Patent ID: 6615504
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A device (1) for determining the circumference (2) of a body (3), the apparatus (1) having at least the following elements:a) a wire (5) which has a loose end and which has a known length section of length LD, b) a position sensor (4), which is in operative contact with the wire (5) such that it outputs a signal 5, as soon as the wire (5) exerts at least a predetermined tensile force Z on the position sensor (4), c) a drive device (6, 7) for drawing in the loose end of the wire (5) and for tensioning the length section of the length LD of the wire (5) along the circumference (2) of the body (3), the drive device (6, 7) being connected to the position sensor (4) such that when the signal S is output, the tensioning of the wire (5) by the drive device (6, 7) is stopped, d) a distance meter (10), in operative contact with the drive device (6, 7), for measuring the distance WD traced by the wire (5) as it is tensioned along the circumference (2) of the body (3) by the drive device (6, 7), e) so that the circumference (2) of the body (3) is determined from the length LD, the distance WD and an apparatus-dependent geometry factor G.