title: Servo-controlled stepped and ramped mechanical tissue algometry.
abstract: A hand-held, servo-controlled tissue palpation device (SCPD) was developed to measure the pressure-pain characteristics of human tissue for disease states linked to altered pressure-pain sensitivity. The design was based on an adaptive controller using force feedback to reach and maintain a desired force in spite of movements of the operator's hand holding the device or positional changes of the subject.
authors.affiliation: Dental School, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA. cstohler@umaryland.edu
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Stohler
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ashton-Miller
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017288:Pain Threshold; D011312:Pressure