Indication Device

Abstract

Indication device comprising an elongated indication pin connected to a base, said base suitable to be arranged on or to the surface of a body.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. Indication device comprising an elongated indication pin connected to a base, said base suitable to be arranged on a body, where said indication pin can move relative to the body.

15. Indication device comprising an elongated indication pin connected to a base, said base suitable to be arranged onto the surface of a body.

16. Indication device according to claim 14, wherein the indication device further comprises a scale extending from the base and arranged on or behind the indication pin, where markings are provided on the scale facing the indication pin.

17. Indication device according to claim 15, wherein the indication device further comprises a scale extending from the base and arranged on or behind the indication pin, where markings are provided on the scale facing the indication pin.

18. Indication device according to claim 16, where the scale is provided to estimate the movement of the elongated indication pin, where the scale is adapted to measure an angular movement of the elongated pin and/or a longitudinal movement of the elongated pin and/or a rotational movement of the elongated pin where the scale is showing the movement of the elongated pin as an absolute measurement in either distance or in angular pivoting or in rotation or as an interval of movement.

19. Indication device according to claim 17, where the scale is provided to estimate the movement of the elongated indication pin, where the scale is adapted to measure an angular movement of the elongated pin and/or a longitudinal movement of the elongated pin and/or a rotational movement of the elongated pin where the scale is showing the movement of the elongated pin as an absolute measurement in either distance or in angular pivoting or in rotation or as an interval of movement.

20. Indication device according to claim 14, wherein the movement of the indication pin is indicated with colours on a scale showing a range of displacement in either distance or angular pivoting or rotation.

21. Indication device according to claim 14, where a scale is provided, said scale having adhesive means suitable to adhere the scale to the surface of the body.

22. Indication device according to claim 14, where the indication device comprises two or more connected elongated indication pins connected to separate bases, where the indication pins are connected by one or more bridge members, a first bridge member having a fixed or adjustable length between the two indication pins, and a second or more bridge member(s) having an adjustable but fixable length between the two indication pins.

23. Indication device according to claim 14, wherein the base is flexible and may be deformed to fit closely to the body, and where the indication pin is rigid.

24. Indication device according to claim 14, where the base is further provided with tear lines or very thin/weak sections, such that upon removal of the base, the base will tear along the tear lines or the thin/weak sections.

25. Indication device according to claim 14, where the base is attached to the desired body part by percutaneous or transcutaneous fixation directly into any skeleton bone.

26. Method of using an indication device for investigating an articulated body joint or body joint complex, wherein said indication device comprises an elongated indication pin connected to a base, said base suitable to be adhered to the skin of a body, where the base is adhered to a body part adjacent an articulated body joint, such that the indication pin overlays the articulated body joint or body joint complex.

27. Method according to claim 26, wherein a scale is applied to the body part between the indication pin and the body joint or body joint complex, where the scale is applied prior to movement of the articulated body joint or body joint complex.

28. Method according to claim 27, where the scale is a thin film having printed indications, said indications particular to the particular articulated body joint or body joint complex which is being investigated.

29. Method according to claim 27, where the scale is printed or indicated directly on the body.

30. Method according to claim 26, where the indication device is applied on a human body or to an animal body, in particular horses, dogs, cats, cattle, fish and aquatic mammals.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0092] The invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein

[0093] FIG. 1a-c and 2 illustrates embodiments of an indication device

[0094] FIG. 3 illustrates a further embodiment where the device is provided with a scale on the elongate element and/or behind the elongate element

[0095] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrates various applications to the human body

[0096] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrates applications on a horse

[0097] FIG. 8a-c illustrates pronation of an ankle

[0098] FIG. 9a-d illustrates the device applied to the human foot from various angles and in various positions

[0099] FIG. 10 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention where two devices are connected

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0100] In figure 1a and b are illustrated an indication device 1 according to the present invention. The indication device 1 has a base part 2 connected to or integral with an elongated indication pin 3. In this particular embodiment depicted in figure 1b the base part 2 is provided with tear lines 4 such that when removing the indication device from a body part the base part 2 will tear and it will be necessary to use a new indication device 1 for further investigations.

[0101] Naturally the base part 2 may also be manufactured without tear lines 4 such that it is possible to retrieve the indication device without destroying the base part.

[0102] In FIG. 2 is illustrated a cross section through the indication device 1 in order to illustrate that the indication device 1 may advantageously have a curved shape. The particular shape indicated in FIG. 2 is particularly useful for investigating ankles, knees and elbows of the human body. The curvature of the base part is designed to follow the curvature of the heel (or other body part) whereas the angle of the indication pin is provided in order to make sure that the pin does not interfere with the body and as such can move freely with respect to the body part and thereby indicate the rotation relative to the fastening point of the base 2 to the body. The dashed line 10 indicates where the articulated joint should be positioned relative to the indication device 1 such that the base part 2 will be fastened on one part of the joint whereas the indication device will indicate the other part of the joint's relative angle with respect to the base part.

[0103] In FIGS. 3a and 3b is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention where the base part 2 is provided with a connected or separated scale 5. In this embodiment the scale is provided with indication marks 6 such that the relative movement of the indication pin 3 relative to the base may objectively be determined as an indication on the scale 5.

[0104] It is also contemplated that in place of the indication mark 6 the scale may be divided into coloured zones or the like such that a clear and easy reading on the scale without being tied to a specific number may be available to the user. For example if the indication devices 1 are developed in order to indicate the angle relative to the shinbone (Tibia) as will be explained further with reference to FIG. 8 the indication device may be provided in a left-foot and right-foot version where the scale includes a green area which is to considered normal and for example a yellow area where a slight deviation from normal is present and a red area where a grave deviation from normal is indicated such that it is easy for a not so experienced user to immediately detect whether or not it is necessary to investigate further and possibly start some type of treatment.

[0105] In FIGS. 4 and 5 are illustrated examples of where the indication device may be applied to a human body. The difference between FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 is the fact that the indication device according to the invention may be applied beneath the clothing of a person such that the person's personal beliefs with respect to decency, nudity and exposure may be respected without affecting the examination with an indication device according to the present invention, where the indication pin projects outside the clothing.

[0106] As the indication device may be used on any articulated joint in the body only a few examples will be mentioned. For example as illustrated in FIG. 4 and indication device 1 may be applied on the upper part of the spine in order to indicate whether or not the neck is straight with respect to the spine.

[0107] Likewise, an indication device 1 may be applied to the pelvis in order to estimate if the spine is correctly positioned/aligned with respect to the pelvis. Furthermore, indication devices 1 may be applied to the hips in order to see or detect the angle between the hip (pelvis) and the curvature of the spine.

[0108] The same indication devices are indicated in FIG. 5, however, in a situation where the person being examined is nude.

[0109] The indication device does come in various embodiments and for example one embodiment of the indication device 1 is used without a scale for detecting the articulated joint in the neck portion whereas an indication device 1 including a scale is used in order to indicate the relative position of the pelvis with respect to the spine.

[0110] Also in both FIGS. 4 and 5 an indication device 1 is provided on the heel of the patient in order to detect the situation which is illustrated with respect to FIG. 8 where the normal situation of the heel/shinbone is illustrated in FIG. 8a where over pronation is illustrated in FIG. 8b and under pronation is illustrated in FIG. 8C.

[0111] For ankles and also for certain other joints in the body indicators if they include a scale should have right and left side version being applied to respectively right and left foot, arm or shoulders such that the scale will give the correct indication.

[0112] As already mentioned above the indication device may also be used on animals and for purely illustrative purpose a skeleton of a horse is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. Naturally the indication device may be used with many other animals in order to illustrate various positions relating to the articulated joints.

[0113] In this embodiment indication device 1 has been applied to the spine 20, the pelvis 21 and an ankle joint 22. As is clear from the skeleton 25 of the horse there are many articulated joints where the indication device according to the present invention may be applied in order to indicate relative positions of the bones or body segments on either side of the joint structure.

[0114] Consequently, in FIG. 7 the pelvis 21 is provided with indication devices in either side of the pelvis in order to illustrate the relative position of the pelvis for example with respect to the spine. Also in the knee joint 23 is applied an indication device 1 and the before-mentioned indication device 1 with respect to the ankle joint 22 is also illustrated.

[0115] With reference to the use on animals, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 an example is a horse where the indication device according to the invention may be very useful. For horses the horse combination or skeleton alignment and the detection of abnormalities may imply several posture and functional problems for example variation in leg length, velvet bone displacements, sacro-lliac dislocations, columnar dislocations and knee and angle joint misalignments. By applying the indicating device according to the present invention both the kinematic or the kinetic analyses may be performed such that at full access to analyze facial position and motion of the specific horse body part or body element relative to a normal condition may be performed. This also even when the particular articulated joint is covered for example by the leg of a rider or the saddle in that the indication device and in particular the indication pin may project from the saddle or from the leg of the rider etc.

[0116] In FIGS. 9a-d are illustrated the human foot with a device according to the invention applied. As is clear from the illustrations the indicator will move, and since the base 2 of the device 1 is adhered to the outside of the foot, the movement of the indicator pin 3 is clearly identifiable as an indication of the joints' (in this illustrated example the ankle) movement relative to the base.

[0117] In FIG. 10 is illustrated a further embodiment. The indication device 30, in this embodiment comprises two indication devices 31, 32. Each indication device 31, 32 is fastened to the Os Talus (ankle bone) by a base 33. The indication devices 31, 32, are connected by two or more bridge members 34, 35. Each of the bridge members 34 and 35 may be fixed in length, or may be adjustable. In this manner the device 30 can be adjusted to fit any body structure or combination of structures, where pinch-grip contact is desired, e.g. a wide range of Os Talus' sizes.

[0118] The bridge 34 is provided with an arrow 37 which gives an indication on a scale 38 fastened on the ankle.

[0119] Furthermore, the indicator devices 31,23 are provided with active or passive indicators 36. The scale 38 is also provided with active or passive indicators 39. In this manner it is possible to detect relative movement of all the sensors and thereby of the Os Talus.

[0120] One example of using the indication device and in particular the indication device discussed above with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b used in order to determine the ankle's position as described with reference to FIG. 8 is for the determination of for example insoles for footwear. It is contemplated within the present invention that manufactures of footwear more or less in a standard fashion manufacture insoles which addresses e.g. the pronation of a user such that for example once a user has had an examination performed using an indication device as illustrated with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b a number of the scale 6 will be indicated and correspondingly the shoe manufacturer will provide insoles corresponding to normal standard factors such that a customer will be able to pick out a certain shoe type having a certain standard size, for example size 8, with a pronation plus or minus 1, 2 or 3 or whatever will be-come the standard.

[0121] In this manner the indication device of the present invention will have application in the consumer market and not only be adaptable for specialists investigating articulated joints.