Abstract
The present invention relates to an apparatus for diagnosing a skin condition of the patient. The apparatus comprises a lens having radial lines of conductivity dividing the surface into quadrants, each quadrant having spaced apart lines of conductivity, with a center of the lines having a temperature sensitive element and a temperature sensitive element positioned at an outer extreme of each of the radial lines of conductivity.
Claims
1. Apparatus for diagnosing the skin condition of a human being or animal, comprising a probe (10) for contacting a desired area of skin, said probe having a lens having radial lines of conductivity dividing said surface into quadrants, each quadrant having concentric spaced apart lines of conductivity with a center of said concentric lines having a temperature sensitive element, said concentric spaced apart lines forming two groups, each group of concentric lines connected together, and a temperature sensitive element positioned at an outer extreme of each of said radial lines of conductivity, and wherein concentric lines in a quadrant are connected alternately to one and then to another of two radial lines defining each of said quadrants.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, means for applying a potential difference across said groups of concentric lines and measuring fluctuations of voltage necessary to maintain a constant current or measuring fluctuations in current resulting from a constant applied voltage.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said temperature sensitive elements are thermistors.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said probe includes a crepitus pickup microphone for emitting sound as said probe travels over skin.
5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said probe has a lens with a planar outer surface onto which conductance lines are deposited.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means for measuring force applied to the probe (10) as the probe is passed over the skin.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said means for measuring force is a cantilevered strain beam attached at a distal end to said probe and having a strain gauge element mounted on said cantilevered strain beam proximate an opposite end.
8. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means for measuring a moisture content of skin, comprising said concentric lines and radial lines of conductance, a power supply applied across said 2 groups of concentric lines of conductance, a voltage detector for detecting a voltage applied across said 2 groups of concentric lines of conductance and a current meter for detecting and measuring current flowing from one group of concentric conductors to another.
9. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means for measuring a moisture content of skin, comprising said concentric lines and radial lines of conductance, a power supply operative to apply voltage across said 2 groups of concentric lines of conductance, a current meter for detecting variations in current across said 2 groups of concentric lines of conductance and calculating resistance based upon measurements of the current and voltage.
10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said probe has a central contact operative to measure the resistance and, hence, moisture content of the skin at said area and said means for measuring the sound is a microphone operative for measuring the sound generated by the skin tissue as said probe passes over a inflammation or protuberance on the skin.
11. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of said thermistors measures a temperature of skin contacted by said each thermistor.
12. A method of locating and treating pain, comprising: (a) passing over an area of skin of a patient a probe having 2 groups of interdigitated concentric conductors on an outer surface thereof and applying a voltage between said 2 groups of conductors and measuring resistance and sound emanating from the skin so as to rapidly position a center of said probe over soft tissue inflammations of the skin, (d) applying manual massage to said inflammations; and (e) re-measuring the electrical resistance and sound of the skin at the location of said inflammations to determine the amount of decrease thereof: wherein locating and massaging inflammations verifies the presence of inflammations and re-measuring provides an indication of the effectiveness of treating the inflammations.
13. A method according to claim 7, including measuring the temperature at the point of contact of the skin with the thermistors mounted on the center of the outer surface of the probe.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0082] Further features and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of example, of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0083] FIG. 1 is an elevation of a massage therapist wrist with an LCD display and the fingers of a hand holding the instrument, which carries a probe set for differential measurements of temperature, sound, moisture, and applied force
[0084] FIGS. 2a and 2b is a first perspective view of the probe miniaturized design that can be portable into other receptacles.
[0085] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the sensor unit
[0086] FIGS. 4a and 4b is a first perspective view of the pressure transducer sensor unit
[0087] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the GSR sensor and sensor unit with the concentric, interdigitated electrode array and temperature sensors
[0088] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a thermistor that is mounted into the probe tips, it lies in a slight recess within the flower pot shape See FIG. 7;
[0089] FIGS. 7a and 7b a function of probe for a non-thermal flower pot shape to eliminate the conductive temperature measurements being absorbed by a mass, this shows the protrusion shaped sensor tip that houses thermistors in the very central position, this also permits and or allows for pitting the tissue See FIG. 8;
[0090] FIGS. 8a and 8b as it passes through a inflammation both before and after massage; as a function of the probe, when pressure and or friction massage is applied on the skin, the protruded shape tip elicits or helps create sounds from inflamed soft tissues, pitting is also a visible sign (camera can take an image and store it in patient file record) of inflamed soft tissue created by the protruded shape
[0091] FIG. 9 exact dimensions for conical shaped head of sensor for eliciting pain with pressure and crepitus sounds with massaging action
[0092] FIG. 10 is a foam padding that cushions the sensor tip to feel more like a finger, it also stops external sounds from entering the conical shaped housing for the microphone as a function of probe position as it passes over an inflammation both before and after massage
[0093] FIG. 11 is a conical shaped housing hosts a flower pot base where the microphone sits and is isolated from external sounds by a ceiling see FIG. 3 and by foam pad see FIG. 10.
[0094] FIG. 12 is a LCD display
[0095] FIG. 13 is a Patient Response Module a handheld device in the patient's hand used blind to the sensor data that allows the patient to rate their pain as pressure is being applied without need for verbal communication
[0096] FIG. 14 is a facial expression showing how muscles react to pain whereby haptic sensors can be placed on said muscles to supplement the patient response module (see FIG. 13) when a patient is unable to verbalize pain
[0097] FIG. 15 is an infrared sensor that sits in front of the probe tip to lead therapist toward the inflammation.
[0098] FIG. 16 is software that allows mapping of pain points on digitized images and stores data related those points.
[0099] FIG. 17 is software that allows data to be displayed as a differential from two or more probes and simultaneously displays input from the patient response module.
[0100] FIG. 18 is a schematic of the basic function of the probes and Bluetooth wireless communication
[0101] FIG. 19 is an air cell that sits on top of the miniaturized sensor tip and can be inflated manually or automatically and is controlled by the patient including using the patient response module wirelessly see FIG. 15.
[0102] FIG. 20 is a sectional view of a sensor with an inflatable air cell.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS
[0103] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a sensor instrument on the finger receptacle. The probe can be installed in the bottom any receptacle FIG. 2. FIG. 1 shows an LCD display screen. A separate infrared sensor FIG. 17 detects infrared Z(IR) radiation from the skin boundary forwardly of the sensor instrument. Such an arrangement has the advantage of increased IR sensitivity, a constant elevation reference, and no influence from lens warming or lens absorption of IR body energy.
[0104] The probe tips house a circuit board and other components including a strain beam FIG. 4 that has downward force applied. This will exert a bending movement on beam FIG. 4 and result in a strain that is recorded by load cells. Thus, the strain beam provides a measure of the force applied user or air cell FIG. 20.
[0105] The exploded view of FIG. 3 shows the various components of the probe including thermistors on its tip FIG. 7 located in the center. When the central thermistor is over an inflammation, it records the temperature of the point of inflammation while the other thermistors record a base temperature a short distance away from the inflammation.
[0106] A printed GSR sensor FIG. 5 of interconnected silver conductive electrodes formed into a ring, fits over the rest of the sensor tip on top of foam pads (see FIG. 10) the centre is left open to accommodate the thermistor sensor tip. When a voltage is applied across the silver the differences between probes is established. Typically the focal point of conduction on the skin is approximately 1 mm. Thus, using only a thermistor to find the focal point would be inaccurate due to the much larger dimensions of the thermistor. When the probe presses against the skin, any inflammation will usually be between a set of concentric electrodes. Thus the resistance between the inflammation electrodes will be the body resistance xR1 of the skin on one side of the inflammation, the inflammation resistance R2 of the inflammation and the body resistance yR1 of the skin on the other side of the inflammation, where x+y=1. As the inflammation gets closer to the center of the concentric electrodes, and the body resistance of the skin therefore becomes less in inflamed areas. Thus, by monitoring the resistance as the probe moves over the skin, a user can tell if the inflammation is moving towards the center. When the point of inflammation is over the center of pain the display screen shows the difference.
[0107] An IR sensor receives filtered IR light passing through the lens FIG. 15.
[0108] A high sensitivity microphone (FIG. 11) is mounted in the center of the probe tip under the top base printed circuit board (PCB). The microphone (FIG. 11) detects the sound of the display screen moving over the skin.
[0109] The temperature component of the probe FIG. 6 is formed by thermistors, which contact the skin and sense the temperature between probe tips. The precise center of the inflammation can be determined using the measurements mentioned above.
[0110] Prior to using the instrument (FIG. 1), a massage therapist or other professional locates the point of inflammation manually and then measures the conductivity of the skin a few inches away from the point of inflammation. This measurement of the body resistance provides a base measurement for moisture content of the skin. Further measurements near the inflamed area are then compared to the base measurement to give a relative measure of moisture content.
[0111] The simultaneous development of signals which correspond to moisture content, temperature, and sound allow all three of these factors to be cross correlated to confirm an indicated condition by any one of them and to more accurately define the nature and extent of the condition. The strain beam measurement allows a user to monitor and control the amount of pressure being applied. Pressure must be equally applied between probes to maintain consistency for stabilizing other measures. This is extremely important otherwise pressure will alter the viability of other readings.
[0112] One may determine the pressure required to cause pitting edema, another sign of inflammations. As protrusion inflammations develop and become fibrous, they create a speed bump to the probe FIG. 8 as it passes over the area of the protrusion inflammation. Applied pressure rises as the pressure sensor on the probe presses over inflammation pitting of soft tissue can be a result FIG. 8. Digital images can be imported into patient record.
[0113] FIGS. 16 and 17 show graphs of the readings of temperature, resistance, and sound as one progresses towards, over and then away from an inflammation. The same figures show readings of inflammation after applying massage. Thus, the probe allows the massage therapist to both apply massage and determine the effect of the massage on an inflammation to a quantifiable extent. A therapist can use the sound output to rapidly locate suspected damaged areas of the skin and then to confirm the damage using the other readings of temperature, moisture content and resistance. Any extraneous readings in any one or more of the factors of temperature, moisture, and sound can be checked as to their origin by comparing them to the readings for the other factors.
[0114] FIG. 20 shows an inflatable air cell that can be placed under a tensile bandage or other means of securing it on top of the sensor probe. The probe is used to locate the precise point of inflammation and then the air cell is secured in place to apply pressure to the probe and air cell by pumping compressed air through the valve. Expansion of the air cell against the tensile force of a bandage causes the tip of the probe to press against the point of inflammation. This function can be done automatically or manually and the patient can control the amount of force being applied by the air cell either manually or wirelessly via the patient response module.
[0115] Accordingly, while this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention.
