US5592943A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for acoustic analysis of bone using optimized functions of spectral and temporal signal components
Assignee: Quidel Corp
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Filing: 1995-03-13
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Granted: 1997-01-14
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Expires: 2015-03-13
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for acoustic analysis of bone are disclosed which provide measurements of transient spectral or temporal characteristics using signal processing techniques, wherein ultrasonic bone index value measurements are derived so as to minimize differences among successive measurements taken of the same individual and to maximize differences in measurements taken of different individuals and provide outputs indicating the condition of bone.
Inventors
- 👤 Joe P. Buhler
- 👤 David Butt
- 👤 Jeffrey H. Goll
- 👤 Harold R. McCartor
- 👤 Stuart H. Rowan
- 👤 Neldon C. Wagner
- 👤 Hartwell H. Whitney
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 07:54
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/45; A61B5/4504; A61B8/00; A61B8/08; A61B8/0875; A61B8/44; A61B8/4444; A61B8/4455; A61B8/46; A61B8/461; A61B8/462
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
An apparatus for externally measuring in a vertebrate subject the extent of osteoporosis of a bone disposed within a body part, the apparatus comprising: (a) first and second transducers; (b) a mounting arrangement for mounting the transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the bone; (c) a signal generator, in communication with the first transducer, for causing the first transducer to produce acoustic pulses, having energy distributed over a frequency range, that are propagated into the subject and received by the second transducer along a first path that includes the bone; (d) a signal processor, in communication with the second transducer, for providing a measure that is indicative of at least one of transient spectral and transient temporal characteristics of a portion, up to the whole amount thereof, of a signal received by the second transducer, the measure being selected for its ability to minimize differences among successive measurements taken of the same individual and to maximize differences in measurements taken of different individuals, so that the measurement relates to the extent of osteoporosis of the bone.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
177 words
An apparatus for externally measuring in a vertebrate subject the extent of osteoporosis of a bone disposed within a body part, the apparatus comprising: (a) first and second transducers; (b) a mounting arrangement for mounting the transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the bone; (c) a signal generator, in communication with the first transducer, for causing the first transducer to produce acoustic pulses, having energy distributed over a frequency range, that are propagated into the subject and received by the second transducer along a first path that includes the bone; (d) a signal processor, in communication with the second transducer, for providing a measure that is indicative of at least one of transient spectral and transient temporal characteristics of a portion, up to the whole amount thereof, of a signal received by the second transducer, the measure being selected for its ability to minimize differences among successive measurements taken of the same individual and to maximize differences in measurements taken of different individuals, so that the measurement relates to the extent of osteoporosis of the bone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function is a weighted sum, and the weights are selected for their ability to minimize differences among successive measurements taken of the same individual and to maximize differences in measurements taken of different individuals.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
137 words
An apparatus for externally measuring in a vertebrate subject the extent of osteoporosis of a bone disposed within a body part, the apparatus comprising: (a) first and second transducers; (b) a mounting arrangement for mounting the transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the bone; (c) a signal generator, in communication with the first transducer, for causing the first transducer to produce acoustic pulses, having energy distributed over a frequency range, that are propagated into the subject and received by the second transducer along a first path that includes the bone; (d) a signal processor, in communication with the second transducer, for providing a single measure that is indicative of at least one of transient spectral and transient temporal characteristics of a portion, up to the whole amount thereof, of a signal received by the second transducer.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
137 words
An apparatus for externally measuring in a vertebrate subject the extent of osteoporosis of a bone disposed within a body part, the apparatus comprising: (a) first and second transducers; (b) a mounting arrangement for mounting the transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the bone; (c) a signal generator, in communication with the first transducer, for causing the first transducer to produce acoustic pulses, having energy distributed over a frequency range, that are propagated into the subject and received by the second transducer along a first path that includes the bone; (d) a signal processor, in communication with the second transducer, for providing a single measure that is indicative of at least one of transient spectral and transient temporal characteristics of a portion, up to the whole amount thereof, of a signal received by the second transducer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the function includes a measure of the shape of the Hilbert envelope of a portion of the signal received by the second transducer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the function includes a measure of the shape of the Burg function of a portion of the signal received by the second transducer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the function includes a measure of the variability of the Hilbert frequency function of a portion of the signal received by the second transducer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the function includes a weighted sum of spectral components, determined using a short-time Fourier transform, and determined at successive intervals, of the signal received by the second transducer, wherein the successive weighted sums associated with successive intervals are themselves formed into a weighted sum.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the function includes a measure of the group delay of a portion of the signal received by the second transducer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a third transducer, affixed to the mounting arrangement, for receiving, along a second path that is distinct from the first path, acoustic energy supplied by the first transducer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second path is transverse to the first path.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least the first transducer includes a piezo crystal element that has an aspect ratio of diameter to thickness that is substantially less than 5:1.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the aspect ratio is approximately 1.5:1.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
219 words
A system for externally measuring in a vertebrate subject characteristic behavior of an acoustic wave in a bone disposed within a body part, the system comprising: (a) first and second transducers; (b) mounting means for mounting the transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the bone; (c) signal excitation means for causing the first transducer to produce an acoustic waveform that is propagated into the subject and received by the second transducer along a path that includes the bone; (d) characteristic determination means for determining a characteristic of the behavior of the waveform along the path; (e) a display for displaying outputs of the characteristic determination means; and (f) an appliance for removable engagement with the foot of a subject, the appliance having: (i) a base having a surface for receiving the sole of a foot having a longitudinal axis; (ii) a cradle rigidly attached to the base, for receiving the subject's foot and ankle, and disposed in a direction transverse to the base; (iii) a yoke for supporting the transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the bone; (iv) a member for mounting the yoke in moveable relationship to the base so as to permit joint two-dimensional motion of the transducers over regions of the heel including the calcaneous; wherein the yoke and member constitute the mounting means.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
219 words
A system for externally measuring in a vertebrate subject characteristic behavior of an acoustic wave in a bone disposed within a body part, the system comprising: (a) first and second transducers; (b) mounting means for mounting the transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the bone; (c) signal excitation means for causing the first transducer to produce an acoustic waveform that is propagated into the subject and received by the second transducer along a path that includes the bone; (d) characteristic determination means for determining a characteristic of the behavior of the waveform along the path; (e) a display for displaying outputs of the characteristic determination means; and (f) an appliance for removable engagement with the foot of a subject, the appliance having: (i) a base having a surface for receiving the sole of a foot having a longitudinal axis; (ii) a cradle rigidly attached to the base, for receiving the subject's foot and ankle, and disposed in a direction transverse to the base; (iii) a yoke for supporting the transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the bone; (iv) a member for mounting the yoke in moveable relationship to the base so as to permit joint two-dimensional motion of the transducers over regions of the heel including the calcaneous; wherein the yoke and member constitute the mounting means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
A system according to claim 13, wherein: the member is a backplate hingedly attached at one end to the base along a first hinge axis generally transverse to the longitudinal axis; and the other end of the backplate is hingedly attached, along a second hinge axis generally parallel to the first hinge axis, to the yoke.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
106 words
An appliance for removable engagement with the foot of a subject, the appliance having: (a) a base having a surface for receiving the sole of a foot having a longitudinal axis; (b) a cradle rigidly attached to the base, for receiving the subject's foot and ankle, and disposed in a direction transverse to the base; (c) a yoke for supporting a pair of transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the heel of the foot; (d) a member for mounting the yoke in moveable relationship to the base so as to permit joint two-dimensional motion of the transducers over regions of the heel including the calcaneous.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
106 words
An appliance for removable engagement with the foot of a subject, the appliance having: (a) a base having a surface for receiving the sole of a foot having a longitudinal axis; (b) a cradle rigidly attached to the base, for receiving the subject's foot and ankle, and disposed in a direction transverse to the base; (c) a yoke for supporting a pair of transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the heel of the foot; (d) a member for mounting the yoke in moveable relationship to the base so as to permit joint two-dimensional motion of the transducers over regions of the heel including the calcaneous.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
56 words
An appliance according to claim 13, wherein: the member is a backplate hingedly attached at one end to the base along a first hinge axis generally transverse to the longitudinal axis; and the other end of the backplate is hingedly attached, along a second hinge axis generally parallel to the first hinge axis, to the yoke.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
146 words
An appliance according to claim 13, further comprising: a control module, physically mounted to at least one of the base, cradel, yoke or member, the module having a first set of data ports coupled to the transducers, a second set of data ports for coupling to (i) a signal excitation means for causing a first one of the transducers to produce an acoustic waveform that is propagated into the subject and received by a second one of the transducers along a path that includes the bone and (ii) characteristic determination means for determining a characteristic of the behavior of the waveform along the path; the control module including a microprocessor for controlling motors for causing displacment of the yoke and therefore the transducers over the calcaneous, the module having a control port over which the microprocessor receives control signals for the motors from a master microprocessor.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-01-14 | 2000-07-15 | 2001-01-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-01-14 | 2004-07-15 | 2005-01-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-01-14 | 2008-07-15 | 2009-01-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |