Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Measuring anatomical characteristic or force applied to or...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-03
2001-05-22
O'Connor, Cary (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Measuring anatomical characteristic or force applied to or...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234982
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to equipment for physical therapy. More specifically it relates to a portable device that is placed on the user's body and which provides the user with information concerning a distance between two feet, therefore resulting in more efficient treatment of gait disorders related to decreased base of support.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The stability of the human body depends on several factors including size of base support, mass of the body and location of its center of gravity and the location of the projection of the line of gravity within the base, etc.
To be stable while walking or standing, the force line from the center of mass of the body has to fall within the base of support. The base of support is the area bounded by a line connecting the perimeter of all points touching the ground. For a freestanding person with no ambulation aid the entire area between two feet represents the base of support. The human body is at its most unstable during one leg stance or while the feet are close together and parallel. Enlarging the base of support by moving feet apart or using a cane, crutches or walker, can increase stability.
The base of support changes with age: healthy old people usually demonstrate a larger base of support than young adults do. Clinicians often refer balance problems in patients with decreased base of support related to impossibility of maintaining of proper distance between feet. Neurological impairments and weakness of leg muscles, in particular, leg abductors are described as a main source of difficulties of controlling this parameter by patients themselves.
Special treatment directed towards increase muscle strength, range of motion, and endurance may provide functional improvement. However, for a significant number of patients with brain damage, decreased level of attention, motivation, etc. it is difficult to difficult to achieve therapeutic goals without special efforts of both, the patient and a physical therapist. Such patients do not demonstrate significant improvement of gait performance even if the physical therapist contributes enormous time helping them.
It is known that treatment based on feedback training may benefit patients after stroke. By providing a special information about the accuracy of studied movement, these patients may gain better control over their motor system.
It is the basic objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus for use in exercising the proper base support during gait therapy of patients with neurological disorders.
The present invention provides a device to be worn on the user's body. The device supplies audio, tactile, visual or other signals if the movement performance differs from the recommended by a physician or a physical therapist. In particular, in improvement of gait, the distance between two feet may be used as a parameter to control the base of support during therapy. Getting such an information helps to attract the user's attention and requires the user to increase the distance between feet to avoid audio, visual, or tactile signal.
A number of body and limb positions sensing devices have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,275 issued to T. Levi discloses a biofeedback system with mercury switches which produces audible or visual signals to inform the user about the changes in the position of the body. However, this system response only to change in position of the body with respect to a given plane outside of the body of the patient and therefore could not be used for assessment of step width. U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,201 issued to Mantehey discloses device for stimulating of posture and comprises a transmitter and a receiver applied to a first and second skin positions of the suitable skin area which change their mutual distances during movements of the defined body part due to the dilatation or contraction of the skin between the transmitter and the receiver. However, this device cannot be used for assessment of step width deficit because requires the dilatation or contraction of the skin between the transmitter and the receiver. Brunelle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,476 discloses a device worn on a part of the human body, which alerts the wearer when that body part deviates from vertical. However, the device cannot be used for assessment of step width deficit. Myers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,949 discloses a position warning device, associated with an otherwise conventional belt. However, the device designed for abdominal muscle control and posture optimization cannot be used for assessment of step width.
For background purposes and as an indicator of the state of the art to which the invention relates references may be made to the following remaining patents found in the search: U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,610, U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,062, U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,763.
The devices described above allow user to get information regarding the performance of certain movements. These, however, never provide information regarding step width or the position of an assistive device relative to the body of the user.
No known device for use in therapy of neurological disorders provides the ease of use and capability for stimulating (encouraging) an improvement of performance.
The object of the invention is a device and method for assessing, monitoring and feedback rehabilitation treatment programs directed towards improvement mobility of neurologically impaired people.
OBJECTIVES
As can be seen from the above discussion there is a need for a simple apparatus that allows the user to easily improve the ability to maintain normal base of support.
It is also an objective of this invention to attract the user's attention to the exercising of leg muscles, by reproducing an exercise command or musical note, serving to indicate to the user improper step width and base of support, therefore resulting in more efficient physical therapy.
It is also an objective of this invention to allow for adjustment to suit the body of a particular user, and to provide increased level of step width.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for assessment and feedback training of step width coordination that is easy to use, and an apparatus that has adjustable elements, is durable and which is relatively inexpensive to produce.
It is also considered that this invention may be used to indicate the proper position of an assistive device such as a cane, a walker, a crutch, etc., relatively to the user's body.
It is also an objective of this invention to provide patients with a method and device for self performed assessment of leg coordination during walking.
There is a need to develop a device and method to help neurologically impaired people to overcome decreased base of support and to assess biofeedback training critical to balance and locomotion skills.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3208062 (1965-09-01), Gregory
patent: 4191949 (1980-03-01), Myers
patent: 4557275 (1985-12-01), Demsey, Jr. et al.
patent: 4938476 (1990-07-01), Brunelle
patent: 5337758 (1994-08-01), Moore et al.
patent: 5433201 (1995-07-01), Manthey
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
O'Connor Cary
Wing Pamela
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