The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 22, 1991
Filed:
Jan. 12, 1990
David A Preves, Edina, MN (US);
Brian P Rosengren, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
James E Holte, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Myer S Leonard, Golden Valley, MN (US);
Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Abstract
A non-invasive, non-ionizing, reproducible method and apparatus for analyzing the normal and abnormal function of human and animal joints is presented. The method includes passing vibrations through the joint to be analyzed and measuring the modulation of the amplitude and the phase characteristics of the vibrations caused by movement of the joint through a predetermined cycle. More specifically, the method includes transmitting a sinusoidal vibratory signal through a joint structure to be analyzed and measuring the amplitude and phase of the signal received on the opposite side of the joint during a prescribed movement of the joint both with and without the application of external mechanical forces, and comparing the profile of the modulated signal to the profiles obtained from reference joints. The apparatus includes a piezoelectric or magnetic transducer adapted to be positioned on one side of a joint to be analyzed to provide the vibrational signal and one or more receiving transducers placed on the other side of the joint to detect the modulated vibratory signal produced by the associated joint structure.