344results about "Strain gauge" patented technology

A system and method directed to detecting placement of a medical device within a patient body, the system including a medical device including a multi-core optical fiber having a plurality of core fibers. Each of the plurality of core fibers can include a plurality of sensors each configured to reflect a light signal having an altered characteristic due to strain experienced by the multi-core optical fiber. The system can further include logic configured to determine a 3D shape of the medical device in accordance with the strain of the optical fiber. The logic can be configured to define a reference plane for the 3D shape and render an image of the 3D shape on a display of the system in accordance with the reference plane.

Systems and techniques are described for determining at least one of a translational force or a rotational force applied by a dental appliance to a tooth or teeth of a patient. A system includes model teeth configured to represent a portion of a dental arch and receive a dental appliance, a post extending from a first end coupled to a respective tooth to a second end coupled to a base, at least one strain gauge integrally formed on a surface of the post between the first end and the second end, and processor communicatively coupled to the at least one strain gauge and configured to determine at least one of a translational force or a rotational force applied by the dental appliance to the respective tooth.

A system, apparatus and method directed to placing a medical device into a body of a patient, including performing operations of providing a broadband incident light signal to a plurality of core fibers of a multi-core optical fiber, receiving reflected light signals of different wavelengths, and processing the reflected light signals associated with the plurality of core fibers to determine (i) a physical state of the multi-core optical fiber relating to the medical device including the multi-core optical fiber, and (ii) an orientation of the multi-core optical fiber relative to a reference frame of the body. Additional operations include generating a display illustrating the physical state of the multi-core optical fiber based at least on the orientation determined during processing of the reflected light. Typically, the display is a two-dimensional representation of the multi-core optical fiber in accordance with the determined orientation.

This invention relates to smart textile wearable device with embedded yarn sensors and a computing device comprising a processor and a computer readable medium having encoded thereon a machine learning program that gathers sensor data from the wearable device and generates health parameter output data or real time or long-term feedback to a user for interaction, health and exercise purposes.

A surgical navigation system is provided to create a plan to correct a deformed spinal alignment. A processor is configured to obtain a first set of image data associated with a deformed alignment in a spine of a patient from at least one imaging device. The processor is also configured to process the first set of image data to identify a set of deformed alignment parameters associated with the deformed alignment. The processor is further configured to identify a set of corrected alignment parameters. The processor is also configured to process the first set of image data, the set of deformed alignment parameters, and the set of corrected alignment parameters to generate a correction plan to surgically manipulate the deformed alignment to the preferred alignment. The processor is additionally configured to provide navigation through the correction plan to facilitate surgical manipulation of a patient spine to the preferred alignment. The processor is also configured to receive information relating to forces on a rod-link reducer or surgical implants from strain gauges to aid the correction plan.

An intraoperative surgical system for knee arthroplasty may be configured and / or reconfigurable to allow the surgical system to be inserted into different sized joint spaces during a surgical procedure. For example, the surgical system may include a sensor support body defining a platform, a force sensor, and a plurality of sensor covers each being configured to be detachably attached to the sensor support body. Each of the sensor covers can vary from each other in at least one characteristic. A selected one of the sensor covers can be placed over the platform, sandwiching the force sensor between the platform and sensor cover, to define a joint insertion block configured to be inserted into a tibiofemoral joint for measuring a force between a tibia and a femur defining the tibiofemoral joint.

A method for determining a muscle fatigue of a muscle includes the step of electrostimulating the muscle at different frequencies, wherein the electrostimulation includes, at each frequency, a repetition of pulses during a period of time lower than 5 s. The method further includes the steps of determining forces developed by the muscle in response to the electrostimulations of step (i); and determining a muscle fatigue on basis of the determined forces.

Disclosed herein is an article of smart clothing which automatically recognizes body configuration and motion. This smart clothing includes inertial motion units which are distal relative to selected joints and also sets of strain sensors which span those joints. The type of energy transmitted through a strain sensor can be electrical energy or light energy. Combined multivariate analysis of data from both inertial motion units and strain sensors provides more accurate recognition of body configuration and motion than data from either alone.

The invention discloses an intelligent bone fracture plate integrated with an optical fiber Fabry-Perot sensor and a healing monitoring method. The system comprises an intelligent bone fracture plate module, an in-vitro detection module and a data analysis module. The intelligent bone fracture plate module mainly comprises a bone fracture plate body, a diaphragm type optical fiber Fabry-Perot sensor packaged in a U-shaped groove in the bone fracture plate, and a subcutaneous coupling capsule connected through a leading-out optical fiber. The sensor converts mechanical strain of the bone fracture plate into optical signal change of the Fabry-Perot cavity. The in-vitro detection module is in wireless optical coupling with the subcutaneous coupling capsule through an external read-write equipment head of the in-vitro detection module, probe light is emitted, interference light signals are received and reflected, and the strain of the bone fracture plate is calculated through a spectrum analyzer / detector. And the data analysis module converts the strain data into a key load sharing ratio. By monitoring the trend that the ratio gradually decreases from the postoperation along with time and comparing the trend with a preset clinical threshold value, objective, quantitative, dynamic and non-invasive monitoring of the fracture healing process is achieved.

A system for providing guided and monitored exercise routines wherein physiological data measurements are used to determine an optimized exercise program for a participant. The exercises are displayed on a smart device in such a way to maximize the benefits given the participant's current physiological state. Improvements including wellness monitoring and safety monitoring steps are also disclosed. In particular, measurements of total and individual lung performance and heart performance are used to select exercises and monitor health.

A system for monitoring anxiety of an individual includes a chair having at least a seat and a back, a base supporting the chair, and a first sensor disposed in at least one of the seat or the back. The first sensor is configured to, without being in direct contact with the individual, continuously obtain data related to a first physical characteristic from the individual seated in the chair. The first physical characteristic is one of respiration or pulse rate. The system further includes a display and a controller. The controller is configured to receive, in real-time, the data related to the first physical characteristic from the first sensor and compile a first metric from the received data. The first metric is configured to visually represent a change in the first physical characteristic. The controller is further configured to output the first metric to the display in realtime.

To provide a posture detection system and a posture detection method for grasping a posture of a user of a cushion on which the user sits accurately and for grasping whether the user is not seated for a long time.SOLUTION: A posture detection system for detecting a posture of a user who sits on a cushion is equipped with a seat part 2 having a hip support part 4 and a waist support part 3 having a sacrum support part 11. The posture detection system includes a seat part sensor 31 attached to the seat part 2 for measuring whether a user is seated on the seat part 2, a sacrum support part sensor 32 attached to the sacrum support part 11 for measuring the posture of the user seated on the seat part 2, a posture determination part for determining the posture of the user from a result of the measurement by the sacrum support part sensor 32, and an alarm part for outputting an alarm when the posture of the user is determined not to be desirable by the posture determination part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

In one embodiment, a dental appliance includes a dental-appliance body and a core sensor module embedded within the dental-appliance body. The core sensor module includes one or more processors. The dental appliance further includes at least one biological sensor coupled to the dental-appliance body and conductively coupled to the core sensor module, and further includes a conductive layer running through at least a portion of the dental-appliance body and conductively coupling the core sensor module with the at least one biological sensor.

A resilient fabric band providing a sensor platform for a wearer in order to sense a plurality of biometric data, the band comprising: a pair of ECG sensors coupled to an interior surface of a body of the band, each of the pair of ECG sensors located on either side of a front to back centerline of the body; a pair of bio impedance sensors coupled to the interior surface of the body of the band, each of the pair of bio impedance sensors located on either side of the front to back centerline; a strain gauge sensor coupled to the body of the band; a computer device mounted on the body of the band via a housing, the computer device including a power source, a computer processor, a memory for storing instructions for execution by the computer processor, and a network interface for transmitting data sensed by the sensors; and a plurality of communication pathways connecting the computer device to each of the sensors, the communication pathway for sending power from the power supply to the sensors as controlled by the computer processor and for receiving sensed data from the sensors by the computer processor.

A system for position and / or shape-tracking of an elongated device including a shape sensor to estimate a position and orientation of the device at a plurality of points along the device, and a processor configured to: obtain a plurality of predetermined points along a tracked portion of the device; allocate, for each of the plurality of the predetermined points, a local energy function dependent on the estimated position and orientation of device that incorporates relevant mechanical and sensor measurement constraints; generate a resultant unified energy function for the full shape and position of the entire tracked portion of the device with respect to relative locations and orientation of adjacent plurality of the predetermined points, the unified energy function is constructed based on the allocated local energy functions and segmental energy functions; and calculate a fully localized curve along the tracked portion of the device by minimizing the energy function.

A posture detection system that detects the posture of a user seated on a cushion that includes a seating portion having a buttock support portion and a lumbar support portion having a sacral support portion. The posture detection system includes a seating portion sensor attached to the seating portion and configured to measure whether or not the user is seated on the seating portion, a sacral support portion sensor attached to the sacral support portion and configured to measure the posture of the user seated on the seating portion, a posture determination unit configured to determine the posture of the user based on a result measured by the sacral support portion sensor, and an alarm unit configured to output an alarm if the posture determination unit determines that the posture of the user is unsatisfactory.

A medical device that functions as a stylet is described. The medical device can include an insulating layer (or jacket) that encapsulates both a multicore optical fiber and a conductive medium. The optical fiber can include a cladding and a plurality of core fibers spatially arranged within the cladding. Each of the core fibers can include a plurality of sensors distributed along a longitudinal length of the corresponding core fiber, and each of the sensors can be configured to: (i) reflect light signals having different spectral widths based on received incident light, and (ii) alter a characteristic of the reflected light signals for determining a physical state of the multicore optical fiber. The conductive medium can provide a path for electrical signals detected at a distal portion of the conductive medium. The conductive medium can be concentric with the cladding, but can be separate from and adjusted to the cladding.

In some embodiments, a robotic arm includes a first link, a second link, and a rotational joint. The rotational joint is coupled to the first link and the second link and permits the first link to move relative to the second link. The rotational joint includes a rotor, a harmonic drive mechanism, and a vibration damper. The rotor is coupled to the first link and configured to provide a rotor torque. The harmonic drive mechanism is coupled to the rotor and configured to multiply the rotor torque. The vibration damper is coupled to the harmonic drive mechanism and the second link. The vibration damper permits transfer of the rotor torque from the harmonic drive mechanism to the second link and reduces vibrations of the robotic arm.

Medical cutting devices having static components, working blade bodies, rails, struts, channels for fluid and gas flow, and hand-piece and robotic arm attachment capabilities are disclosed. According to an aspect, a cutting device includes a working blade body being configured for operable connection to a source of movement. The cutting device also includes a static component being configured for operable connection to the source of movement. The static component comprises at least one rail, wherein the at least one rail extends substantially the same length as the working blade body.

Systems and methods are provided for determining an acceleration at a location of interest within one of a user's head and neck. At least one of linear acceleration data, angular acceleration data, angular velocity data, and orientation data is produced using at least one sensing device substantially rigidly attached to an ambient-accessible surface of the user's head. The location of interest is represented relative to a position of the at least one sensing device as a time-varying function. An acceleration at the location of interest is calculated as a function of the data produced at the sensing device and the time-varying function representing the location of interest. The calculated acceleration at the location of interest is provided to at least one of the user and an observer in a human-perceptible form.

The invention relates to a body part pillow (5), in particular a head pillow (11), for supporting a body part, in particular the head (12), during a magnetic resonance examination with a magnetic resonance device (1), wherein the body part pillow (5) has at least one presence sensor (6) for detecting presence data related to the presence of the body part and a communication device (8) for transmitting the presence data to a receiver (9).

The disclosure is directed to a tension indicator (1) suitable to be interconnected to at least one ligament (2, 3) in a patient's body, the tension indicator (1) comprising a deformation zone (4) configured to be deformed in relation to the tension in at least one ligament (2, 3) and a read-out element (5) for determining the tension in at least one ligament.

The present invention relates to a multicore optical fiber (10) configured for shape sensing. The optical fiber (10) comprises an elongated main section (40) and a distal tip section (42) connected to the main section (40). The main section (40) comprises a first cladding (12a) and a plurality of first fiber cores (14a, 16a, 18a, 20a) embedded in the first cladding (12a), and the distal tip section (42) comprises a second cladding (12b) and a plurality of second fiber cores (14b, 16b, 18b, 20b) embedded in the second cladding (12b). The first and second fiber cores (14a, 14b, 16a, 16b, 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b) comprise reflective strain sensitive structures (21) configured for distributed shape sensing along the main section (40) and the distal tip section (42). The main section (40) comprises a first material and the distal tip section (42) comprises a second material different from the first material, wherein a first strain at break of the main section (40) is lower than a second strain at break of the distal tip section (42).

The present invention is a method of adjusting a pulse wave measurement device attachable to a user's wrist. The pulse wave measurement device includes: a pulse wave sensor including a strain gauge and configured to acquire pulse wave by measuring radial artery pulse; pressing part for pressing the pulse wave sensor to the radial artery; and output part for outputting a measured value of the pulse wave sensor as digital signal. The adjusting method includes: acquiring pulse wave using pulse wave sensor when the pulse wave measurement device is attached to user's wrist, and outputting measured value thus acquired, as a digital signal; comparing voltage level of the digital signal with a range previously set with respect to maximum voltage level of output part; and adjusting or instructing pressing force on pulse wave sensor in a case where voltage level of the digital signal is outside the previously set range.

The present application relates to devices for monitoring pregnancy or labor. In one embodiment, the device includes an electromyography (EMG) sensor having two or more EMG electrodes that monitor fetal or maternal activity during pregnancy or labor, and one or more position sensors that monitor the relative positioning of the two or more EMG electrodes during fetal or maternal activity. In one embodiment, the device includes a monitoring apparatus that is placed on a body and has a plurality of sensors integrated into the monitoring apparatus, the plurality of sensors including at least a first sensor configured to detect a first type of signal from the body indicative of a first type of fetal or maternal activity during pregnancy or labor, and a second sensor configured to detect a second type of signal from the body different from the first type of signal also indicative of the first type of fetal or maternal activity during pregnancy or labor.

The invention relates to a measuring device intended for being placed in contact with a tissue and a method for analysing the measured tissue data. The invention relates to a measuring device (D) intended for being placed in contact with a tissue (T), and comprising an indenter (1) configured to cause a deformation of the tissue (T), a strain gauge (3) configured to measure a force of resistance of the tissue (T) to the deformation caused by the indenter (1); and a position sensor (5) configured to measure an indentation depth representative of a movement of the indenter (1). The invention also relates to a method for analysing tissue data relating to a tissue (T), the method being implemented by computer and comprising a step of associating (A1) a measurement of the indentation depth and a measurement of the force of resistance to the deformation corresponding to the indentation depth.

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for docking medical instruments. For example, a medical system can include an instrument drive mechanism having a drive output that rotates and engages a corresponding drive input on a robotic medical instrument, a motor configured to rotate the drive output, and a torque sensor configured to measure torque imparted on the drive output. The robotic medical instrument can include a pre-tensioned pull wire actuated by the drive input. The system can activate the motor associated with the drive output to rotate the drive output in response to a torque signal from the torque sensor associated with the drive output in order to align the drive output with the drive input.

This invention relates to a method and system for non-invasively monitoring central venous pressure, using a set of microneedles and micro-electromechanical systems, e.g., in heart failure. Herein, the microneedle-based sensor attaches to the skin at the neck of a subject to monitor central venous pressure, as it is a direct representative of filling pressures causing skin sub-surface strain.

A catheter device (1) comprises a measuring device (2) for measuring a force effect on the catheter device (1). The measuring device (2) comprises a force transducer (20) comprising a plurality of transducer sections (200-203, 260) and an optical fiber (21) arranged on the force transducer (20), wherein the transducer sections (200-203, 260) form at least a pair of adjacent transducer sections (200-203, 260) which are connected to one another by means of a connecting section (204-206, 261) and which can be moved relative to one another with deformation of the connecting section (204-206, 261), and wherein the optical fiber (21) comprises at least one sensor device (22, 23, 24, 27) for measuring a force effect between the transducer sections (200-203, 260) of the at least one pair of adjacent transducer sections (200-203, 260). The at least one sensor device (22, 23, 24, 27) comprises a first optical grating (220, 230, 240, 270) and a second optical grating (221, 231, 241, 271) for measuring a force effect between the transducer sections (200 -203, 260) of the at least one pair of adjacent transducer sections (200-203, 260).

A force assessment device includes a support structure having a periphery, a cover positioned around the support structure and configured to define a surface, and a plurality of sensor elements disposed along the periphery of the support structure, each respective sensor element of the plurality of sensor elements being configured to generate an output signal indicative of force applied to the surface at the respective sensor element. The plurality of sensor elements are distributed across the surface such that the output signals from the plurality of sensor elements are collectively indicative of a force profile along the surface, the force profile providing force position data and force magnitude data correlated with the force position data.