US 11,678,837 B2 · Hardness meter and hardness measuring method for estimating target object having hardness estimation portion that estimates hardness of measurement object based

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a hardness meter which estimates hardness in a stable manner regardless of a compression strength. A hardness meter includes: a movable portion which is continuously pressed against an object to be measured; a sensor which outputs an output signal reflecting a reaction force at a part of the object to be measured; a motive force mechanism that causes the movable portion to perform a piston motion; a hardness estimating portion which estimates the hardness of the object on the basis of an alternating current component of the output signal, generated by the piston motion; a position estimating portion which estimates a measurement position information by shooting with a camera; and a hardness map display portion which maps and displays the hardness on a schematic diagram of the surface of a living body based on the measurement position information.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A hardness meter comprising:

a movable portion which is continuously contact with an object to be measured;
a sensor which outputs an output signal reflecting a reaction force at a part of the object to be measured that is in contact with the movable portion;
a motive force mechanism that causes the movable portion to perform a piston motion;
a hardness estimating portion which estimates the hardness of the object to be measured on the basis of an alternating current component of the output signal, generated by the piston motion of the movable portion;
a position estimating portion which estimates a measurement position information by shooting with a camera;
and
a hardness map display portion which maps and displays the hardness on a schematic diagram of the surface of a living body based on the measurement position information.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

17/727,337Filed 22 Apr 2022 · continuation

Priority

JP JP2016-24552819 Dec 2016

Published

US 2022/0240839 A14 Aug 2022

Granted

20 Jun 2023

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

A61B 5/0053
Detecting, measuring or recording by applying mechanical forces or stimuli: by applying pressure, e.g. compression, indentation, palpation,…
A61B 5/442
Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis: evaluating skin mechanical properties, e.g. elasticity, hardness, texture, wrinkle assessment
A61B 5/445
Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis: evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
A61B 5/4848
Other medical applications: monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication

Family

PCT/JP2017/045045Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Dec 2017

US 2022/0240839 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Aug 2022

Application16/470,964Parent of this continuation

US 11,337,641 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2019/0313962 A1Published application

US 11,678,837 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Hardness meter and hardness measuring method for estimating target object having hardness estimation portion that estimates hardness of measurement object based

Life of this patent

Hardness meter and hardness measuring method for estimating target object having hardness estimation portion that estimates hardness of measurement object based

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12