Methods and apparatus for measuring the viscoelastic response of vocal fold tissues and scaffolds across a frequency range
US7387032B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 16, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jun 17, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 11, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2203/0094
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In one aspect the present invention concerns methods and apparatus for measuring the mechanical properties of soft materials across a frequency regime. In particular, the present invention concerns methods and apparatus using torsional waves to measure the mechanical properties of vocal fold tissue and candidate materials for use in human vocal fold reconstruction. In embodiments of the present invention, sample material is placed between two plates whose sides are faceted. One of the plates is attached to the shaft of a galvanometer, and the plate is twisted back and forth through angles of up to ±6° at frequencies of up to 2500 Hz. If required, the assembly may be enclosed in an environmental chamber to maintain the temperature and relative humidity of the sample at the conditions experienced by vocal folds in a living human or animal. The rotations of the top and bottom plates are monitored by an optical lever technique in which laser beams, reflected off the faceted faces of the plates, are captured by photodiode detectors. The experimentally determined amplification factor is obtained as the ratio of the amplitude of the rotation of the top plate divided by the corresponding a…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.