Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01G—WEIGHING
  • G01G19/00—Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in the preceding groups
  • G01G19/44—Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in the preceding groups for weighing persons
  • G01G19/445—Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in the preceding groups for weighing persons in a horizontal position

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a segmented weighing table for an object. It also relates to a method for measuring the weight variations of body segments.
• the invention finds a particularly advantageous, but not exclusive, application in the fields of human physiology and medicine.
• the invention proposes a segmented weighing table of an object, remarkable in that it consists of a plurality of elementary weighing means, each defining a segment of said object, each elementary weighing means being capable of supplying an elementary, representative analog signal of the weight exerted by the corresponding object segment.
• liquid displacement measurements mentioned above can be performed statically or dynamically.
• the repetition of the measurements at a few hours, days, weeks or more, intervals for the same subject can provide information on the absolute and relative variations in the mass of each body segment. It is then necessary to use appropriate techniques: X-ray scans, nuclear magnetic resonance, tritiated water and other markers of the liquid compartments, to specify the part of each constituent in the temporal variations observed: bones, muscles, liquids.
• the repetition of measurements carried out strictly under the same conditions can be compared between different individuals classified by sex, age, physical activities practiced, eating habits, percentage of fat, etc.
• the variation in mass in the different body segments then translates the displacement of the liquid mass: the blood on the scale of the second, the interstitial liquids with a time constant of the order of a minute.
• the table segmented weighing of the invention makes it possible to analyze the time profile of filling of the previously compressed zones.
• the fluid displacements thus measured by segmented weighing can be interpreted as a function of other hemodynamic variables, such as cardiac output, systemic vascular resistances, etc., measured by means of other devices: dopplerography, impedancemetry, etc.
• Figure 1 is a diagram of a segmented weighing device of an object, according to the invention.
• Figures 2a to 2c are simultaneous recordings of static segmented weighing concerning the shoulders, pelvis and legs of a subject, respectively.
• FIGS. 3 a to 3f are simultaneous recordings of dynamic segmented weighing relating respectively to the head, the shoulders, the pelvis, the legs, the feet and the total weight of a subject.
• Figure 1 shows schematically a segmented weighing device of an object, here a subject 1, said device comprising a segmented weighing table 10 consisting of a plurality of five elementary means Il ⁇ , ll2, ll3, ll4 and I I5 weighing, each defining a segment ** 1 "** 2 ' ⁇ 3' ** 4 and ** 5 of said subject 1.
• these different body segments correspond respectively to the feet, to the legs, pelvis, bust and head of said subject.
• FIG. 1 shows schematically a segmented weighing device of an object, here a subject 1, said device comprising a segmented weighing table 10 consisting of a plurality of five elementary means Il ⁇ , ll2, ll3, ll4 and I I5 weighing, each defining a segment ** 1 "** 2 ' ⁇ 3' ** 4 and **
• each elementary means 111, 112, 113, 114 and I I5 of weighing comprises a plate 12 j , 12 2 , 123, 124 and 125 intended to support the segment 1 j , I2, 13, 14 and I5 of the corresponding subject.
• Said plates are supported respectively on weighing sensors 131, 132, 133, 134 and 135, capable of supplying a basic analog signal S
• the assembly formed by each plate and the associated weighing sensor is carried by a plate 14 j , 142, 143, 144 and 14 ⁇ .
• , 142,143,144 and 14 ⁇ are slidably mounted on longitudinal rails 20.
• each plate can be maintained in the longitudinal position using locking means, not shown in Figure 1.
• the sensors 13 j , 132,133, 134 and 13 ⁇ of weighing can be the AG type sensors sold by the company SCAIME which have very good sensitivity since they allow variations of the order of 10g to be detected for masses of 70 to 80kg.
• the elementary analog signals s j , S2, 83.5 and S5 are then sent to a processing unit 30 comprising a box 31 in which said elementary analog signals are sampled at a chosen frequency (10 Hz for example), and converted into digital signals .
• a display 310 enables the partial weight measured by each elementary sensor to be displayed and the corresponding zero to be adjusted using the potentiometers
• the digitized signals are transmitted to computer means 32, such as a microcomputer of the PC type, where they are stored in memory and subjected to a mathematical processing in order to neutralize the random phenomena, very numerous in this kind of experiments, by the division of a measurement given in a plurality of measurements very close in time (0.1s or less) and by processing this multiple data according to an appropriate diagram (averages, sliding averages, maximums, minimums, etc.) to provide graphs like those shown in Figures 2a to 2c and 3a to 3f.
• computer means 32 such as a microcomputer of the PC type
• FIGS. 2a to 2c give the results of segmented static weighing, in the sense defined above, carried out respectively at the level of the shoulders, the basins and the legs of a subject. These graphs were recorded continuously for 20 seconds at the rate of one measurement every tenth of a second, for a total of 200 measurement points.
• FIGS. 3a to 3f give the results of segmented dynamic weighing, in the sense defined above, carried out respectively at the level of the head, the shoulders, the pelvis, the legs, the feet as well as the total weight, during 13 minutes of decubitus. These graphs were recorded by taking the moving average of the averages of the measurements made for 4 seconds at the sampling frequency of 10 Hz. They clearly show the fluid transfers that occur in an individual who goes from standing to lying down.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Measurement Of The Respiration, Hearing Ability, Form, And Blood Characteristics Of Living Organisms (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (2)

Citations (6)

• 1994
  • 1994-11-29 FR FR9414675A patent/FR2727517A1/fr active Granted
• 1995
  • 1995-11-21 WO PCT/FR1995/001534 patent/WO1996017228A1/fr active Application Filing

Patent Citations (6)

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