Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Device with applicator having specific movement
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-10
2003-04-08
Yu, Justine R. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Device with applicator having specific movement
C601S148000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06544203
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for providing continuous passive motion support to the back of a person for preventing or treating lower back pain. More particularly, the invention provides pneumatic fluid pressure means for cycling the lumbar region through a substantial range of lordosis. One or more fluid inflatable bags are cyclically inflated and deflated by means of an electrically powered pump. Programmable circuitry controls the operation of the pump by adjusting the pump supply voltage. In another embodiment, one or more of the fluid inflatable bags provide static baseline support pressure while the same or other bags provide continuous passive motion support to the back of a person.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for providing continuous passive motion to the lumbar region of the spine.
The inventor herein has been issued three patents related to continuous passive motion (CPM), the teachings of which are herein incorporated by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,131 (hereinafter “the '131 patent”) disclosed apparatus for cycling the lumbar region of the spine through a substantial range of lordosis (forward spinal curvature) for the purpose of preventing and relieving low back pain. In that patent, an inflatable bladder in contact with the back is pressurized and depressurized to effect the substantial range of lordosis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,383 (hereinafter “the '383 patent”) disclosed an apparatus and method for providing force feedback in continuous passive motion (CPM) systems, whereby a force measuring apparatus is provided for continuously measuring the force exerted by a force-applying mechanism on a person's lumbar area and a system controls the force exerted by the mechanism in order to build up to a predetermined upper force range, which is maintained during an ‘on cycle’ to provide force on the lumbar area of the user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,076 (hereinafter “the '076 patent”) disclosed the ability to measure and control the force applied to the person's back throughout the inflate and deflate cycles to accommodate variations in a person's spinal compliance, posture and position during the spinal mobilization.
As discussed in detail in the '131 patent, research indicates that CPM of the lower back, or lumbar, region of a person through a substantial range of lordotic movement ameliorates lower back pain. Such motion is not massage, which relates merely to superficial tissues, such as might be produced by duration intervals shorter than five seconds, but constitutes motion of vertebrae with respect to one another. That patent disclosed controlling an inflation and deflation of a bladder by opening and closing two sequential valves
10
, as shown in
FIGS. 1
a
and
1
b
, while a pump
11
is working continuously, to control a flow of a fluid through a conduit. FIG
1
a
illustrates the positions of the two sequential valves
10
necessary to inflate the bladder, and
FIG. 1
b
illustrates the positions of the two sequential valves
10
necessary to deflate the bladder.
There was no provision, however, in those patents for adjustably controlling the operation of a pump providing a cyclic pneumatic inflation pressure. The '131 patent disclosed controlling CPM fluid flows by directing valves in the system to alternately shunt fluid from a constant pressure source (a continuously operating pump) toward and then away from the support bladder. The '076 patent disclosed, additionally, only an apparatus for turning on a pump to increase the pressure, and turning off the pump and allowing air to flow out of the inflation bladder to induce deflation. Therefore, in order to provide maximal comfort to a user while achieving the desired ranges of spinal motion, better control of the inflation rate is needed. Furthermore, a need exists for additional means to reduce the workload of the pump in order to prolong its life while providing continuous passive motion to the lumbar region of a person.
Nor was there any a provision in those patents for providing a minimum static baseline support pressure. Through extensive experience with CPM technology, the inventor has discovered that individual users require or prefer varying amounts of maximum and minimum inflation pressures, inflation and deflation rates, and lengths of inflation and deflation cycle intervals. Need, therefore, exists to allow users to select and achieve maximum benefit and comfort by controlling cycle parameters such as the inflation and deflation rates and durations, as well as the maximum inflation and minimum baseline support pressures between which CPM would be delivered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to address the needs described above. The invention disclosed herein is a system and method for continuous passive motion back support for a person while seated or supine. The apparatus cycles the back of the person through a substantial range of lordosis. It comprises a substantially static structure adjacent to the back of the person, a fluid-inflatable bag disposed between the static structure and the person's back, wherein the fluid-inflatable bag includes a back-engaging surface cyclically moveable to increase and decrease the distance between the static structure and the back-engaging surface, an electrically-powered pump connected to a reservoir or the atmosphere for supplying a fluid to the fluid-inflatable bag, a conduit adapted to conduct the fluid between the reservoir or the atmosphere and the fluid-inflatable bag, and programmable circuitry for adjusting a voltage supplied to the electrically-powered pump, whereby fluid flow in the conduit is effected by adjustably operating the electrically-powered pump. The fluid is preferably air, but could comprise any gaseous or gas mixture, or any liquid, such as, for example, water.
In one embodiment, the programmable circuitry is further comprised of a control panel adapted to receive user-adjustable cycle parameters. In a preferred embodiment, the programmable circuitry adjusts the voltage supplied to the electrically-powered pump in a manner responsive to the user-adjustable cycle parameters. The user-adjustable cycle parameters could include a duration of an inflation and deflation cycle, a rate of inflation, and/or an inflation pressure. The programmable circuitry may adjust the voltage supplied to the electrically-powered pump by modulating the pulse width of the voltage. Alternatively, the programmable circuitry may adjust the voltage by use of a potentiometer.
In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a check valve to protect against inappropriate entrance of fluid into the system through the conduit. The apparatus may additionally be equipped with a valve adapted for adjustably limiting a rate of fluid flow in the conduit during inflation.
In another embodiment, the apparatus may also include a transducer adapted to monitor the force exerted by the back-engaging surface on the back of the person and to transmit an output regarding the force to the programmable circuitry. The programmable circuitry may then adjust the voltage supplied to the electrically-powered pump in response to the output transmitted from the transducer, whereby the programmable circuitry regulates the flow of the fluid in the conduit. The programmable circuitry may include a timer for timing an inflation interval and/or a deflation interval.
In another embodiment, the apparatus includes an exhaust conduit adapted to conduct the fluid between the conduit and the reservoir or atmosphere through a solenoid valve. The programmable circuitry may regulate the flow of the fluid in the exhaust conduit by additionally closing the solenoid valve, thereby regulating inflation of the fluid-inflatable bag. And the programmable circuitry may additionally open the solenoid valve, thereby regulating deflation of the fluid-inflatable bag.
Also disclosed is a method for providing continuous passive motion back supp
Choate Hall & Stewart
Ergomedics, Inc.
Yu Justine R.
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