Unknown biomechanical measuring device

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All, this is an unknown biomechanical measuring device that was given to me by my old boss. I have no idea of it's age.

On the device it says "chirometer Pat no. D74252 Dr H. H. DIPIERO YOUNGSTOWN, O."

What is interesting to me, is that it has a portion for measuring "navicular deviation" (is this an early navicular drift measurement?). It also, on the triangular portion, has text saying "bow legs or knock knees", this section is calibrated in inches then below this it has "Achilles deviation" in degrees, on the rectangular section it has "flexion" and "extension" again calibrated in degrees; "foot length" in inches and then "Navicular deviation" in inches.

If anyone can shed any light on this, I should be most appreciative.

 

Hi Simon,

I also have an original Chirometer patented by Dr DiPiero.

He wrote a short paper on it in the Journal of the American Podiatry Association (JAPA) in 1951. Sorry, but I lost the paper some time ago. However, I'm certain that the year of the paper's publication was 1951.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Regards,

Eric Lee.

 

Eric, you are the oracle to podiatric publication.

Next question: do you know how to use the Chirometer?

Many thanks and best wishes,
Simon

 

Guess that depends on what you're going to do with it, Dr. Spooner.

 

Lets start with the triangular section for measuring "bow legs and knock knees" calibrated in inches....

 

Actually Simon, I was having a senior moment regarding the year - it was actually 1961. My reputation as an oracle is now shattered.

The full citation is as follows:

DiPiero, H. H. (1961) A device for measuring foot deviations.
Journal of the American Podiatry Association. 51(3): 203-205.

Would Kevin possibly have access to the earlier JAPA articles? Could you possibly help Kevin?

The short answer is that I don't know how to use it. However, I am sure that the article demonstrated how to use it. Indeed, does the patent reveal anything? Do you have access to the patent?

Again, my apologies for not being able to offer anything concrete.

Regards,

Eric.

 

Sorry Eric and Simon, I don't have access to any more articles in JAPA or JAPMA than what is available on the JAPMA website.

However, it does appear that the device may make a good bookend..........

 

Strange, that's exactly what I use it for.