Joint Motion Control Apparatus with Diagnostic Imaging Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic methods for joint problems are limited in precision and detail, failing to accurately assess joint biomechanics and muscle involvement, leading to undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or mistreated patients due to poor clinical efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A system and apparatus that control and measure joint motion using a first and second motion member connected by a coupling member, allowing rotation around an axis, integrated with medical diagnostic devices like X-ray scanners or electromyography sensors to capture patient-specific data, enabling precise evaluation of joint motion and muscle impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current diagnostic methods (X-Rays, MRI, physical exams) are used to evaluate joint problems, then these methods are widely available and broadly adopted, but the measurement data obtained is imprecise and often inconclusive, resulting in inability to detect many types of pathologies or to accurately assess borderline pathologies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/measurement systems (goniometers, inclinometers, visual inspection) with an optical imaging system (fluoroscopy, radiography, CT, or MRI) combined with digital image processing. This substitution enables precise measurement of joint motion and internal structure by capturing and analyzing images of the joint in motion, achieving measurement precision of less than 5 degrees and the ability to detect subtle pathologies that were invisible to conventional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital copies of the joint structure and motion through imaging. By capturing fluoroscopic, radiographic, CT, or MRI images and processing them to generate digital representations of joint anatomy and motion, the system allows for repeated analysis, measurement, and evaluation without requiring additional physical measurements or exposing the patient to repeated radiation. The digital copies enable precise measurement of joint parameters and detection of pathologies.
2Loss of information
If muscle guarding behavior is assessed using current techniques, then the assessment is based on clinical observation, but the level of entrenchment of muscle guarding behavior cannot currently be determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring joint motion parameters and muscle activity during movement through imaging and electromyography. The system provides real-time or near-real-time data on joint position, motion range, and muscle activation patterns, allowing clinicians to assess the degree of muscle guarding and its impact on joint function. This feedback enables determination of whether muscle guarding is mild, moderate, or severe, and whether it is reversible with conservative therapy or requires surgical intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional assessment system that simultaneously evaluates joint anatomy, joint motion, and muscle function using a single integrated approach. The imaging system captures both structural information and functional information, while electromyography adds muscle activity data. This universal system replaces multiple separate assessment methods (physical exam for muscle tone, goniometry for range of motion, clinical judgment for muscle guarding) with one comprehensive evaluation that provides detailed information on all aspects of joint and muscle function.
3Measurement precision
If a system for measuring surface motion of joints and internal joint structures is developed to account for muscle involvements, then precise biomechanical data can be obtained, but there would be a need for investigational data from controlled clinical trials across a broad population to define normal and unhealthy ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing normative databases and reference ranges through controlled clinical trials before the system can be used for diagnostic purposes. The invention includes the collection of investigational data from a broad population to define normal and unhealthy ranges of joint motion parameters. This preliminary work creates the foundation for accurate diagnosis, ensuring that the precise measurement capability of the system is paired with established criteria for interpreting results and determining pathology.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses are disclosed that is adapted and configured to cause and control joint motion of a patient. Apparatuses comprise, for example, a first motion member configured to engage a patient proximal to a target joint; a second motion member configured to engage a patient distal to a target joint; and a coupling member configured to connect the first motion member to the second motion member and further adapted to allow rotation of the first and second motion member around an axis, wherein the apparatus is engageable with a medical diagnostic device and further configured to capture patient specific data.