Device and method for quantifying edema
AssigneesUniversity of Massachusetts, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
InventorsKristen L. Billiar, Raymond M. Dunn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed at a device that provides a reliable, accurate and quantifiable measure of a patient's edema. The device improves on the current method of digital manipulation by evaluating the pitting phenomena in a user-independent manner. The output of the device allows a physician to categorize edema into at least ten different levels of severity. The systems of the present invention provides the ability to distinguish between tissues of varying viscosity.
Claims18
A method of measuring edema comprising:
- contacting a region of skin tissue of an arm or leg of a patient with a displacement member the region of tissue including edematous tissue;
- applying pressure to the region of skin tissue to displace the region of tissue a distance to a displaced position with the displacement member;
- releasing the pressure applied with the displacement member to the region of skin tissue;
- subsequently measuring a displacement of the region of tissue with the displacement member and a sensor that measures a displacement of the displacement member over a time during which the region of tissue relaxes from the displaced position;
- and
- displaying a quantitative value from the measured displacement with a display device, the measured displacement indicating a level of edema.
A method for measuring edema in an arm or leg of patient comprising:
- contacting a region of tissue on the arm or the leg of a patient with a displacement member, the region of tissue including edematous tissue;
- applying pressure to the region of tissue to displace the region of tissue a selected distance to a displaced position with the displacement member;
- releasing the pressure applied with the displacement member to the region of interest;
- subsequently measuring a displacement of the region of tissue from the displaced position with the displacement member and a sensor that measures a displacement of the displacement member over a period of time during relaxation of the edematous tissue from the displaced position;
- and
- displaying a quantitative value from the measured displacement with a display device, the measured displacement indicating a level of edema.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.