Toshiaki Ueno

US Patent:

7381186, Jun 3, 2008

Filed:

Aug 2, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/911755

Inventors:

Toshiaki Ueno - San Diego CA, US
Alan R. Hargens - San Diego CA, US
William T. Yost - Newport News VA, US

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

A61B 8/00
A61B 8/12
A61B 8/14

US Classification:

600443, 600437, 600438

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for measuring pressure buildup in a body compartment that encases muscular tissue. The method includes assessing the body compartment configuration and identifying the effect of pulsatile components on at least one compartment dimension. This process is used in preventing tissue necrosis, and in decisions of whether to perform surgery on the body compartment for prevention of Compartment Syndrome. An apparatus is used for measuring excess pressure in the body compartment having components for imparting ultrasonic waves such as a transducer, placing the transducer to impart the ultrasonic waves, capturing the reflected imparted ultrasonic waves, and converting them to electrical signals, a pulsed phase-locked loop device for assessing a body compartment configuration and producing an output signal, and means for mathematically manipulating the output signal to thereby categorize pressure build-up in the body compartment from the mathematical manipulations.

US Patent:

7491169, Feb 17, 2009

Filed:

Mar 22, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/805816

Inventors:

William T. Yost - Newport News VA, US
Toshiaki Ueno - San Diego CA, US
Alan R. Hargens - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

A61B 8/00

US Classification:

600437, 600438, 600485, 600472, 367 7, 367 11, 367130, 367138, 128916

Abstract:

A process and apparatus for measuring pressure buildup in a body compartment that encases muscular tissue. The method includes assessing the body compartment configuration and identifying the effect of pulsatible components on compartment dimensions and muscle tissue characteristics. This process is used in preventing tissue necrosis, and in decisions of whether to perform surgery on the body compartment for prevention of Compartment Syndrome. An apparatus is used for measuring pressure build-up in the body compartment having components for imparting ultrasonic waves such as a transducer, placing the transducer to impart the ultrasonic waves, capturing the imparted ultrasonic waves, mathematically manipulating the captured ultrasonic waves and categorizing pressure build-up in the body compartment from the mathematical manipulations.