Method and apparatus for the diagnosis of polyneuropathy syndromes
OwnerPeter Koltringerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and/or an apparatus for the determination of whether a subject has nerve damage (polyneuropathy) and/or the degree of the nerve damage is characterized in that an increase of the skin temperature is provoked at an extremity of the subject, that at the same time perfusion value or a value correlated with this perfusion value is measured at this extremity, and the time from the start of the increase in temperature of the skin up to the start of an increase in perfusion as a result of the elevated skin temperature is evaluated as a measure for the presence and/or the degree of the nerve damage.
Claims13
A method of determining nerve damage (polyneuropathy) in a patient comprising the steps of:
- (a) with a heating device increasing the temperature of a skin portion on an extremity of the patient from a first temperature to above a second temperature;
- (b) monitoring the temperature of said skin portion;
- (c) taking a first time measurement when said second temperature is reached;
- (d) monitoring perfusion in the extremity at said skin portion while the temperature of said skin portion rises from the second temperature until a predetermined increase in perfusion is noted;
- (e) taking a second time measurement when said predetermined increase in perfusion is noted;
- (f) subtracting said first time measurement from said second time measurement to obtain a perfusion delay time;
- and
- (g) comparing this perfusion delay time with a previously established reference perfusion delay time;
- whereby a difference between the measured perfusion delay time in the patient and the previously established reference perfusion delay time is a measure of the presence and the extent of nerve damage in the patient.
A method of determining nerve damage (polyneuropathy) in a patient comprising the steps of:
- (a) with a heating device increasing the temperature of a skin portion on an extremity of the patient;
- (b) monitoring the temperature of said skin portion;
- (c) taking a first time measurement when the temperature of said skin portion has reached to a first temperature;
- (d) monitoring perfusion in the extremity at said skin portion while the temperature of said skin portion rises from the first temperature until a predetermined increase in perfusion is noted;
- (e) taking a second time measurement when said predetermined increase in perfusion is noted;
- (f) subtracting said first time measurement from said second time measurement to obtain a perfusion delay time;
- and
- (g) comparing this perfusion delay time with a previously established reference perfusion delay time;
- whereby a difference between the measured perfusion delay time in the patient and the previously established reference perfusion delay time is a measure of the presence and the extent of nerve damage in the patient.
A method of determining nerve damage (polyneuropathy) of a patient comprising the steps of:
- with a heating device increasing the temperature of the skin at a first position on an extremity of the patient from a first temperature to a second temperature;
- monitoring the skin temperature at a second position on said extremity, said second position being insulated against direct heating by said heating device;
- measuring the amount of time that elapses while the skin temperature at said second position rises from the first temperature to the second temperature;
- and
- comparing the amount of time measured with a previously established time interval required to raise the temperature of the skin of another patient known to have no nerve damage from the first temperature to the second temperature;
- whereby a relationship between the measured amount of time and the previously established time interval is a measure of the presence and of the extent of nerve damage in said patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.