate.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising a computer for generating a body image map describing patterns and numbers of potential bruises or soft tissue injuries associated with specific events detected by said positional pressure or force sensor;

wherein said output device outputs the body image map.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said positional force or pressure sensor comprises a continuous pressure sensitive film that can measure the magnitude of force or pressure and can identify the location of impact or contact with the skin.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said positional pressure or force sensors comprise an array of individual sensors, each individual sensor providing individual pressure or force data associated with an individual location of said skin.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said lining layer comprises neoprene.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said sensor sheet comprises an array of individual sensors, each individual sensor providing individual pressure or force data associated with an individual location of said skin.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said sensor sheet array is integrally molded to said top layer and said lining layer.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to closely fit around a portion of a human like form.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the human like form comprises a portion of one of a human infant, human child, and human elderly person.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the human like form comprises a portion of a human infant.

14. A system for measuring soft tissue impact or contact, the system comprising:

a soft tissue impact assessment device of claim 1; and

a computer receiving data from the device of claim 1, said computer accepting human subject data concerning a soft tissue injury being assessed;

searching a database including objective data concerning the presence of potential soft tissue injuries as described through contact or impact points;

outputting the compatibility between human subject injuries and stated event based upon the matching objective data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the subject data is obtained from measurement by the soft tissue impact assessment device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the database comprises information organized by:

category of potentially injurious events;

human age; and

objective data relating location and force or pressure level for various events for a given human surrogate a certain population.

17. and the system of claim 14, wherein the searching comprises comparing the subject soft tissue date to the objective data to match the subject soft tissue data to particular categories of injuries and determining compatibility of the subject soft tissue data with an injury event.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein said lining layer contacts an opposite side of pressure or force sensor sheet.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein said skin is flexible and moldable to the contour of the human like form.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the device is a multi-use device that can be retrofitted over a human like form that is a previously manufactured human surrogate.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a multi-use device that can be retrofitted over a human like form that is previously manufactured human surrogate.