Device for measuring motion characteristics of a human joint

Claim 1

A device for measuring and displaying motion characteristics of a pair of joint-connected limb members about a joint, the device comprising: a brace mechanism having two pivotally-connected arms forming an angle, the arms being attachable to the joint-connected limb members such that the angle between the arms is indicative of a position of one of the joint-connected limb members relative to a position of the other joint-connected limb member; sensor means, attached to the brace mechanism, for generating a multi-bit binary signal indicative of the position of one joint-connected member relative to the position of another joint-connected member, the sensor means comprising: a rotary encoder which generates a pair of binary pulse signals and which pivotally connects said arms of the brace mechanism; a counter, electrically connected to the rotary encoder, which receives the pair of binary pulse signals and generates the multi-bit binary signal; control means, electrically connected to the sensor means, for receiving the multi-bit binary signal and determining the motion characteristics therefrom; timer means, in communication with the control means, for receiving timer start and stop signals from the control means, and for generating an elapsed time signal readable by the control means; display means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for displaying the motion characteristics as determined by the control means; range-determination means, connected to an controlled by the control means, for recording minimum and maximum positions attained by the joint-connected limb members during a first prespecified routine, and assigning timer start and stop positions therefrom; velocity determination means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for determining and displaying an average angular velocity value based on an average rate of angle change between the joint-connected limb members during a second prespecified routine based on a relationship between the maximum and minimum positions and the elapsed time signal; and mode switching means, electrically connected to the control means, for enabling switching of the device between a first mode enabling the range-determination means and a second mode enabling the velocity-determination means.

Claim 2

A device for measuring and displaying motion characteristics of a pair of joint-connected limb members about a joint, the device comprising: a brace mechanism having two pivotally-connected arms forming an angle, the arms being attachable to the joint-connected limb members such that the angle between the arms is indicative of a position of one of the joint-connected limb members relative to a position of the other joint-connected limb member; sensor means, attached to the brace mechanism, for generating a multi-bit binary signal indicative of the position of one joint-connected member relative to the position of another joint-connected member, the sensor means comprising: a rotary encoder which generates a pair of binary pulse signals and which pivotally connects said arms of the brace mechanism; a counter, electrically connected to the rotary encoder, which receives the pair of binary pulse signals and generates the multi-bit binary signal; control means, electrically connected to the sensor means, for receiving the multi-bit binary signal and determining the motion characteristics therefrom; timer means, in communication with the control means, for receiving timer start and stop signals from the control means, and for generating an elapsed time signal readable by the control means; display means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for displaying the motion characteristics as determined by the control means; range-determination means, connected to an controlled by the control means, for recording minimum and maximum positions attained by the joint-connected limb members during a first prespecified routine, and assigning timer start and stop positions therefrom; velocity determination means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for determining and displaying an average angular velocity value based on an average rate of angle change between the joint-connected limb members during a second prespecified routine based on a relationship between the maximum and minimum positions and the elapsed time signal; and mode switching means, electrically connected to the control means, for enabling switching of the device between a first mode enabling the range-determination means and a second mode enabling the velocity-determination means.

Claim 14

A method for determining an average angular velocity of a limb about a joint comprising the steps of: providing sensor means for sensing an angular position of the limb with respect to the joint, said sensor means generating an output signal; exercising said joint; starting a timer when said joint reaches a first predetermined angle beyond a predetermined minimum angle of joint displacement based on the output signal of the sensor means; stopping said timer when said joint reaches a second predetermined angle before a predetermined maximum angle of joint displacement based on the output signal of the sensor means, an interval of time between the starting and stopping of said timer comprising an elapsed time registered by said timer; dividing a displacement, as determined by the difference between a position of the limb when the timer is started and a position of the limb when the timer is stopped, by the elapsed time registered by said timer.

Claim 15

A method for determining an average angular velocity of a limb about a joint comprising the steps of: providing sensor means for sensing an angular position of the limb with respect to the joint, said sensor means generating an output signal; exercising said joint; starting a timer when said joint reaches a first predetermined angle beyond a predetermined minimum angle of joint displacement based on the output signal of the sensor means; stopping said timer when said joint reaches a second predetermined angle before a predetermined maximum angle of joint displacement based on the output signal of the sensor means, an interval of time between the starting and stopping of said timer comprising an elapsed time registered by said timer; dividing a displacement, as determined by the difference between a position of the limb when the timer is started and a position of the limb when the timer is stopped, by the elapsed time registered by said timer.

Claim 17

A device for measuring and displaying motion characteristics of a pair of joint-connected limb members about a joint, the device comprising: a brace mechanism having two pivotally-connected arms forming an angle, the arms being attachable to the joint-connected limb members such that the angle between the arms is indicative of a position of one of the joint-connected limb members relative to a position of the other joint-connected limb member; sensor means, attached to the brace mechanism, for generating a multi-bit binary signal indicative of the position of one joint-connected member relative to the position of another joint-connected member, the sensor means comprising: a rotary controlled mechanism generating a DC voltage signal and pivotally connecting the arms of the brace mechanism; an analog-to-digital converter electrically connected to the rotary controlled mechanism, receiving the DC voltage signal, and generating the multi-bit binary signal indicative of the angle between the arms of the brace mechanism based on the received DC voltage signal, the angle between the arms of the brace being indicative of the position of the one joint connected member relative to the position of the other joint connected member; control means, electrically connected to the sensor means, for receiving the multi-bit signal and determining the motion characteristics therefrom; timer means, in communication with the control means, for receiving timer start and stop signals from the control means, and for generating an elapsed time signal readable by the control means; display means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for displaying the motion characteristics as determined by the control means; range-determination means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for recording minimum and maximum positions attained by the joint-connected limb members during a first prespecified routine, and assigning timer start and stop positions therefrom; velocity determination means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for determining and displaying an average angular velocity value based on an average rate of angle change between the joint-connected limb members during a second prespecified routine based on a relationship between the maximum and minimum positions and the elapsed time signal; mode switching means, electrically connected to the control means, for enabling switching of the device between a first mode enabling the range-determination means and a second mode enabling the velocity-determination means, the mode switching means comprising: a plurality of control buttons enabling switching of the device to various modes of operation based on a particular selected button or sequence of selected buttons and a present mode of operation of the device; storage means, electrically connected to the control means, for storing data related to the multi-bit binary signal and a plurality of such signals, for storing data related to the minimum and maximum positions and a plurality of such positions, and for storing data related to the average angular velocity value and a plurality of such values; a battery unit electrically connected to the storage means and enabling the device to store data when the device is powered down; a storage unit electrically connected to the control means and storing a computer program; direction switching means, electrically connected to the sensor means, for switching the sensor means between a first mode enabling said sensor means to increment during clockwise rotation of said brace mechanism and a second mode enabling said sensor means to increment during counter-clockwise rotation of said brace mechanism; a logic circuit controlled by said control means, said logic circuit having a single output; a flip flop controlled by said logic circuit output and generating a flip flop output; an analog switch controlled by said flip flop output which reverses a polarity of said DC voltage signal.

Claim 18

A device for measuring and displaying motion characteristics of a pair of joint-connected limb members about a joint, the device comprising: a brace mechanism having two pivotally-connected arms forming an angle, the arms being attachable to the joint-connected limb members such that the angle between the arms is indicative of a position of one of the joint-connected limb members relative to a position of the other joint-connected limb member; sensor means, attached to the brace mechanism, for generating a multi-bit binary signal indicative of the position of one joint-connected member relative to the position of another joint-connected member, the sensor means comprising: a rotary controlled mechanism generating a DC voltage signal and pivotally connecting the arms of the brace mechanism; an analog-to-digital converter electrically connected to the rotary controlled mechanism, receiving the DC voltage signal, and generating the multi-bit binary signal indicative of the angle between the arms of the brace mechanism based on the received DC voltage signal, the angle between the arms of the brace being indicative of the position of the one joint connected member relative to the position of the other joint connected member; control means, electrically connected to the sensor means, for receiving the multi-bit signal and determining the motion characteristics therefrom; timer means, in communication with the control means, for receiving timer start and stop signals from the control means, and for generating an elapsed time signal readable by the control means; display means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for displaying the motion characteristics as determined by the control means; range-determination means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for recording minimum and maximum positions attained by the joint-connected limb members during a first prespecified routine, and assigning timer start and stop positions therefrom; velocity determination means, connected to and controlled by the control means, for determining and displaying an average angular velocity value based on an average rate of angle change between the joint-connected limb members during a second prespecified routine based on a relationship between the maximum and minimum positions and the elapsed time signal; mode switching means, electrically connected to the control means, for enabling switching of the device between a first mode enabling the range-determination means and a second mode enabling the velocity-determination means, the mode switching means comprising: a plurality of control buttons enabling switching of the device to various modes of operation based on a particular selected button or sequence of selected buttons and a present mode of operation of the device; storage means, electrically connected to the control means, for storing data related to the multi-bit binary signal and a plurality of such signals, for storing data related to the minimum and maximum positions and a plurality of such positions, and for storing data related to the average angular velocity value and a plurality of such values; a battery unit electrically connected to the storage means and enabling the device to store data when the device is powered down; a storage unit electrically connected to the control means and storing a computer program; direction switching means, electrically connected to the sensor means, for switching the sensor means between a first mode enabling said sensor means to increment during clockwise rotation of said brace mechanism and a second mode enabling said sensor means to increment during counter-clockwise rotation of said brace mechanism; a logic circuit controlled by said control means, said logic circuit having a single output; a flip flop controlled by said logic circuit output and generating a flip flop output; an analog switch controlled by said flip flop output which reverses a polarity of said DC voltage signal.