US 5,564,423 AGranted

Ultrasonic measurement system for the determination of bone density and structure

AssigneeIGEA S.r.l.

InventorsRuggero Mele, Riccardo Isani, Ruggero Cadossi

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Abstract

Electronic system for measuring the density and structure of bone, in which an electronic central unit is equipped with ultrasonic calipers designed to be applied to a segment of the human body (for example, a finger) containing bone tissue to be examined. The central unit is designed to display on a screen an image of the ultrasonic signal transmitted through the bone tissue and highlight, on that image, two vertical marker lines correlated with the velocity with which the ultrasound signals are transmitted through the bone tissue and the velocity of transmission of the ultrasound signals through soft tissue. These vertical marker lines mark off the portion of the image that represents the ultrasonic signal received after passing through the bone tissue. The amplitude of this signal depends on the absorption of the ultrasound when passing through the bone tissue.

Claims33

Dependent claims

Ultrasonic measuring system for determining the density and structure of bone, comprising:

an electronic control unit,
ultrasonic calipers connected to said electronic control unit and including first and second transducers, the first transducer being a generator of ultrasound signals and the second transducer a receiver of said ultrasound signals, said transducers facing one another at an adjustable spacing therebetween,
said calipers being constructed to accommodate a segment of the human body placed between said first and second transducers,
said electronic unit comprising electronic means for determining from said ultrasound signals the time taken by the ultrasound signals to pass through the segment of the human body from said first transducer to said second transducer,
said electronic means comprising:
first electronic calculation means for producing a first measurement of the ultrasound signal passing through a first segment of soft tissue of the human body and for calculating a first time period (Ttm) taken by said ultrasound signal to pass through said first segment,
second electronic calculation means for producing a second measurement of the ultrasound signal passing through a second segment of the human body, which includes bone tissue to be examined, and for calculating a second time period (Tto) taken by said ultrasound signal to pass through said second segment,
electronic processing means receiving ultrasound signals produced by said second electronic calculation means in said second measurement, for producing output signals to present on a display device of said electronic unit a wave form of said ultrasound signal detected by said second electronic means jointly with said first time period (Ttm) and said second time period (Tto) , said signals from said electronic processing means defining on said display device at least limits (Rto, Rtm) of an observation window containing a portion (S) of said ultrasound signal detected by said second electronic means, said portion (S) of said ultrasound signal representing the ultrasound signal received following passage through said second segment and being indicative of density and structure of the bone tissue under examination.

5 more elements

Diagnostic method for determining the density and structure of bone comprising the following steps:

placing a pair of transducers on a first portion of the human body consisting principally of soft tissue,
providing an excitation impulse to a first of said transducers,
receiving, by the second of said transducers an ultrasound signal transmitted through said first portion of the human body,
calculating the time (Ttm) taken by the ultrasound signal to pass through said first portion of the human body,
calculating the velocity of the ultrasound signal passing through said first portion of the human body,
placing said pair of transducers on a second portion of the human body containing bone tissue to be examined,
providing an excitation impulse to said first transducer,
receiving, by said second transducer an ultrasound signal transmitted through said second portion containing said bone tissue,
measuring the distance between said transducers,
calculating the time taken by the ultrasound signal to traverse said bone tissue (Tto),
calculating the velocity at which said ultrasound signal passes through said bone tissue,
showing on a display device a wave form of the ultrasound signal transmitted through said bone tissue,
correlating said wave form with a time period (Ttm) taken by the ultrasound signal to pass through said first portion of the human body and with a time period (Tto) taken by the ultrasound signal to traverse said bone tissue, and
wherein the step of placing the pair of transducers on a first portion of the human body includes the step of placing between said transducers a proximal phalanx of the last four fingers of the hand with the back of the phalanx placed downward on a positioning device, and
positioning said transducers in the metaphyseal area in contact with the condyles.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.