Patent ID: 11871900
Assignee: UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI SIENA
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  B  G | IPC A  B  G

Claim 3:
4. The instrument (3,4) according to claim 1, wherein
said gas-inflatable balloon (20) has a plurality of markers (24,25′,25″,26);
said detector is an image detector (43) arranged to
detect an image of said gas-inflatable balloon (20) and of said markers (24,25′,25″,26), so as to detect a modification of said markers (24,25′,25″,26) due to said contact (C) of said gas-inflatable balloon (20) in said inflated state (J) and a wall (90);
output an image signal (53) as said detection signal;

said processing unit (60) comprises:
an image-processing means configured to identify said modification of said markers (24,25′,25″,26) in said image signal (53) and to calculate said force-related deformation value (x,A) of said gas-inflatable balloon (20) due to said contact (C), as said force-related value related to said contact force (F);
a force-computing means configured to compute said contact force signal (54) comprising force values (F) responsive to said force-related deformation value (x,A) according to said predetermined function.