Patent ID: 8795190
Filing Date: 2014-08-05
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A digital tuning fork device for administering a vibratory sensation test to a human subject, comprising a housing, said housing being substantially hollow, having an interior and an exterior, constructed of a substantially rigid, durable material, and having a shape suitable for being grasped by a human hand; a vibratory mechanism, said vibratory mechanism being contained within the interior of the housing, said vibratory mechanism being electronically powered and suitably adapted to create variable amplitude vibrations at a constant frequency, and further suitably adapted to provide vibrations with amplitudes which change in a defined manner over a period of time; a contact member, said contact member being substantially elongate and rigid and having an internal end located within the interior of the housing and an external end located exterior of the housing, said internal end suitably adapted to receive vibrations created by the vibratory mechanism and said external end suitably adapted to transmit vibrations to the human subject; a timer, said timer being contained within the interior of the housing, said timer being suitably adapted to record the relative passage of time in known units beginning when activated and terminating when deactivated, said timer having a display means for displaying the units of time during activation and the final unit achieved upon deactivation, said display means being capable of being perceived from the exterior of the housing; a controller, said controller being contained within the interior of the housing and being suitably adapted to receive input from the exterior of the housing, said controller being suitably adapted to activating and deactivating the vibratory mechanism, activating and deactivating the timer, and resetting the timer; and a power supply, said power supply being contained within the interior of the housing and being suitably adapted to provide power to the vibratory mechanism and to the timer; wherein the contact member is movable in relation to the housing, said contact member having a biasing mechanism to bias the external end of the contact member away from the housing, said contact member being in connection with controller, with movement of the contact member relative to the housing suitably adapted to signal the controller, such that when the contact member is pressed against a surface the external end of the contact member moves toward the housing causing the contact member to signal the controller to reset the display means, to activate the vibratory mechanism, and to activate timer, and when the contact member is removed from a surface the biasing mechanism moves the external end of the contact member away from housing causing the contact member to signal the controller to deactivate the vibratory mechanism and to deactivate the timer.