KR20240035009A - Modular Joint Gap Measuring Device - Google Patents

Abstract

The modular joint space measurement device according to the present invention includes a joint space measurement unit including a space measurement module that is inserted between adjacent bones constituting a joint and measures the space between joints, the space measurement module comprising: A variable tube formed in a torus shape, with a fluid injection space formed inside, the volume of which varies depending on the amount of fluid injected into the fluid injection space, provided in the hollow part of the variable tube, and sensing the tensile rate according to tensile deformation. It includes a tension sensor that measures the gap between joints as a value is generated, and a variable linkage unit that is provided to connect the variable tube and the tension sensor to each other and deforms the tension sensor according to the variable volume of the variable tube.

Description

Modular Joint Gap Measuring Device}

The present invention relates to a joint space measuring device, and more specifically, to a modular joint space measuring device including a space measuring module that is inserted between adjacent bones constituting a joint and measures the space between joints.

Artificial joint surgery is also called joint replacement surgery, joint replacement surgery, or arthroplasty, and refers to surgery that replaces the original joint with an artificial material such as artificial metal, plastic, or porcelain.

This type of artificial joint surgery is possible for all joints, but is currently mostly performed on hip and knee joints. In the process of artificial joint replacement for hip and knee joints, the outer surface of the bone forming the joint is finely trimmed and a thin special metal membrane is inserted to play the role of cartilage, allowing the hip and knee joints to be flexible and move normally.

In addition, the most important basic principle of artificial joint surgery is to properly configure the alignment and spacing of the bones that make up the joint so that the patient does not experience discomfort in movement as with the original joint.

Conventionally, in order to measure the gap between the bones forming a joint, a gap adjustment tool (Gapper) is used to secure the gap by manually opening the joints, or a gap measuring tool (Tensioner) is used to measure the gap by keeping the gap between the bones wide open. ) was used.

However, with such equipment, the operator must directly operate the equipment to secure the gap between the bones, and the gap must be measured while maintaining that condition, so an assistant to assist this is essential during the surgical process. There is a problem with participation.

Therefore, a method to solve these problems is required.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0022975

The present invention is an invention made to solve the problems of the prior art described above. It is inserted between adjacent bones forming a joint to automatically measure the gap between the joints, thereby eliminating direct manual manipulation by the operator and providing more accurate results. The purpose is to provide a joint space measuring device to enable measurement of joint space.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The modular joint space measurement device of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a joint space measurement unit including a space measurement module that is inserted between adjacent bones constituting a joint and measures the space between joints, The gap measurement module is formed in a torus shape, includes a variable tube with a fluid injection space formed therein and the volume of which varies depending on the amount of fluid injected into the fluid injection space, and is provided in a hollow portion of the variable tube. A tensile sensor that measures the gap between joints by generating a tensile rate sensing value according to deformation and a variable sensor that is provided to connect the variable tube and the tensile sensor to each other and deforms the tensile sensor according to the variable volume of the variable tube. Includes interlocking parts.

At this time, the present invention may further include a fluid control unit provided to inject fluid into the fluid injection space of the variable tube or to extract fluid injected into the fluid injection space.

In addition, the gap measurement module may further include a pressure sensor provided in the variable tube to generate a pressure sensing value by sensing pressure applied to at least one of the upper and lower sides of the variable tube.

In addition, a pair of the variable linkage units is provided to respectively shield the upper and lower hollow parts of the variable tube, so that the peripheral part of the variable linkage part is fixed to the variable tube, and the central part of the variable linkage part can be fixed to the tension sensor. .

Here, the variable linkage part is formed in the form of a membrane and can be fixed to maintain a preset reference tension or more in the variable tube and the tension sensor.

In addition, the gap measurement module is provided in a pair, and is inserted into the adductor side and the abductor side between adjacent bones constituting the joint, respectively, to measure the gap between the adductor side and the abductor side of the joint.

In addition, the joint gap measuring unit may further include a packaging cover with a module receiving space formed therein to surround the pair of gap measuring modules together.

Meanwhile, the present invention may further include an auxiliary support unit that is inserted together with the joint space measurement unit and supports the joint space measurement unit to fill a portion of the space between adjacent bones constituting a joint.

The modular joint space measurement device of the present invention to solve the above problems,

It is inserted between adjacent bones that make up a joint and includes a gap measurement module that measures the gap between joints by generating a tensile rate sensing value according to the tensile deformation of the tensile sensor due to the variable volume of the variable tube, so the operator Direct manual measurement work can be eliminated, and it has the advantage of being able to measure joint spacing with very high accuracy compared to the conventional manual joint spacing measurement process.

In addition, the present invention can significantly reduce the burden on the operator, and has the advantage of providing satisfaction to the patient after artificial joint surgery as the surgery is performed through precise joint spacing measurement.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a view showing a modular joint space measuring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention applied between adjacent bones constituting a joint;
Figure 2 is a view showing a modular joint space measuring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a diagram showing each configuration of a joint space measurement unit in the modular joint space measurement device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
4 and 5 are diagrams showing the measurement mechanism of the gap measurement module in the modular joint gap measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
6 to 8 are diagrams showing the process of measuring the gap between joints using the modular joint gap measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 9 is a view showing the auxiliary support unit in the modular joint space measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 10 is a diagram showing the structure of the gap measurement module in the modular joint gap measurement device according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 11 is a diagram showing the structure of the spacing measurement module in the modular joint spacing measuring device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention, in which the object of the present invention can be realized in detail, will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In describing this embodiment, the same names and the same symbols are used for the same components, and additional description accordingly will be omitted.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the modular joint space measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention applied between adjacent bones constituting the joint, and Figure 2 is a modular joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a drawing showing the spacing measuring device.

And Figure 3 is a diagram showing each configuration of the joint space measurement unit 100 in the modular joint space measurement device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the modular joint space measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is inserted between adjacent bones (B1, B2) constituting the joint to measure the space between the joints. Includes a joint gap measurement unit 100.

And this joint gap measurement unit 100 includes a gap measurement module 120 and a packaging cover 110.

In particular, in this embodiment, a pair of gap measurement modules 120 are provided, and they are respectively inserted into the adductor side and the abductor side between the adjacent bones (B1, B2) constituting the joint, so that the gap between the adductor side and the abductor side of the joint is measured.

However, this is presented as one embodiment, and the number of interval measurement modules 120 is not limited to this embodiment, and of course, more than two or only a single module may be provided.

In addition, the packaging cover 110 is formed with a module receiving space 111 inside to surround the pair of interval measurement modules 120 together. The packaging cover 110 is made of a flexible material and can be easily deformed.

Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams showing the measurement mechanism of the interval measurement module 120 in the modular joint space measurement device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in this embodiment, the gap measurement module 120 includes a variable tube 130, a tension sensor 140, a variable linkage unit 150, and a pressure sensor 160.

The variable tube 130 is formed in a torus shape, and a fluid injection space 131 is formed therein so that its volume can be varied depending on the amount of fluid injected into the fluid injection space 131. For this purpose, the variable tube 130 may be made of an elastic material.

Additionally, the fluid that can be injected into the fluid injection space 131 may be a gas such as air, or a liquid such as water or oil.

And, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the present embodiment is provided to inject fluid into the fluid injection space 131 of the variable tube 130 or to remove the fluid injected into the fluid injection space 131. It may further include a fluid control unit 200.

The fluid control unit 200 may be controlled by a separate control unit (not shown) to inject or eject fluid, but alternatively, it may be arranged to be operated manually by an operator. For example, the fluid control unit 200 may be a medical compressed air injector.

In the case of this embodiment, a fluid flow pipe 210 extending long to communicate with the fluid control unit 200 and the fluid injection space 131 of the variable tube 130 may be provided to provide a fluid flow path. .

In this embodiment, a pair of fluid flow pipes 210 are similarly provided so as to correspond to each pair of variable tubes 130, and are connected to the packaging cover 110 through the module receiving space 111 of the packaging cover 110. One side may be extended outwards toward the fluid control unit 200.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 to 5, the tension sensor 140 is provided in the hollow portion of the variable tube 130 having a torus shape, and measures the gap between joints by generating a tensile rate sensing value according to tensile deformation. performs its role.

Such a tensile sensor 140 may be a flexible substrate formed to have elasticity and thus have a high tensile rate, and may be manufactured from a material such as a carbon nanotube-elastomer composite material.

That is, the tension sensor 140 generates an electrical signal according to the tensile strain, and thus can determine the stretched length, thereby measuring the gap between joints.

The variable linkage unit 150 is provided to connect the variable tube 130 and the tension sensor 140 to each other, and serves to deform the tension sensor 140 according to the change in volume of the variable tube 150.

In this embodiment, a pair of variable linkage parts 150 are provided to respectively shield the upper and lower hollow parts of the variable tube 130, and the peripheral part of the variable linkage part 150 is fixed to the variable tube 130, The center of the linking part 150 is fixed to the tension sensor 140.

In particular, the variable linkage unit 150 is formed in a membrane shape and can be fixed to the variable tube 130 and the tension sensor 140 to maintain a preset reference tension or more. The reason for doing this is to allow the tension sensor 140 to be easily stretched in the vertical direction by the tension of the pair of variable linkages 150 when the volume of the variable tube 130 is changed.

And in this embodiment, the interval measurement module 120 is a pressure sensor 160 that is provided on the variable tube 130 and generates a pressure sensing value by sensing the pressure applied to at least one of the upper and lower sides of the variable tube 130. ) may further be included.

This pressure sensor 160 generates a pressure sensing value when the volume of the variable tube 130 located between the joints is changed to fill the gap between adjacent bones (B1, B2), and the pressure sensing value is When the preset reference pressure value is reached, the gap between the adjacent bones B1 and B2 is considered to be completely filled, and injection of fluid by the fluid control unit 200 is stopped, and in that state, the tension sensor 140 The gap between joints can be measured through the tensile modulus sensing value.

The process of measuring the gap between joints through the modular joint gap measuring device of this embodiment as described above is as follows.

Figures 6 to 8 are diagrams showing the process of measuring the gap between joints using the modular joint gap measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, the joint space measurement unit 100 of the modular joint space measurement device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is inserted between adjacent bones B1 and B2 constituting the joint.

At this time, a pair of gap measurement modules 120 accommodated in the packaging cover 110 are provided at positions corresponding to the adductor side and the abductor side between the adjacent bones B1 and B2 constituting the joint.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, fluid is injected into the variable tube 130 of the gap measurement module 120 through the fluid control unit 200. Accordingly, the variable tube 130 expands to increase its volume, and the gap between adjacent bones B1 and B2 is filled by the variable tube 130.

At this time, the pressure sensor 160 provided in the variable tube 130 generates a pressure sensing value in the process of changing the volume of the variable tube 130 located between the joints, and the variable tube 130 is connected to adjacent bones ( When the gap between B1 and B2) is completely filled and the pressure sensing value reaches a preset reference pressure value, injection of fluid by the fluid control unit 200 is stopped.

And in that state, the gap between joints can be measured through the tensile rate sensing value generated through the tensile sensor 140 in a tensioned state along with the variable tube 130.

At this time, since the pair of gap measurement modules 120 are provided on the abduction side and the adduction side, the tensile rate sensing value of the tension sensor 140 of the gap measurement module 120 provided on the abduction side and the gap provided on the adduction side The tensile rate sensing value of the tension sensor 140 of the measurement module 120 can be used separately to measure the spacing on the abductor side and the adductor side of the joint, or the average value of these can be derived to integrate the entire joint spacing. You can also have it measured.

Meanwhile, the process of measuring the gap between joints can be performed for each angle formed by adjacent bones B1 and B2 constituting the joint.

That is, after measuring the distance between the joints with the joints fully extended as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the above process is performed with the adjacent bones (B1, B2) constituting the joints bent at a certain angle as shown in Figure 8. can be repeated.

For example, the angle of the joint at which the spacing is measured may be 0˚, 30˚, 60˚, 90˚, etc., and the above process may be repeated as many times as the number of angles between the joints for which the joint spacing is to be measured.

Meanwhile, Figure 9 is a diagram showing the auxiliary support unit 300 in the modular joint space measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 9, the modular joint space measuring device according to this embodiment may further include an auxiliary support unit 300.

The auxiliary support unit 300 is inserted together with the joint gap measurement unit 100 to fill a portion of the gap between the adjacent bones B1 and B2 constituting the joint, and serves to support the joint gap measurement unit.

That is, the auxiliary support unit 300 can be used when the gap between adjacent bones (B1, B2) constituting the joint is larger than the maximum expansion height of the joint gap measurement unit 100, and the adjacent bones (B1, B2) constituting the joint Part of the gap between the bones B1 and B2 is filled so that the pressure sensor 160 provided in the joint space measurement unit 100 can receive sufficient pressure between the adjacent bones B1 and B2.

At this time, in this embodiment, the auxiliary support unit 300 has a shape corresponding to the packaging cover 110, but of course, the shape of the auxiliary support unit 300 can be implemented in various ways.

Meanwhile, hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be described.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing the structure of the spacing measurement module 120 in the modular joint spacing measuring device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the case of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 10, like the first embodiment described above, the gap measurement module 120 includes a variable tube 130, a variable linkage unit 150, and a pressure sensor 160, and these configurations Redundant descriptions of elements should be omitted.

And this embodiment includes a magnetic field sensor 170 and a magnetized body 171 instead of the tension sensor of the first embodiment described above, and the gap between joints is adjusted through the magnetic field sensor 170 and the magnetized body 171. It has the characteristic of measuring .

Specifically, the magnetic field sensor 170 may be provided on either the upper or lower side of the variable interlocking unit 150, and the magnetized body 171 may be located on either the upper or lower side of the variable interlocking unit 150. It is provided on the opposite side.

The magnetized material 171 may be a permanent magnet or a conductor that is magnetized by supply of current. Accordingly, a magnetic field is formed around the magnetized body 171, and the magnetic field sensor 170 can measure the direction, intensity, and relative change of the magnetic field at a certain point of the magnetized body 171.

The process of measuring the gap between joints using the modular joint gap measuring device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is as follows. In the course of this description, the remaining components except the magnetic field sensor 170 and the magnetized body 171 will use the reference numerals shown in the first embodiment, and the magnetized body 171 is set to be a conductor that is magnetized by supply of current. do.

First, the joint space measurement unit 100 of the modular joint space measurement device is inserted between adjacent bones B1 and B2 constituting the joint.

At this time, a pair of gap measurement modules 120 accommodated in the packaging cover 110 are provided at positions corresponding to the adductor side and the abductor side between the adjacent bones B1 and B2 constituting the joint.

In this state, current is supplied to the magnetized material 171 to generate a magnetic field around the magnetized material 171. Accordingly, the magnetic field sensor 171 generates first sensing data including information such as the direction, intensity, and relative change of the magnetic field at a predetermined point of the magnetized body 171.

Thereafter, fluid is injected into the variable tube 130 of the interval measurement module 120 through the fluid control unit 200. Accordingly, the variable tube 130 expands to increase its volume, and the gap between adjacent bones B1 and B2 is filled by the variable tube 130.

At this time, the pressure sensor 160 provided in the variable tube 130 generates a pressure sensing value in the process of changing the volume of the variable tube 130 located between the joints, and the variable tube 130 is connected to adjacent bones ( When the gap between B1 and B2) is completely filled and the pressure sensing value reaches a preset reference pressure value, injection of fluid by the fluid control unit 200 is stopped.

And in this state, the magnetic field sensor 171 generates second sensing data containing information such as the direction, intensity, and relative change of the magnetic field at a predetermined point of the magnetized body 171.

Accordingly, this embodiment can measure the gap between joints through the amount of change in the second sensing data based on the first sensing data.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing the structure of the spacing measurement module 120 in the modular joint spacing measuring device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

In the case of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 11, like the first embodiment described above, the gap measurement module 120 includes a variable tube 130 and a variable linkage unit 150, and overlapping descriptions of these components are provided. should be omitted. In addition, in this embodiment, the pressure sensor provided in the fluid injection space 131 of the variable tube 130 in the first and second embodiments is omitted, but the pressure sensor in the fluid injection space 131 It is also possible to keep it as is depending on your choice.

And this embodiment has the feature of measuring the gap between joints through a pair of load cells 180 instead of the tension sensor of the above-described first embodiment and the magnetic field sensor and magnetizer of the second embodiment.

Specifically, a pair of load cells 180 may be provided at the upper and lower parts of the variable linkage unit 150, respectively. Such a load cell 180 may include a strain gauge made of a conductor, and when pressure is applied between the variable linkage unit 150 and the bones B1 and B2 forming the joint, the pressure is measured through a change in resistance of the strain gauge. can do.

The process of measuring the gap between joints using the modular joint gap measuring device according to the third embodiment of the present invention is as follows. In this explanation process, the reference numerals shown in the first embodiment are used for the remaining components except the magnetic field sensor 170 and the magnetized body 171.

First, the joint space measurement unit 100 of the modular joint space measurement device is inserted between adjacent bones B1 and B2 constituting the joint.

At this time, a pair of gap measurement modules 120 accommodated in the packaging cover 110 are provided at positions corresponding to the adductor side and the abductor side between the adjacent bones B1 and B2 constituting the joint.

And in the initial state in which the variable tube 130 is contracted, the resistance value of each pair of load cells 180 and the distance between the pair of load cells 180 may be included as initial information.

Thereafter, fluid is injected into the variable tube 130 of the interval measurement module 120 through the fluid control unit 200. Accordingly, the variable tube 130 expands to increase its volume, and the gap between adjacent bones B1 and B2 is filled by the variable tube 130.

In this process, the resistance value of the pair of load cells 180 changes from the moment they contact the bones B1 and B2, respectively. At this time, the time difference between the time when fluid is first injected into the variable tube 130 and the time when the resistance value of the load cell 180 changes is calculated, and the amount of fluid injected per time is obtained as intermediate information.

Afterwards, when the resistance value of the load cell 180 reaches the preset reference resistance value - that is, when it reaches the preset reference pressure value, the gap between the adjacent bones B1 and B2 is closed by the variable tube 130. When it is determined that the fluid is filled, injection of fluid by the fluid control unit 200 is stopped. And in that state, the resistance value of each pair of load cells 180 is obtained as final information.

Therefore, in this embodiment, in the initial state of the variable tube 130, initial information including the resistance value of each pair of load cells 180 and the distance between the pair of load cells 180, the fluid within the variable tube 130 Intermediate information including the time difference between the point of injection and the point at which the resistance value of the load cell 180 changes and the amount of fluid injected per time, each pair of load cells 180 in the final state of the variable tube 130. Through the final information including the resistance value, the gap between joints can be measured.

In addition, each embodiment of the present invention described so far can be used by inserting into both knees at the same time when applied to the knee joint, for example, but, of course, it can also be inserted and used only on one side of the joint.

As described above, preferred embodiments according to the present invention have been examined, and the fact that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms in addition to the embodiments described above without departing from the spirit or scope thereof is recognized by those skilled in the art. It is self-evident to them. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive, and accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the above description but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

B1, B2: Bones
100: Joint gap measurement unit
110: Packaging cover
111: Module accommodation space
120: Interval measurement module
130: Variable tube
140: Tensile sensor
150: Variable linkage part
160: Pressure sensor
170: Magnetic field sensor
171: magnetized body
180: load cell
200: Fluid control unit
210: Fluid flow pipe
300: Auxiliary support unit

Claims (8)

It includes a joint gap measurement unit that is inserted between adjacent bones constituting a joint and includes a gap measurement module that measures the gap between joints,
The interval measurement module is,
A variable tube formed in a torus shape, with a fluid injection space formed therein, the volume of which varies depending on the amount of fluid injected into the fluid injection space;
A tension sensor provided in the hollow part of the variable tube and measuring the gap between joints by generating a tensile rate sensing value according to tensile deformation; and
a variable linkage unit provided to connect the variable tube and the tension sensor to each other and deforming the tension sensor according to a variable volume of the variable tube;
Including,
Modular joint gap measuring device. According to paragraph 1,
Further comprising a fluid control unit provided to inject fluid into the fluid injection space of the variable tube or to extract fluid injected into the fluid injection space,
Modular joint gap measuring device. According to paragraph 1,
The interval measurement module is,
Further comprising a pressure sensor provided in the variable tube to generate a pressure sensing value by sensing pressure applied to at least one of the upper and lower sides of the variable tube,
Modular joint gap measuring device. According to paragraph 1,
A pair of the variable linkage units are provided to respectively shield the upper and lower hollow parts of the variable tube,
The peripheral part of the variable linkage part is fixed to the variable tube, and the center part of the variable linkage part is fixed to the tension sensor,
Modular joint gap measuring device. According to paragraph 4,
The variable linkage part is formed in the form of a membrane and is fixed to the variable tube and the tension sensor to maintain a preset reference tension or more,
Modular joint gap measuring device. According to paragraph 1,
The gap measurement module is provided in a pair and is inserted into the adductor side and the abductor side between adjacent bones constituting the joint, respectively, to measure the gap between the adductor side and the abductor side of the joint.
Modular joint gap measuring device. According to clause 6,
The joint gap measuring unit further includes a packaging cover with a module receiving space formed therein to surround the pair of gap measuring modules together,
Modular joint gap measuring device. According to paragraph 1,
Further comprising an auxiliary support unit inserted together with the joint gap measurement unit to support the joint gap measurement unit to fill a portion of the gap between adjacent bones constituting a joint,
Modular joint gap measuring device.