Noninvasive diagnostic system

1. A method of tracking motion of an actual patient bone using creating a patient specific bone model, the method comprising:

acquiring A-mode pulse echo ultrasound signals of the actual patient bone;

utilizing the ultrasound signals to capture a point cloud representative of the actual patient bone;

fitting a deformable 3-D bone model to the captured point cloud to generate a 3-D patient specific bone model;

registering the actual patient bone with the 3-D patient specific bone model;

generating at least one localized bone point from an output of one or more ultrasound transducers positioned proximate the actual patient bone;

tracking the at least one localized bone point by tracking the motion of the one or more ultrasound transducers using one or more inertial sensors; and

tracking motion of the actual patient bone through a range of motion using the at least one tracked localized bone point in combination with the 3-D patient specific bone model.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying said motion on the 3-D patient specific bone model.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting from a database a set of empirical mathematical descriptions of the motion of the actual patient bone through the range of motion; and

comparing the motion of the actual patient bone to the selected set of empirical mathematical descriptions.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

collecting vibrational data as the actual patient bone is moved through the range of motion;

selecting from a database a set of empirical vibrational data descriptions of the vibration of the actual patient bone through the range of motion; and

comparing said vibrational data to the selected set of empirical vibration data descriptions.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of bone models;

measuring the actual patient bone to obtain patient specific measurements; and

applying the patient-specific measurements to the selected one of the plurality of bone models.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting one of the plurality of bone models includes considering at least one demographic characteristic of the patient.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein applying the patient-specific measurements to the bone model includes conforming the model bone to the captured point cloud.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

placing an inertial sensor approximate the actual patient bone; and

gathering vibration data using the inertial sensor while moving the actual patient bone through the range of motion.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

simultaneously, with gathering the vibration data, gathering kinematics data pertaining to the actual patient bone.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vibration data is time-synchronized with the kinematics data.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

analyzing the vibration data using a neural network.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

prior to analyzing the vibration data, training the neural network.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein analyzing the vibration data using the neural network further comprises:

diagnosing at least one of a presence and severity of a joint condition.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of analyzing the vibration data using a neural network further comprises:

transmitting the vibration data across a network; and

receiving data pertaining to the joint condition via the network.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient is a mammalian animal.