A Single-Sensor Approach for Noninvasively Tracking Phase Velocity in Tendons during Dynamic Movement

Dylan G Schmitz; Darryl G Thelen; Stephanie G Cone

doi:10.3390/mi15010032

A Single-Sensor Approach for Noninvasively Tracking Phase Velocity in Tendons during Dynamic Movement

Micromachines (Basel). 2023 Dec 23;15(1):32. doi: 10.3390/mi15010032.

Authors

Dylan G Schmitz¹, Darryl G Thelen^{1

2}, Stephanie G Cone³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19713, USA.

Abstract

Shear wave tensiometry is a noninvasive method for directly measuring wave speed as a proxy for force in tendons during dynamic activities. Traditionally, tensiometry has used broadband excitation pulses and measured the wave travel time between two sensors. In this work, we demonstrate a new method for tracking phase velocity using shaped excitations and measurements from a single sensor. We observed modulation of phase velocity in the Achilles tendon that was generally consistent with wave speed measures obtained via broadband excitation. We also noted a frequency dependence of phase velocity, which is expected for dispersive soft tissues. The implementation of this method could enhance the use of noninvasive wave speed measures to characterize tendon forces. Further, the approach allows for the design of smaller shear wave tensiometers usable for a broader range of tendons and applications.

Keywords: dispersion; shear wave tensiometry; tendon mechanics; wave propagation.

Abstract

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