Ultrasonic Elastomyogram Curve for Dynamic Muscle Biomechanical Parameter Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for testing muscle biomechanical parameters using ultrasonic shear wave elastography are unable to acquire dynamic information and provide low accuracy, as they mainly measure elasticity modulus in relaxed or tension states, which do not fully characterize muscle biomechanical properties or quantify muscle strength effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that synchronously collect dynamic myodynamics and elasticity image sequences of a skeletal muscle under continuous stretching, generating an ultrasonic elastomyogram curve with myodynamics parameters as the abscissa and elasticity modulus values as the ordinate, allowing for the estimation of dynamic and quantitative biomechanical parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ultrasonic shear wave elastography measures elasticity modulus in relaxed state only, then the measurement process is simple, but it cannot fully characterize muscle biomechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from static measurement (relaxed state only) to dynamic measurement (continuous stretching process). The ultrasonic elastomyogram captures elasticity modulus changes throughout the entire stretching process, transforming the measurement from a single static point to a continuous dynamic process, thereby fully characterizing muscle biomechanical properties while maintaining measurement feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces stretching length as a varying parameter to replace the fixed relaxed state measurement. By measuring elasticity modulus across different stretching lengths (0% to 100% and beyond), the system captures the full range of muscle mechanical behavior, including yield points and failure points, significantly improving biomechanical characterization accuracy.
2Device complexity
If ultrasonic shear wave elastography uses qualitative joint angle parameters, then the measurement method is simple, but it cannot provide quantitative evaluation of muscle strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical joint angle measurement system with an ultrasonic imaging-based stretching length measurement system. By using ultrasonic markers to directly measure muscle stretching length, the system achieves quantitative muscle strength evaluation without relying on indirect joint angle proxies, thereby improving measurement accuracy while keeping the system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ultrasonic markers as intermediaries to bridge the gap between simple measurement and quantitative evaluation. These markers attached to the muscle enable precise tracking of stretching length through ultrasonic imaging, providing the quantitative data needed for muscle strength evaluation without complex measurement systems.
3Ease of operation
If ultrasonic shear wave elastography measures only static elasticity modulus, then the measurement process is straightforward, but it cannot acquire dynamic information of muscle during motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous measurement throughout the stretching process rather than discrete static measurements. The ultrasonic elastomyogram continuously tracks elasticity modulus changes as the muscle stretches, capturing dynamic information including the yield point, failure point, and post-failure behavior, thereby preserving all useful dynamic muscle information while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by attaching ultrasonic markers to the muscle before the stretching test. This preparation enables the subsequent continuous measurement to capture dynamic information efficiently, as the markers are already in place to track muscle deformation throughout the stretching process without interrupting the flow of the test.
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 acquisition of dynamic and quantitative muscle biomechanical parameters during continuous stretching, improving the accuracy of muscle strength evaluation and characterizing muscle biomechanical properties more comprehensively.
Implementation Method 1
generating shear waves in the vicinity of a focal position by radiation force generated by an ultrasonic transducer
Implementation Method 2
synchronously collecting a dynamic myodynamics image sequence and a dynamic elasticity image sequence of a single skeletal muscle under continuous stretching
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and a device for acquiring biomechanical parameters based on an ultrasonic elastomyogram are provided, wherein the method includes: synchronously collecting a dynamic myodynamics image sequence and a dynamic elasticity image sequence of a single skeletal muscle under continuous stretching; acquiring a myodynamics parameter corresponding to each myodynamics image in the dynamic myodynamics image sequence and an elasticity modulus value corresponding to each elasticity image in the dynamic elasticity image sequence respectively; and generating an ultrasonic elastomyogram curve with the myodynamics parameter as the abscissa and the synchronized elasticity modulus value as the ordinate, and estimating a muscle biomechanical parameter based on the ultrasonic elastomyogram curve. Dynamically changing biomechanical parameters can be obtained, and the obtained muscle biomechanical parameters have relatively high accuracy.