Instrument and method of measuring torticollis
AssigneeAllergan, Inc.
InventorsMaria Pretel, Catherine E. Hoover, Elaine P. Kelley, Judith M. Leon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An instrument and method are provided for the simultaneous measurement of torticollis characteristics, namely, head turn, head tilt and head bend. A vertical protractor is provided for measuring both patient head tilt in a sagittal plane of a patient body and patient head bend in a frontal plane of a patient body. A horizontal protractor provides for measuring patient head turn in a transverse plane of a patient body. When used in combination, the vertical and horizontal protractors provide simultaneous measurement of either head turn or head bend or head turn and head tilt.
Claims14
An instrument for the simultaneous measurement of torticollis characteristics, namely, head turn, head tilt and head bend, said instrument comprising in combination:
- vertical protractor means for measuring both patient head tilt in a sagittal plane of a patient body and patient head bend in a frontal plane of the patient body, said vertical protractor means having a scale graduated in arcuate degrees in a plane from an ordinal line to an abscissanal line;
- and
- horizontal protractor means for measuring patient head turn in a transverse plane of the patient body, said horizontal protractor means having a scale graduated in arcuate degrees from an ordinal line to an abscissanal line, said horizontal protractor means further including means, defining a size thereof, for enabling manual positioning of the horizontal protractor means adjacent the vertical protractor means at approximately a right angle therebetween with the patient head disposed between the horizontal protractor means and the vertical protractor means.
A method for simultaneously measuring torticollis characteristics, namely, head turn and head bend, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a vertical protractor behind a patient head;
- supporting a horizontal protractor adjacent the vertical protractor at approximately a right angle therewith with the patient head therebetween;
- positioning a patient with a frontal plane of the patient parallel with the vertical protractor;
- measuring patient head bend in the frontal plane with the vertical protractor;
- and
- measuring patient head turn in a transverse plane of the patient body with the horizontal protractor.
A method for simultaneously measuring torticollis characteristics, namely, head turn and head tilt, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a vertical protractor behind a patient head;
- supporting a horizontal protractor adjacent the vertical protractor at approximately a right angle therewith with the patient head therebetween;
- positioning a patient with a sagittal plane of the patient parallel with the vertical protractor;
- measuring patient head tilt in the sagittal plane with the vertical protractor;
- and
- measuring patient head turn in a transverse plane of the patient body with the horizontal protractor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.