Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/22—Ergometry; Measuring muscular strength or the force of a muscular blow
  • A61B5/224—Measuring muscular strength
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/103—Measuring devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes
  • A61B5/11—Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/16—Devices for psychotechnics; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/45—For evaluating or diagnosing the musculoskeletal system or teeth
  • A61B5/4528—Joints
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B2505/00—Evaluating, monitoring or diagnosing in the context of a particular type of medical care
  • A61B2505/09—Rehabilitation or training
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/68—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
  • A61B5/6801—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
  • A61B5/6813—Specially adapted to be attached to a specific body part
  • A61B5/6824—Arm or wrist

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring the performance of human joints.
• the present invention is concerned with measuring the performance of a joint or combination of such in the human body and, in particular, to measuring the effort exerted by a patient during the performance testing process.
• the compensation payable will be related to the extent of the person's injuries and the loss of use or performance of parts of the person's body due to the accident. For example, if a person injures their arm in an accident the compensation payable will depend on the extent to which that person's use of their arm has been impaired.
• an accurate assessment of an injury allows a rehabilitation programme to be monitored and varied if necessary.
• most injuries are assessed subjectively by doctors or physiotherapists.
• the assessment process is generally unscientific and open to inaccuracies.
• One particular problem occurs when patients pretend to be more seriously injured than they are for example by pretending to be unable to do particular tasks or by only providing a sub-maximal effort when tested.
• the present invention aims to provide a device for repeatedly and accurately measuring the performance of a joint in the body and which preferably includes means for determining whether the patient whose joint performance is being measured is making a minimal or at least sub-maximal effort, when tested.
• the present invention provides a device for performance testing comprising: a moveable member; a sensor for measuring force applied to the moveable member; and a resistance means to vary the resistance to movement of the moveable member.
• the moveable member may be a shaft or a lever.
• the shaft may be rotatable.
• the sensor may comprise a torque sensor for measuring torque applied to the shaft.
• the resistance means may comprise a coupling means that variably couples the shaft to the torque sensor. Such variable coupling of shaft and torque sensor varies the resistance to the turning of the shaft.
• An example of such a resistance means is an electric brake, eddy coupling, servo motor or the like.
• the resistance means comprises a coupling means
• the resistance is variable between a state where there is no coupling and no resistance is applied and the shaft is free to rotate relative to the torque sensor and a state in which the shaft is fully coupled to the torque sensor.
• the device includes an encoder for measuring the position of the shaft.
• the device may also include a control means for receiving input data from the torque sensor.
• the control means may also be arranged to input control signals to the resistance means and to determine the relationship between the resistance applied to the shaft and the torque measured by the torque sensor. Further, the control means may receive signals from the encoder in relation to the angular position of the shaft.
• the present invention provides a device for performance testing comprising: a shaft; a torque sensor for measuring the torque applied to the shaft; and a coupling means for variably coupling the shaft to the torque sensor to vary the resistance to turning of the shaft.
• the moveable member comprises a lever
• said lever may be connected to a resistance means.
• the resistance means may comprise a pump member.
• the pump member typically has a control valve to vary resistance to the lever.
• the pump member of this embodiment may be connected to a sensor, said sensor measuring the force applied to the lever.
• the sensor may comprise a pressure gauge to measure the pressure change of fluid in the pump as force is applied to the lever.
• the present invention provides a method of sincerity of effort testing of a person's joint performance by repeatedly measuring the response of that joint to a varying load. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of measuring the torque applied to a shaft by a person's joint comprising the steps of: applying a varying resistive force to turning of the shaft; measuring the torque applied to the shaft; recording the resistive force applied; and measuring the relationship between the resistive force applied and the measured torque.
• Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of a device for repeated performance measuring to gauge sincerity of effort
• Figures 2 and 3 are graphs comparing the resistive load applied to the device against measured torque.
• the device generally indicated at 10, includes a rectangular box-like casing 12.
• One side of a torque sensor 14 is mounted to one interior wall 15 of the casing.
• Fixed to the opposite side of the torque sensor 14 is a mounting plate 16 defining a central hole 18 through which one end of an elongate shaft 20 extends.
• the end of the shaft 20 is free to rotate relative to the mounting plate and the torque sensor 14.
• the shaft 20 extends from the mounting plate 16 co-axial with the torque sensor 14 and defines a free end 21 which projects through an aperture 22 defined in a wall 24 of the casing opposite to the wall 15 to which the torque sensor 14 is mounted.
• the free end 21 of the shaft 20 defines a coupling 26 which can be attached to various joint testing interfaces for testing any joints or combinations of such which can be used to produce rotary motion about an axis, which most if not all joints are capable of.
• a brake stator coil 28 defining a central bore 30 which is of greater diameter than the shaft is fixed to the mounting plate 16.
• the shaft 20 extends through that central bore 30.
• a brake rotor 32 is mounted on the shaft 20 and defines a friction surface 34 facing the brake stator coil 28 and in conjunction with the brake stator coil 28 defines an electric brake.
• Increasing the current supplied to the brake rotor 32 increases the resistance between the brake rotor 32 and the brake stator coil 28 and hence the coupling between the two.
• a computer control means in the form of a micro .controller 50 is connected to the torque sensor 14 and the shaft encoder 36 and receives input signals indicative of the torque measured by the torque sensor and the angular position of the shaft as measured by the shaft encoder.
• the micro controller also controls the current applied to the electric brake via a feedback loop.
• the device 10 works by using the brake rotor 32 and brake stator coil 28 to provide increasing resistance to the turning of the shaft 20 about its longitudinal axis which is measured by the torque sensor 14.
• the resistance can be quickly and accurately controlled by varying the current applied to the brake rotor 32.
• the torque applied to the shaft 20 is measured by the torque sensor 14 and this therefore gives a measurement of the performance of a patient's joint or combination.
• the computer control means 50 is programmed to vary the resistive load provided by the electric brake, whilst the shaft 20 is being turned by the patient.
• the system thus varies the resistive load applied to the electric brake, changing the resistance to turning of the shaft by the patient.
• the device 10 measures the torque applied to the shaft 20 by the patient and correlates the measured torque with the resistance applied to the turning of the shaft 20..
• the device 10 rapidly varies the resistance to the turning of the shaft 20 during a single exercise performed by the patient. Thus, if the patient is asked to, say, pull his/her fist up to his shoulder, in that one movement, the resistance to the turning of the shaft would vary several times.
• the variation of the resistive load may be based on position of the shaft as measured by either the encoder or time.
• the variation may be continuously varied for example by a ramped load or a stepped load or both.
• the variation may be increasing or decreasing or consistent stopping.
• the electric brake may be replaced by an equivalent element such as an eddy current coupling or similar controlled coupling device or servomotor.
• the method of providing a variable resistance could be a hydraulic motor or actuator with a variable flow control so that the oil flow could be restricted to provide a controlled resistive torque.
• the system may be active or passive.
• the resistive electric brake could be replaced by a variable torque servo drive. Because the device provides a repeatable way of measuring joint performance, it is possible to measure improvement in joint performance, for example, the performance of an elbow could be measured on a weekly basis and increases in the strength and range of movement of the joint performance measured and tracked.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Dentistry (AREA)
• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Physiology (AREA)
• Rheumatology (AREA)
• Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery (AREA)
• Psychiatry (AREA)
• Educational Technology (AREA)
• Child & Adolescent Psychology (AREA)
• Hospice & Palliative Care (AREA)
• Developmental Disabilities (AREA)
• Psychology (AREA)
• Social Psychology (AREA)
• Force Measurement Appropriate To Specific Purposes (AREA)
• Measurement Of The Respiration, Hearing Ability, Form, And Blood Characteristics Of Living Organisms (AREA)
• Measuring And Recording Apparatus For Diagnosis (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=32476503

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2003
  • 2003-08-07 AU AU2003904214A patent/AU2003904214A0/en not_active Abandoned
• 2004
  • 2004-08-05 JP JP2006522181A patent/JP4631849B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-08-05 CA CA2534366A patent/CA2534366C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-08-05 EP EP04737653A patent/EP1651108A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2004-08-05 NZ NZ545207A patent/NZ545207A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-08-05 WO PCT/AU2004/001038 patent/WO2005013821A1/en not_active Ceased
• 2006
  • 2006-02-06 US US11/349,532 patent/US7488299B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (7)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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