Obtaining medical diagnostic measurements

{
  "publication_number": "US9585602B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Obtaining medical diagnostic measurements",
  "abstract": "Systems, methods, computer-readable media (e.g., transitory and non-transitory) and apparatus are described herein for obtaining medical diagnostic measurements that are accurate and/or consistent over time.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus for obtaining consistent medical diagnostic measurements, comprising: a housing that is configured to be secured to or held against a patient; memory to store one or more measured orientations of the housing; a sensor configured to detect an orientation of the housing; and a controller operably coupled to the sensor and the memory and configured to: receive, from the sensor, a measured orientation of the housing; compare the measured orientation of the housing to a previously measured orientation stored in the memory in association with a previous reading from a strain sensor associated with the patient; and provide audible or visible output in response to a determination, based on the comparison, that the measured orientation is within a predetermined range of the previously measured orientation.",
    "2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to record in the memory a measurement received from the strain sensor associated with the patient via a wireless communication interface.",
    "3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to record the measurement automatically in response to the determination, based on the comparison, that the measured orientation is within the predetermined range of the previously measured orientation.",
    "4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a three-axis accelerometer.",
    "5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is activated by a signal generated by the sensor in response to detection of movement by the sensor.",
    "6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to record, in the memory, data indicative of a plurality of measured orientations provided by an accelerometer over a time interval.",
    "7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to provide different audible or visible output to instruct the patient to move a body segment of the patient in response to another determination, based on the comparison, that the measured orientation is not within a predetermined range of the previously measured orientation.",
    "8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the different audible or visible output comprises a sound that changes in frequency as the housing approaches the previously measured orientation.",
    "9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an output interface operably coupled with the controller, wherein the audible or visible output is rendered using the output interface.",
    "10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit, to a remote computing device in response to the determination that the measured orientation is within the predetermined range of the previously measured orientation, a signal that causes the remote computing device to operate the strain sensor to take a new reading from the patient."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Obtaining medical diagnostic measurements that are accurate and/or consistent over time may be difficult. For example, at a first appointment where an X-ray is taken of a patient's body segment (e.g., arm, leg, back, etc.), e.g., after lumbar fusion surgery to determine if fusion has been achieved, the body segment may be aligned in a particular manner, e.g., relative to other body segments. Various internal structures such as bones, cartilage, tendons, organs, and so forth may be in a particular alignment relative to one another. At a subsequent appointment where a similar X-ray is taken, it may be difficult to recreate the particular configuration of internal structures and loads on those structures present when the first X-ray or X-rays was/were taken. This may lead medical personnel to draw inaccurate conclusions from the measured data. For example, a difference in data between the two X-rays may be attributable to the difference in body segment configuration, rather than a physiological change in the patient.\n\nAs another example, implanted sensors may measure, and make available to other devices using wireless technology, strain readings, e.g., from body segments or joints in between. The strain measured by such sensors may depend in large part on an angle/orientation of two body segments relative to one another. If readings are taken from such sensors on two different visits, and the patient is not oriented or aligned the same during those visits, the measurements taken from the implanted sensors may be skewed or otherwise unreflective of actual physiological change.",
  "cpc": [
    "A61B 5/1071",
    "A61B 2562/0219",
    "A61B 5/0031",
    "A61B 5/11",
    "A61B 5/1116",
    "A61B 5/4528",
    "A61B 5/6801",
    "A61B 5/684",
    "A61B 5/6843",
    "A61B 5/6844",
    "A61B 5/7221",
    "A61B 5/7405",
    "A61B 5/742"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A61B 5/00",
    "A61B 5/103",
    "A61B 5/107",
    "A61B 5/117"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Intellirod Spine Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Richard R. Navarro",
    "Steven E. Wilder"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-10-07",
  "publication_date": "2017-03-07",
  "grant_date": "2017-03-07",
  "priority_date": "2013-10-07",
  "application_number": "US-201414508506-A",
  "family_id": "58162193",
  "cited_by_count": 17,
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}