Surgery – Truss – Pad
Patent
1993-12-27
1996-01-09
Hindenburg, Max
Surgery
Truss
Pad
128741, A61B 505
Patent
active
054820529
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of medical diagnosis, in particular in the field of neurological diagnosis, and it relates to a method and a device for determining sensory functions such as hearing, sight, smell, touch and pain functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several methods and means for determining the degree of functioning of the senses are known. The auditory function can for example be assessed using audiometry, visual acuity by means of various tables, tactile sense by means of touch of various strength, pain sensitivity by means of a prick with a needle or with special bristles etc.
However, such methods and their variants are based on a subjective perception of the stimuli applied and on the patient's interpretation and report. The latter is a great drawback of the known methods and hampers an objective recording of the sensory perception.
An objective assessment of the functioning of the sense organs is very important in making a diagnosis, in examining children and newborn infants, in forensic medical examination and in veterinary medicine.
A method of recording skin potentials is known (I. F. Tarchanov, "The Journal of forensic psychiatry", vol 7, (1), p. 73 (1989), and others), but this method is not used for the assessment of the functional condition of the senses (vision, hearing, smell, tactile and pain sensitivity).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for determining the functioning of distant senses (vision, hearing, smell) and tactile and pain sensitivity with an increased accuracy by means of electrosensometry. This method comprises recording potentials of external parts of the body such as the fingertips, at rest, whereafter auditory, visual, olfactory tactile or pain stimuli are applied and the potential change in response to the stimuli is measured and the condition of the sense under investigation is diagnosed using the result.
Although an accurate assessment of the sensory functions can be obtained in many cases using the method described above, habituation can occur upon prolonged examination in some cases, causing the results to become unreliable. This problem can be solved by the development of a conditioned reflex to an algesic stimulation with an electric current in combination with the stimulation of the sense under investigation. In the development of the conditioned reflex a specific stimulus causes a stable cutaneogalvanic reflex (CGR, skin potential reaction).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic view of the apparatus used in carrying out the method according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The electro sensometry can be carried out as follows. Potentials of the phalanxes of the hand or foot or from other electroactive points are recorded. The active electrode is fixed on the palm surface, the inner side of the phalanx or another electroactive point, and the passive electrode is fixed on the back surface of the phalanx or an other, less electroactive point. Then one or more sensory stimuli (sound, light, smell, touch, prick) are applied by a stimulus emitter 4, and each time potential changes are recorded afterwards. The results of the measurement are processed. If the skin potential changes upon repeated (2-3 times) sound stimulation, this means that the sense of hearing perceives the sound stimulus. In repeated investigation it is possible to determine the threshold value of the sound perception on the basis of the intensity. If the skin potential changes upon repeated (2-3 times) light stimulation, this means that the sense of vision perceives this light stimulus. In repeated investigation it is possible again to determine the threshold value of light perception on the basis of the intensity. Using the same principle, the visual field, optionally dependent on the visual angle, can be investigated.
The results of examination are objectified by using conventional perimetry and by
REFERENCES:
patent: 3901215 (1975-08-01), John
patent: 4088125 (1978-05-01), Forgione et al.
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