AU2005305621A1

AU2005305621A1 - A medical diagnostics tool

Info

Publication number: AU2005305621A1
Application number: AU2005305621A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Tsong Yun Kwong
Original assignee: IMACULUM Ltd
Current assignee: IMACULUM Ltd
Priority date: 2004-11-19
Filing date: 2005-11-17
Publication date: 2006-05-26
Also published as: WO2006054095A1; EP1827232A1; GB0425542D0; GB2420284A

Description

WO 2006/054095 PCT/GB2005/004447 A medical diagnostics tool The present invention relates to a diagnostics tool for use in clinical diagnosis, particularly but not exclusively, neurological diagnosis. During neurological examination and diagnosis, it is necessary for the clinicians to use a selection of tools to carry out a range of tests on the patient. Research has shown that a comprehensive set of tools can weigh in excess of 5 kg, whilst it is also extremely expensive to purchase. As a result, it is a common practice for clinicians to carry only a basic kit consisting of a tendon hammer, an ophthalmoscope, a tuning fork, some neurotips and a pen torch. Even this basic kit is not inexpensive and weighs around one kg. The use of such a basic kit has the disadvantage that the clinician, when on a hospital round or home visit for example, relies on borrowing equipment as he goes or making do. This leads to an inefficient use of time and can lead to inaccurate diagnosis. Very often from the experience of the applicant, there is often a general lack of these tools in hospital wards, frequently forcing clinicians to spend valuable time hunting these tools down in wards, which may even be on another hospital wing The present invention seeks to provide a solution to these disadvantages by providing a diagnostics tool which incorporates more than one of the aforesaid diagnostic devices. According to the present invention there is provided medical diagnostics tool including a tendon reflex hammer comprising a percussive head adjacent an end of a shaft, the tool including a generating device adapted to generate at least one acoustic tone and/or vibration having a predetermined frequency. Preferably, the generating device is adapted to generate selectively a plurality of acoustic tones, each having a discrete predetermined frequency, and may also be adapted to generate a vibration of a predetermined frequency. Furthermore, the generating device may also be adapted to generate a plurality of vibrations each having a discrete predetermined frequency. The frequency or frequencies may be one or more of 128 hertz, 256 hertz, 512 hertz and 1024 hertz.

WO 2006/054095 PCT/GB2005/004447 2 Preferably, the generating device comprises one or more piezo-electric devices, which in a preferred embodiment, is/are located in the shaft. A further function may also be provided to allow the frequency to decay at a certain predetermined rate. The tool may include an on-off switch for each frequency and may further include an indicator light adapted to indicate that a frequency has been generated. The colour of the indicator light may be variable, the colour being representative of the frequency being generated. In a preferred embodiment, the tool means to generate a red light and/or a white light and the lights are preferably generated by a light-emitting diode. In a preferred embodiment, the tool includes an electric battery adapted to energise the generating device, and the light or lights when present, the battery being located in the shaft, preferably adjacent the head end of the shaft. Preferably, the shaft is telescopic, having a plurality of shaft sections and preferably includes means to lock the shaft sections securely together in a selected extended position. In a preferred version of this embodiment, an electrical connection between the battery and electrical circuitry in the tool is made when the shaft is extended. Preferably, the shaft includes a receptacle. The shaft may include a connection by which a further implement is detachably connectable to the shaft, the connection including an electrical connection to said battery. The further implement may comprise a further light or an ophthalmoscope, peak flow meter, a stethoscope, blood pressure monitor, saturations monitor and/or a thermometer. In a preferred embodiment, the percussive head has a planar arcuate striking edge, the striking edge being pivotal relative to the shaft so that the plane of the striking edge is selectively adjustable to lie parallel to the axis of the shaft or normal thereto. The head may also include a reflex scraper. A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:- WO 2006/054095 PCT/GB2005/004447 3 Figure IA shows a front view of a diagnostics tool Figure lB shows a side view of the tool, and Figure IC shows an end view of the tool. Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a diagnostics tool for neurological examination and diagnosis which comprises a handle 1 having on one end a percussion head 2. The handle 1 comprises a substantially hollow tubular shaft formed of two shaft sections 3, 4 telescopically movable one relative to the other. The shaft section 4 has a knurled finish to provide a hand grip. As shown in the drawing, the two shaft sections 3, 4 are in the extended position. Although not shown, locking means is provided to lock the shaft sections in the extended position. The tubular shaft sections 3, 4 are formed of aluminium or stainless steel in this embodiment, or other materials such as a plastics materials may be utilised. The percussion head 2 may be formed of a plastics material bonded to the end of the shaft section 3, but may also be formed of a metal such as aluminium or stainless-steel. The head includes an arcuate striking surface or edge 5 which is pivotable relative to the main body 6 of the head about an axis 7 perpendicular to the axis 8 of the handle between a position, shown in outline as reference 5a, in which the plane of the striking edge 5 lies parallel to the axis 8 of the handle, or to a position, shown in outline as reference 5b, displaced by 900 in which the plane of the arcuate edge 5 lies at right angles to the axis 8 of the handle. On its side remote from the striking edge 5, the percussion head 1 includes a pointed end which forms a reflex scraper 9. Located in the interior of the handle there is one or more piezo-electric devices powered by an electric battery (not shown) located in the handle adjacent the percussion head. In this embodiment, the piezo electric device is designed to emit an acoustic tone and/or vibration at either 128, 256, 512 or 1024hertz . Each frequency has its own operating button, or on/off switch 10, 11, switch 10 initiating the generation of the 128 hertz frequency and switch 11 initiating the generation of the 256 hertz frequency.

WO 2006/054095 PCT/GB2005/004447 4 The tool also includes a light emitting diode or diodes 12 to emit the appropriate colour light in response to operation of an appropriate one of two switches 13, 14, switch generating a red light and switch a white light. These lights are also powered from the aforesaid electrical battery. In the embodiment shown, a loop 15 through which a lanyard can be secured is located at the end of the shaft 4 remote from the percussion head 1. The percussion head 1 itself incorporates a clip 16 by which the tool can be fastened on a belt or pocket. In the further developments (not shown) of the tool, the hollow shaft may incorporate a receptacle for locating small items such as neuro tips, hand disinfectant capsules and/or cotton wool. At one or both ends of the shaft, a connection may be provided to which further implements such as an ophthalmoscope, peak flow meter, a stethoscope, blood pressure monitor, saturations monitor and/or a thermometer or a further light may be detachably fastened. The connection preferably includes electrical connection to the battery to enable power to be provided to the implement automatically once the implement is fastened thereto. The connection may be conventional screw thread or bayonet fastening. In this way, the one battery can power a number of tools, saving a considerable amount of weight compared to the known separate tools. An alternative embodiment of the tool may include a two point discriminator. Typically this will be in form of an arm, one end of which is pivotally mounted on the handle with the other, free, end being movable from a closed position adjacent the handle to an open position away from the handle by said pivotal movement. A point is located at the free end so that when the arm is opened, the point is spaced from a second point on the tool to enable the two point test to be carried out. The degree of opening of the arm and hence the spacing may be variable to accommodate the requirements of the tester. The second point may be the aforementioned reflex scraper. The points may, alternatively, be formed by disposable neurotips adapted to be releasably securable to the respective parts of the tool. In further embodiments, the tool may be wireless enabled, such as with Bluetooth technology, to enable the user to access remotely held medical records, or to consult a specialist in another location.

Claims

1. A medical diagnostics tool including a tendon reflex hammer comprising a percussive head adjacent an end of a shaft, the tool including a generating device adapted to generate at least one acoustic tone and/or vibration having a predetermined frequency.

2. A tool according to claim 1 wherein the generating device is adapted to generate selectively a plurality of acoustic tones or vibrations, each having a discrete predetermined frequency or sequence thereof.

3. A tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said frequency is one or more of 128 hertz, 256 hertz, 512 hertz and 1024 hertz.

4. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the generating device comprises one or more piezo-electric devices.

5. A tool according to claim 4, wherein the piezo-electric devices is/are located in the shaft.

6. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, including an on-off switch for each frequency.

7. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, including an indicator light adapted to indicate that a frequency has been generated.

8. A tool according to claim 7, wherein the colour of the indicator light is variable, the colour being representative of the frequency being generated.

9. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, including a function to allow the frequency to decay at a set predetermined rate. WO 2006/054095 PCT/GB2005/004447 6

10. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, including means to generate a red light and/or a white light.

11. A tool according to claim 10, wherein the red and white lights are generated selectively by a light-emitting diode.

12. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, further including an electric battery adapted to energise the generating device, and the light or lights when present, the battery being located in the shaft.

13. A tool according to claim 12, wherein the battery is located adjacent the head end of the shaft.

14. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the shaft is telescopic, having a plurality of relatively movable shaft sections.

15. A tool according to claim 14, including means to lock the shaft sections securely together in a selected extended position.

16. A tool according to claim 14 or 15 when dependent on claim 12 or 13, wherein an electrical connection between the battery and electrical circuitry in the tool is made when the shaft is extended.

17. A tool according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the shaft includes a receptacle.

18. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shaft includes a connection by which at least one further implement is detachably connectable to the shaft.

19. A tool according to claim 18, wherein said connection includes an electrical connection to said battery. WO 2006/054095 PCT/GB2005/004447 7

20. A tool according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the further implement(s) comprise(s) one or more of, a further light, an ophthalmoscope, a peak flow meter, a stethoscope, blood pressure monitor, saturations monitor and/or a thermometer.

21. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the percussive head has a planar arcuate striking edge, the striking edge being pivotal relative to the shaft so that the plane of the striking edge is selectively adjustable to lie parallel to the axis of the shaft or normal thereto.

22. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the head includes a reflex scraper.

23. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an arm carrying a point is pivotally mounted on said handle so as to be movable to a position spaced from a second point on the tool to enable a two point discrimination test to be carried out.

24. A tool according to claim 23 wherein the points are detachably secured to the tool so as to be disposable after use.

25. A tool according to claim 22 in combination with claim 23, wherein the reflex scraper comprises the second point.