Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Patent
1997-01-24
1998-06-30
Jaworski, Francis
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
600459, A61B 800
Patent
active
057725969
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for the detection and measurement of osteoporosis.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known that detection of the attenuation and transmissibility of ultrasound through bone is a useful measure of osteoporosis. Conveniently the measurement is made on the heel bone, as a large bone surrounded by little flesh.
Two main types of apparatus are used. In one, a foot bath is used. It has a pair of transducers fixedly arranged in opposite sidewalls of the bath. One transducer is for transmission and the other is a receiver. The bath is filled with water. This apparatus produces repeatable results, but suffers from poor portability and a relatively long time--of the order of 20 minutes--to stabilise before use, whilst the water is de-gassed and heated to blood temperature.
In the second type of apparatus, the transducers are movable towards and away from each other, by means of a mechanism able to relay their separation to detection circuitry. The transducers directly abut the patient's skin at the heel. This apparatus is more readily portable, but has leas good reproduceability.
THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide apparatus having the repeatability of the water bath apparatus and the portability of the dry apparatus.
According to the invention there is provided osteoporosis apparatus for measuring ultrasonic characteristic(s) of a patient's bone, the apparatus comprising: apparatus for ultrasonic transmission from one to the other; the reception at the other and providing an output indicative of the ultrasonic characteristic(s); the apparatus including: that there is a fluid path from each transducer to its diaphragm and a gap between the diaphragms which is occupied in use by a patient's bone.
It is envisageable that the spacing of the transducers in the apparatus is adjustable to provide a standard length of fluid path. However, in the preferred embodiment, the spacing of the transducers in the apparatus is fixed and the diaphragms are adjustable to accommodate differing thicknesses of patients' bones, since the transmission of ultrasound through water occurs with little attenuation and a predictable velocity which can be allowed for.
Preferably the fluid system is adapted to be pressurised for adjustment of the diaphragms by inflation against the patient. The diaphragms can be mounted on annular supports, with outer annular sleeves provided around the supports for limiting radial inflation of the diaphragms. Conveniently, the diaphragms are carried on respective tubes--including the annular supports--the tubes being able to be advanced for adjustment of the apparatus to suit patients having differing bone thicknesses.
In one alternative, the tubes are threaded and adapted for diaphragm advance by screw action. Alternatively, the tubes are resilient for extension under fluid pressure for diaphragm advance. In this case, the tubes can have concertina formations for their resilient extension.
It is envisaged that the fluid system may be divided into separate portions, one for each transducer. However, the fluid system preferably includes, a fluid interconnection between the fluid paths to each transducer for diaphragm pressure equalisation, with the interconnection being arranged to avoid ultrasound transmission along it.
The fluid system may be open, with diaphragms' flexibility under the system's own hydraulic head biasing them into contact with the patient. However, again it is preferred that it is closed or closable and provided with means for pressurisation, whereby the diaphragms can be urged into contact with the patient. The arrangement provides that there is little in the ultrasound path between the transducers other than water and the patient's heal bone, with the diaphragms being in good air excluding contact with the patient's skin. Conveniently, the pressurisation means is an air pump arranged to pump air into a region of the fluid system higher than the transducers and the diaphragms.
Preferably, t
REFERENCES:
patent: 4059098 (1977-11-01), Murdock
patent: 5014970 (1991-05-01), Osipov
patent: 5134999 (1992-08-01), Osipov
patent: 5335661 (1994-08-01), Koblonski
Forfitt Roy
Ritchie Ian Alistair
Jaworski Francis
Selkirk Technologies, Inc.
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