Soft Tissue Damage Prediction via Imaging and Cycle Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ergonomic analysis methods are inadequate for predicting and preventing soft tissue repetitive stress injuries, as they rely on oversimplified characterizations and fail to account for individual components, leading to insufficient risk estimation and ineffective injury prevention strategies.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that analyze soft tissue disorganization and partially torn tissues using advanced imaging techniques to associate stress or strain with the number of cycles causing subrupture or incomplete tear damage, allowing for the determination of a safe limit for repetitive movements to prevent further damage, incorporating healing data and multiple loading conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If advanced imaging techniques and detailed tissue characterization are used, then measurement precision and reliability of injury prediction are improved, but device complexity and difficulty of detecting and measuring increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces advanced imaging techniques (ultrasound, MRI, elastography) as intermediary tools to detect and characterize soft tissue damage. These imaging modalities serve as mediators between the soft tissue and the analysis system, enabling non-invasive detection of subrupture and incomplete tear damage while providing detailed tissue characterization without requiring direct tissue manipulation or biopsy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or invasive assessment methods with non-invasive imaging-based characterization. Instead of relying on physical examination or surgical intervention to assess tissue damage, the system uses imaging techniques to visualize and quantify tissue disorganization, substituting mechanical assessment with optical/electromagnetic field-based detection.
2Reliability
If personalized injury prevention guidelines are developed through detailed tissue analysis, then reliability of injury prediction is improved, but device complexity and time required for analysis increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary tissue characterization and damage assessment before injury occurs. By using imaging techniques to detect early signs of tissue disorganization and subrupture damage, the system establishes a baseline and identifies at-risk tissues in advance, enabling preventive intervention before complete injury occurs. This preliminary action improves prediction reliability by capturing early damage indicators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the soft tissue analysis into distinct components: subrupture damage characterization, incomplete tear damage characterization, and healthy tissue identification. This segmentation allows the system to apply different analysis methods and criteria to different tissue states, improving overall prediction reliability while organizing the complexity into manageable analytical modules.
3Productivity
If comprehensive soft tissue characterization is performed to prevent injuries, then productivity in injury prevention is improved, but loss of time for analysis and measurement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic tissue monitoring through repeated imaging assessments at scheduled intervals. Rather than requiring continuous monitoring, the system performs periodic evaluations to track tissue condition changes over time, identifying trends and accelerating damage indicators. This periodic approach balances thorough characterization with time efficiency, maintaining productivity while reducing continuous analysis time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial characterization methods by focusing imaging and analysis on specific high-risk tissue regions or areas showing early signs of damage, rather than comprehensively analyzing all soft tissues. This targeted partial action maintains injury prevention effectiveness by concentrating resources on most vulnerable areas, reducing overall analysis time while preserving productivity in preventing actual injuries.
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
This approach enables the prediction and prevention of soft tissue injuries by providing personalized guidelines to mitigate or avoid transitions to subrupture or incomplete tear damage, thereby reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries in occupational settings and sports.
Implementation Method 1
analyzing for a presence of at least one of soft tissue disorganization or partially torn soft tissue
Implementation Method 2
ultrasound compression elastography, ultrasound strain elastography
Implementation Method 3
measuring at least one of a stress or a strain for a second repetitive movement
Implementation Method 4
measuring at least one of a stress or a strain for a second repetitive movement
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed techniques for performing a process can include: analyzing for a presence of soft tissue disorganization or partially torn soft tissue in each of a plurality of subjects in performing a first repetitive movement; generating an association, based on the analyzing, that relates stress or strain to a number of cycles that cause: a transition to subrupture damaged tissue, or a transition to incomplete tear damaged tissue; measuring stress or a strain for a second repetitive movement comprising the process; determining, based on the association, a limit on a number of cycles of the second repetitive movement to avoid: a transition to subrupture damaged soft tissue, or a transition to incomplete tear damage tissue; and performing the second repetitive movement as part of the process, while ensuring that the limit on the number of cycles of the second repetitive movement is not exceeded.