Multimodal automated sensory testing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9307906-B2
Application number	US-89633110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2010
Priority date	Oct 2, 2009
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A computer-controlled sensory testing system is disclosed that can be used to further pain research and aid in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of pain syndromes. The system includes actuators to deliver pressure/deformation (strain), auditory, olfactory, and other stimuli to a subject. The system includes software to control the delivery of the stimuli. The system is further operable to receive feedback regarding the stimuli received.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stimulator system for sensory testing of a subject by stimulating a portion of the subject and receiving feedback from the subject, comprising:
a housing member having:
a stimulation site having a surface within the housing member, the surface configured to be accessible through an aperture in the housing member, wherein the aperture is configured to allow the portion of the subject to access a passage in the housing member to position the portion of the subject on the surface;
a transducer member associated with a drive system, wherein the transducer member is moveable by the drive system at least towards the surface of the stimulation site through a drive aperture in the housing member, wherein the transducer member is positioned to at least apply pressure on at least the portion of the subject and bias the portion of the subject against the surface of the stimulation site;
a power source coupled to the drive system;
a controller operably coupled to the drive system;
a communication system coupled to the controller; and

an input system for sending at least a user input signal including the feedback from the subject to the controller of a rating by the subject regarding at least the pressure applied on at least the portion of the subject by the transducer member.

2. The stimulator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display located on the housing member or remote from the housing member.

3. The stimulator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a central processor operable to communicate with the controller on the housing member;
wherein the central processor is operable to send a pressure stimulation signal via the communication system to automatically apply pressure to the portion of the subject according to a pre-determined procedure and the central processor is configured to receive subject feedback based on the automatically applied pressure.

4. The stimulator system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a memory system configured to store software incorporating the pre-determined procedure which includes at least one of rate and duration of application of force, peak force, incremental or continuous force application, inter-stimulus interval, or patient response scales.

5. The stimulator system of claim 3 , further comprising:
in addition to the transducer member, at least one of an auditory stimulator, an appendage stimulator, a chew stimulator, an olfactory stimulator, and a visual stimulator;
wherein the least one of the auditory stimulator, the appendage stimulator, the chew stimulator, the olfactory stimulator, and the visual stimulator is operable to receive a further stimulation signal from the central processor to stimulate the subject in addition to or alternatively to the transducer member.

6. The stimulator system of claim 1 , wherein the drive system comprises:
an electric motor configured to be powered by the power source housed within the housing member; and
a rack and pinion assembly configured to convert rotational movement of the electric motor to linear movement;
wherein the transducer member is associated with the rack and pinion assembly.

7. The stimulator system of claim 1 , wherein the communication system is configured to at least one of send or receive signals wirelessly.

8. The stimulator system of claim 1 ,
wherein the stimulation site is configured to be accessible through the aperture and passage in the housing member by the portion of the subject when grasped by a hand of the subject.

9. A method of operating a sensory stimulation system and receiving a feedback from a subject regarding sensory stimulation, comprising:
accessing and executing a stored program by at least one processor to transmit a stimulation signal to a stimulator system to apply a stimulus including a pressure to the subject based on instructions of the stored program;
initiating operation of the stimulator system;
operating the stimulator system, after the initiation of the stimulator system, automatically and based on the executed program and the stimulation signal transmitted to the stimulator system to apply a stimulus to the subject;
receiving the feedback from the subject regarding the applied stimulus including pressure based on operation of the stimulator system regarding the applied stimulus, wherein the feedback from the subject includes a rating regarding the applied stimulus including pressure;
receiving a feedback from the stimulator system regarding the applied stimulus;
analyzing at least one of (i) the received feedback from the subject regarding the applied stimulus including pressure or (ii) the received feedback from the stimulator system;
placing at least one digit of a hand of the subject on a digit placement site within a housing member; and
applying the stimulus including the pressure to the at least one digit of the subject, including:
moving a transducer member with a drive system, at least towards the digit placement site through a drive aperture in the housing member, wherein the transducer member is positioned to apply the pressure on at least a portion of the at least one digit and biasing the at least one digit against the digit placement site;
receiving the stimulation signal with a receiver of the stimulator system from the at least one processor based on the executed instructions; and
operating the drive system with a drive system controller based on the received stimulation signal.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing a wireless communication system coupled to the stimulator system receiver to allow the stimulator system receiver to be configured to wirelessly receive the stimulation signal; and
executing instructions with the drive system controller based on the received stimulation signal to move the transducer member according to the stimulation signal.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
inputting the feedback from the subject in response to the movement of the transducer member including the rating regarding the applied pressure.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein inputting the feedback from the subject includes inputting the time of the onset of pain.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
sensing a force that is applied to the at least one digit with the transducer member;
sensing a strain resulting from deformation at a stimulation site; and
sending at least one of (i) a force signal based on the sensed force to the at least one processor or (ii) a strain signal based on the sensed strain to the at least one processor;
wherein applying the stimulus includes biasing the at least one digit against the digit placement site further includes biasing the at least one digit against a surface within the housing member.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
providing at least a first processor of the at least one processor in the housing member; and
providing a user input system located on a surface of the housing member for inputting the feedback from the subject.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
wherein sensing the strain is used for a feedback control of at least one of a force, a position, and a speed of the transducer member of the stimulator system;
wherein the drive system controller is configured to incorporate linearized calibration curves to ensure accurate and repeatable application of the stimulus to the subject based at least on the stimulation signal.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
driving the transducer member with the drive system; and
applying the stimulus with dri

Assignees

• Harte Steven E
• Kruger Grant H
• Clauw Daniel
• Univ Michigan

Inventors

• Harte Steven E
• Kruger Grant H
• Clauw Daniel

Classifications

• A61B5/0053

  by applying pressure, e.g. compression, indentation, palpation, grasping, gauging · CPC title

• A61B5/4827

  assessing touch sensitivity, e.g. for evaluation of pain threshold · CPC title

• A61B5/0002 Primary

  Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network (endoradiosondes A61B5/07) · CPC title

• A61B5/4824

  Touch or pain perception evaluation (A61B5/4821 takes precedence) · CPC title