Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting sound generated within body
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-14
2001-05-15
Nasser, Robert L. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting sound generated within body
C600S485000, C600S400000, C600S493000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231523
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a pain information detecting device and, more particularly, to a detecting device to obtain information on pain which a patient is suffering, in a form of electrical signals by using a cuff attached onto the upper arm of the patient.
BACKGROUND ART
In the field of medicine, various detecting devices and measuring devices are used to recognize the various phenomena that occur in the body of a patient as objective data. For example, blood pressure measurement is a most readily used measuring means and blood pressure measurement devices, etc. for general household use are commercially available. Normally, a medical practitioner obtains information on subjective symptoms from the chief complaints of a patient or by inquiry of the patient him/herself, collects objective information using various detecting devices and measuring devices, and provides a final diagnosis upon comprehensive examination of such information.
Pain is the most significant symptom among the subjective symptoms of the patient him/herself and a majority of patients complain of pain in initial diagnosis inquiries. A medical practitioner asks the patient questions on such matters as where the pain is, what sort of pain is being felt, etc. and specifies the location of pain and the type of pain. However, information on pain obtained by such inquiries is only obtained through verbal expressions of pain that is felt subjectively by the patient and cannot be regarded as objective data. In many years, research on the measurement of pain as objective data has been carried out in various fields. The pain signal is considered to be an electrical signal that is transmitted in the internal nervous system. For example, a conventional device was developed which uses a bridge circuit to detect the minute electric currents that flow through a needle inserted near a nerve so that pain felt by patients is obtained as an electrical signal. However, since a needle must be inserted into a portion where the patient is complaining of pain, such a device has not yet become practical for clinical use.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a pain information detecting device with which information concerning pain can be obtained in the form of electrical signals by a simple method.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
This invention is based on the concept that information concerning pain is contained in the waves that propagate through an artery. Arteries play the role of transfer pipes for blood that circulates throughout the body and comprises a circulatory network that is laid across the body, from the heart to the peripheral parts. The various physical data that can be obtained from an artery are thus considered to contain valuable information concerning the entire body. For example, blood pressure value, which is a representative example, is normally measured at the upper arm and provides important physical information concerning the entire body. The present inventor, through measurements of the Korotkoff sound, which is generated as blood passes through an artery under compression, of numerous patients, has come to find that there is a correlation between pain and the Korotkoff sound waveform. In particular, the inventor has found that when Fourier transform is applied to the Korotkoff sound signal, the information on pain can be expressed in a visually recognizable form and that pain information can thus be detected by a simple method.
With the first mode of this invention, a pain information detecting device is comprised of a cuff, having a blood flow shutting bag for stopping the blood flow in an artery, a pressure control device for controlling the pressure of this blood flow shutting bag, a sound wave sensor, which detects the Korotkoff sound that arises when blood flows through the artery under compression by the blood flow shutting bag, and a computation device, which Fourier transforms the Korotkoff sound signal detected by the sound wave sensor, and the cuff is attached onto the upper arm of a patient to enable information on the pain felt by the patient to be indicated in an objective manner.
With the second mode of this invention, the above-described pain information detecting device of the first mode has a detection bag, which is partially interconnected with the blood flow shutting bag and is smaller in volume than the blood flow shutting bag, provided at the cuff to enable the sound wave sensor to detect the Korotkoff sound based on the pressure fluctuation inside the detection bag and thereby improve the detection sensitivity of the Korotkoff sound.
With the third mode of this invention, the pain information is indicated by cutting off components of a prescribed frequency or higher after Fourier transformation in the above-described pain information detection of the first mode or second mode to enable the indication of noise components to be restricted.
With the fourth mode of this invention, the Fourier transform results are indicated in the form of a spectral waveform or a histogram in the above-described pain information detecting device of the first to third modes to enable visual ascertainment of the pain information to be performed readily.
With the fifth mode of this invention, the above-described pain information detecting device of the first to fourth modes is provided with a pressure control device, which controls the pressure of the blood flow shutting bag to decrease gradually from a pressure that is adequately high for shutting the blood flow to enable indication of the Fourier transform results of the respective Korotkoff sounds detected at a plurality of pressures.
With the sixth mode of this invention, the apparent correlation is utilized between the pressures of the blood flow shutting bag during Korotkoff sound detection and the positions of various parts of the body. The Fourier transform results of the respective Korotkoff sounds detected at a plurality of pressures with the above-described pain information detecting device of the fifth mode are indicated in correspondence to the respective, specific parts of the body.
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Ladas & Parry
Nasser Robert L.
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