Patent ID: 6589190
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method for quantifying muscle tone in a patient comprising the steps of:moving the patient's wrist in a non-sinusoidal and non ramp trajectory and determining the stiffness, viscosity and inertial parameters using the following relationship Ï„s&af;(t)=KH&it;Î¸&af;(t)+BH&it;Î¸.&af;(t)+JT&it;Î¸&DoubleDot;&af;(t)+Ï„offwhere &tgr;s is the total torque, &tgr;off is the offset torque, KH and BH are the angular stiffness and viscosity of the combined flexor and extensor muscle groups that act on the joint, JT is the combined inertia of the oscillating appendage, &thgr; is the angular displacement of the system, and Î¸.&it;â€ƒ&it;and&it;â€ƒ&it;Î¸&DoubleDot;â€ƒare the velocity and acceleration.