Apparatus for determining changes in limb volume

摘要

Measuring apparatus for determining changes in the volume of limbs or other body extremities by determining the cross-sectional area of such limbs may comprise a transmitter (10) including first and second transducers (11, 12) for positioning on the surface of the limb at a predetermined distance therebetween, and a receiver (20) including a receiver crystal (21) for positioning on the surface of the limb. The distance between the receiver crystal and the first and second transducers are represented by respective first and second chords (d1, d2) of the cross-section of the limb (C) and the predetermined distance between the first and second transducers is represented by a third chord (d3) of the limb cross-section (C). The measuring apparatus may also include a Pinger (10) and associated electrical circuitry for generating acoustic pulses at the first and second transducers (11, 12) for propagation along the first and second chords (d1, d2) to derive at the receiver (20) first and second signals related to the travel time of the acoustic pulses along these chords. A computer (30) is connected to the receiver (20) for computing the area of the limb cross-section (C) utilizing these first and second signals.