Apparatus and method for detection of body tissue movement

摘要

An apparatus and method for the detection of movement of body tissues and, more particularly, movements of segments of the heart muscle and method for a noninvasive technique for the detection of coronary and arterial abnormalities. The apparatus includes a probe, preferably in the form of a detector plate, utilizing electric field measurement for detection of movements of a nearby segment of the body tissue, as for example, a segment of the heart muscle. The detector plate is coupled to a variable-frequency oscillator and phase-lock system for measuring capacitive change used to shift the phase of the oscillator when the detector is placed with respect to a certain body tissue. The apparatus employs its own unique system of timing heart movement in that the detector is capable of sensing a signal having a low frequency component which provides information regarding tissue movement. The detector also senses a high frequency component of the signal which represents closure of heart valves and thereby establishes a timing cycle for heart movement so that contraction and relaxation movements of the heart tissue can be measured in terms of the timing cycle of the heart. A filter in the apparatus separates the high frequency components from the low frequency components so that information regarding relaxation and contraction may be recorded simultaneously with the timing cycle of the heart movement.