US 12,453,535 B2
Single sensor tensiometer
Darryl Gerard Thelen, Madison, WI (US); Dylan Gerald Schmitz, Oregon, WI (US); and Stephanie Grace Cone, Newark, DE (US)
Assigned to Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Madison, WI (US)
Filed by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Madison, WI (US)
Filed on May 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/203,216.
Prior Publication US 2024/0398380 A1, Dec. 5, 2024
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/485 (2013.01) [A61B 8/08 (2013.01); A61B 8/5223 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for measuring forces in connective tissue comprising:
at least one support adapted to attach to an individual at a location of connective tissue;
a transducer probe held by the at least one support and receiving a transmission waveform signal to generate a predefined excitation in the connective tissue at a transmission time to generate a shear wavelet that travels longitudinally along the connective tissue from a first location;
a motion sensor to detect a reception waveform signal of the wavelet in the tissue at a reception time at a second location separated by a predetermined longitudinal distance from the first location; and
a processing circuit operating to determine a wavelet delay from the transmission waveform signal and the reception waveform signal and, based on the wavelet delay, output a measure of connective tissue force.