Pain Offset Diagnostic System for Chronic Disease Differentiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic methods are inadequate for differentiating chronic pain-related diseases, particularly fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, depression, and rheumatism, due to the lack of clear diagnostic criteria and biomarkers, leading to misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive pain offset measurement test using temperature stimulus to assess pain responses, which differentiates between chronic pain-related diseases by analyzing the intensity and offset of pain, allowing for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional diagnostic methods (blood tests, tender point examination) are used for fibromyalgia, then the diagnostic process becomes lengthy and complex, but the diagnosis remains inaccurate and requires multiple hospital visits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical diagnostic methods (physical tender point examination, blood tests) with a sensory-based diagnostic system that uses temperature stimulus and measures pain offset responses. This substitution enables objective measurement of pain perception changes that occur during cooling, providing a new diagnostic pathway that is both accurate and efficient for identifying fibromyalgia and differentiating it from other conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new diagnostic parameter - the rate of pain offset during temperature decrease - that fundamentally changes how fibromyalgia is diagnosed. By measuring how quickly pain decreases as temperature drops from 46°C to 45°C, the system creates a quantifiable metric that directly addresses both diagnostic accuracy and time efficiency, eliminating the need for lengthy conventional diagnostic processes.
2Measurement precision
If multiple diagnostic criteria and tests are applied to differentiate chronic pain diseases, then diagnostic accuracy may improve, but the diagnostic system becomes more complex and harder to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential diagnostic feature - pain offset response to temperature change - from the complex array of conventional diagnostic criteria. By focusing on this single, measurable parameter and establishing clear threshold values, the system simplifies the diagnostic process while maintaining high differentiation accuracy between fibromyalgia, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and rheumatism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the diagnostic approach by introducing a new measurable parameter (pain offset rate during cooling) with specific threshold values. This parameter change creates a straightforward diagnostic rule: if pain decreases by a certain amount during the temperature drop, the disease can be identified. This makes the diagnostic system both accurate and easy to operate.
3Reliability
If invasive tests or multiple hospital visits are required for diagnosis, then comprehensive evaluation may be achieved, but patient convenience and accessibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces invasive diagnostic procedures and multi-visit requirements with a simple, non-invasive temperature stimulus test that can be performed in a single session. The diagnostic reliability is maintained through objective measurement of pain offset responses, while patient accessibility is dramatically improved by eliminating the need for repeated hospital visits and invasive procedures.
4Measurement precision
If clear diagnostic criteria are established for fibromyalgia, then misdiagnosis is reduced, but the diagnostic system becomes more rigid and less adaptable to individual cases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes clear diagnostic criteria based on the pain offset parameter during temperature decrease, providing diagnostic clarity through specific threshold values. At the same time, the system maintains adaptability by using these criteria as reference points rather than rigid rules, allowing clinicians to consider individual patient presentations while having an objective basis for diagnosis.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid, non-invasive differentiation of chronic pain-related diseases, providing clear diagnostic criteria and improving treatment outcomes for conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, and depression, which were previously difficult to diagnose.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature stimulus generation part (1) for applying various temperature stimuli to a subject by bringing the part into close contact with the subject's skin and changing its temperature
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention addresses the problem of providing a system and a method for noninvasively and conveniently diagnosing difficult-to-diagnose chronic pain-related diseases and/or diseases requiring differentiation from the chronic pain-related diseases. The problem was solved by providing a method for obtaining an indicator for determining the presence and/or type of a chronic pain-related disease and/or disease requiring differentiation from chronic pain-related diseases, the method comprising: (a) performing an offset measurement test of pain on a subject that does not suffer from a neurological disorder; (b) analyzing the results obtained from the test in (a); and (c) comparing the analysis results obtained in (b) with a reference value.