Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Measuring anatomical characteristic or force applied to or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-07
2001-12-04
Winakur, Eric F. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Measuring anatomical characteristic or force applied to or...
C073S379010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325767
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a force-measuring device, in particular a device for measuring the force-exerting ability of human muscle groups, comprising at least one pressing element which works together with a force-measuring unit which can measure the force exerted onto at least one pressing element, with this pressing element (of which there is at least one) in the force-measuring unit being arranged so that its height can be adjusted and so that it can be fixed at a desired height.
2. The Background Art
Force-measuring devices of the type described at the beginning are known from the state of the art as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,832. For example, when measuring the force-exerting ability of the arm muscles, the subject is placed in sitting position in the force-measuring device. A load-producing cushion unit is located in front of the subject. When the subject presses his hand against the load-producing cushion unit, a motion is produced for measuring the force. The arrangement according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,832 simultaneously measures the force contributions of other muscle groups along with the force exerted by the muscle group which is to be measured. This falsifies the measurement.
In addition, there are force-measuring devices described in PCT/US 87/01247 and PCT/US 88/01354, which make it possible to measure various muscle groups. These systems have a complicated structure and are expensive. These systems also take up a lot of space. Moreover, even these force-measuring devices are unable to perform force measurements on individual muscle groups without simultaneously measuring the contributions of other muscle groups which are not supposed to be measured.
Measuring the force-exerting ability of various muscle groups is especially important for controlling the training of preventive medicine training programs. This concerns especially the trunk-stabilizing muscles, which have a special influence on the spinal column. Preventing back pain requires avoiding muscular imbalances. Sports medicine investigations have shown that weak trunk muscles favor the occurrence of back pain. Information about the ability force-exerting ability of the trunk muscles which determine performance is important for preventive medicine back training. Such information can help fitness centers, physical therapists, and other rehabilitation devices formulate individual training programs for customers or patients and target diagnosed muscular weaknesses. Such measurement procedures have seldom been used up to now for cost reasons, since creating the known measurement systems mentioned above was economically not very attractive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problem on which this invention is based is to create a measurement device of the type mentioned at the beginning which makes it possible to measure the force-exerting ability of individual muscle groups and is simultaneously simple to construct.
This is accomplished according to the invention by the fact that the force-measuring device has, in addition to the at least one pressing element working together with a force-measuring unit, at least one, preferably three pressing elements serving to hold certain parts of the test person's body in place, whose height can also be adjusted and which can be fixed at the desired height and are horizontally adjustable and can be fixed in the desired horizontal position. The individual muscle groups can be measured one after the other, with each of the pressing elements, of which there are at least one, being fixed at the height suitable for it.
It is also advantageous if at least one pressing element and/or the force-measuring device is arranged so that it can pivot upward and/or downward. This makes it possible, for example, to measure forces exerted onto the pressing clement from above, so that the force-exerting ability of additional muscle groups can be determined.
It is preferable if the force-measuring device has two pressing elements, each working together with a force-measuring unit, with these two pressing elements being arranged so that they can be pushed horizontally, for example, against the breast and back of the subject at the same height. This makes it easy to measure the abdominal muscles and sacrospinal muscle one after the other, for example.
According to the invention, the force-measuring device can have, in addition to the at least one pressing element working together with a force-measuring unit, at least one, preferably three other pressing elements, which do not work together with a force-measuring unit and whose height can also be adjusted and which can be fixed at the desired height and preferably are also horizontally adjustable and which can be fixed in the desired position. These other pressing elements make it possible to hold the subject's body at certain places while other muscle groups are measured.
According to a preferred embodiment of this invention the force-measuring device comprises a frame with a top and two side frame pieces and a base plate from which the side frame pieces extend upward. Both sides of the side frame pieces which are turned toward one another can have a vertical adjustment strip arranged on them, on which vertical slides can move and be fixed, whose travel causes the height adjustment of the at least one pressing element. It is preferable if each of the vertical slides has a horizontal slide is fixed on it, in which a horizontal adjustment strip can move approximately in the direction toward the opposite vertical adjustment strip or away from it, with the movement of the horizontal adjustment strip causing the horizontal adjustment of the at least one pressing element. The frame construction with the horizontal and vertical adjustment strips and the vertical and horizontal slides assigned to them give the device a relatively uncomplicated structure, which nevertheless ensures that certain parts of the subject's body are fixed in an ideal manner for each muscle group and that the force is picked up in an ideal manner through the pressing elements.
The end of a horizontal adjustment strip turned toward the opposite vertical adjustment strip can have a force-measuring unit placed on it, on whose opposite end is placed the pressing element together with which it works. As an alternative to this, the end of a horizontal adjustment strip turned toward the opposite vertical adjustment strip can have a pressing element placed on it which does not work together with a force-measuring device. This makes it possible to move the pressing elements toward or away from the body of the subject by simply moving the horizontal adjustment strip horizontally.
According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, the force-measuring unit comprises a force transducer, which preferably has the shape of the letter “Z”. The force transducer can measure the force exerted onto it, for example by means of a wire strain gauge. It is advantageous for the force transducer to work according to the principle of measuring shear force transverse to the longitudinal axis. Such a force transducer is very sensitive and can determine the force exerted on it over a great range of forces.
It is advantageous for the force-measuring unit to comprise a pivoting element which has a pressing element fastened to it by suitable means of attachment, with the pivoting element being arranged in the force-measuring unit in such a manner that exerting a force on the pressing element in the direction toward the force-measuring unit presses the pivoting element against the force transducer, and thus exerts a measurable force on it. The previously mentioned arrangement is constructed in a simple but effective manner since the force exerted on the pressing element is passed directly to the force transducer.
The horizontal and vertical slides can be placed on the horizontal and vertical adjustment strips in a continuously adjustable and fixable manner. As an alternative to this, equidistant holes can be made in the vertical and hor
Lagerstrøm Dieter
Peuker Erhard
Wolff Hartmut
Marmor II Charles
Sierra Patent Group Ltd
Winakur Eric F.
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