Patent ID: 7097625

Claim:
A device for use in noninvasively evaluating a limb suspected of compartment syndrome, the device comprising in combination: an applicator instrument including a base portion, a force plate having a cross section, and a force probe, the force probe being positioned through an aperture of the force plate, the force probe having a solid cross section of an area that is substantially smaller than the cross section of the force plate, the force probe and force plate being biased relative to one another, the force plate being permitted to slide relative to the probe, the force plate including at least one stabilizing column which is slidably received within the base portion, an encoder positioned within the base portion for measuring the travel distance of the stabilizing column, such distance corresponding to the movement of the force plate relative to the force probe, a load cell directly connected to the force probe for use in measuring the pressure applied to the force probe, the travel distance and pressure measurements being used to compute modulus of hardness.