Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Measuring anatomical characteristic or force applied to or...
Patent
1996-07-03
1998-12-01
Hindenburg, Max
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Measuring anatomical characteristic or force applied to or...
A61B 500
Patent
active
058430040
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to a device for the diagnosis and/or therapy of a person, consisting of a stationary chassis, on which an actuation arrangement and a support arrangement are seated so as to be pivoted about a main axis parallel to the set-up plane, with the actuation arrangement having at least one actuation element that can be moved by an actuation motor in a predetermined manner relative to the actuation arrangement, as well as a means for measuring and displaying or specifying a resistance exerted or to be exerted by the person against the motion of the actuation element.
A device of the type mentioned above is known from AT-PS 394,806. In this equipment, conceived for use in zero-gravity space, a test subject exerts maximal resistance against the motion of the actuation element. Alongside this measurement, other measurements are performed during the motion, such the measurement of cerebral currents, the measurement of myoelectric currents in the muscles under load and the preparation of an electrocardiogram. It is possible to draw conclusions as to the physical condition of the test subject from these measurements. In that way, changes caused by a relatively long stay in zero-gravity space are to be detected quantitatively. This device, constructed for minimal space requirements, on board a spaceship for instance, naturally does not meet the conditions for routine use under the influence of gravity among persons of differing physical builds, in hospitals, for instance, where the rapid adaptation to every body type and to various physical dimensions is required.
The objective of the invention is to avoid these drawbacks and to refine the known device for terrestrial use, with a great number of possibilities for variation and the ability to adapt rapidly and simply to the person to be examined. According to the invention, this is attained in that the support arrangement is constructed as a combined reclining and sitting chassis, consisting of a seat plate and a back plate that can be pivoted about an axis parallel to the main axis and in that adjustment means are provided for displacing the reclining and sitting chassis in the normal and parallel direction relative to the seat plate in a plane normal to the main axis. The actuation motor here can be constructed as a torque motor and preferably as a pulsed dc motor. Such a motor outputs a preset torque independent of the speed chosen. In particular, such a motor is also capable of yielding this torque even in the stationary state and can thus start up at this torque. This is significant, since the force exerted by the person during the bending or extending is measured by the measurement devices. The reaction of the test subject immediately after beginning the motion or after an inflection point of the bent or extended joint is of particular interest to the physician. It is thus important that precisely this measuring range not be distorted by the startup behavior of the motor. A side effect is that, in this way, isometric measurements, i.e., measurements without macroscopic muscle motion, are possible.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A measurement which is particularly informative to the physician is created if a control arrangement is provided that controls the speed profile of the motor according to a curve specified as a function of the path such that a joint of the test subject, preferably an elbow or a knee joint, is moved at constant angular velocity. In case of linear movement of the hand or foot relative to the shoulder or hip joint, respectively, this means that the velocity of the actuation element must be specified to be proportional to the arc sine of the path traveled. In case of a movement of the actuation element by means of a spindle driven by the motor, this function also applies to the angular velocity of the motor.
In the therapeutic use of the device, for the convalescence of people from injuries, for instance, the resistance to be overcome by the person against the motion of the actuation elements
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Bumba Walter
Presl Rudolf
Bavaria Patente und Lizenzen Verwertungsgesellschaft mbH
Hindenburg Max
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