Measuring and testing – Muscular force
Patent
1980-03-25
1982-06-08
Woodiel, Donald O.
Measuring and testing
Muscular force
G01L 502
Patent
active
043333400
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a device for use in measuring and exercising muscular strength.
Measurement of muscular strength has recently got an increasingly extended use particularly in medical service, where it is used to follow up rehabilitation training as well as to determine the extent or degree of temporary or permanent injuries of various muscles or muscle groups. Also in athletic practice there are similar training devices, where predetermined values of the force to be resisted by the working muscles can be accurately adjusted.
The loading of the muscles in such muscular strength measurement or exercise is applied either statically or dynamically. In the static case the muscular force is exerted against a relatively immovable object. In this case the muscle in question does not move after its initial contraction, a so-called isometric contraction.
In the dynamic case the muscle or muscles in question have to overcome an opposing force during a whole muscular movement. Such a force may for example be provided by weights or springs, but particularly advantageous in this connection are devices permitting isokinetic contraction, i.e. a contraction having a constant speed of the muscular movement over the full range of movement, the applied resisting force varying with the magnitude of the muscular force. Thus, in measuring muscular force with such a device the variation of the muscular force in the different parts of the range of movement may be recorded for different speeds, the muscular force not being uniform throughout the entire range of motion. Physiologically the muscle is strongest when fully extended, while mechanically the body part controlled by the muscle can exert the greatest force in the midrange due to the anatomic levers. In addition the muscular force in a certain position may be impeded by for example experience of pain. Thus, isokinetic measurement of muscular power give considerably more information about the state of the muscles of a person than static measurement of muscular strength.
A device giving such an isokinetic force is disclosed in e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,592. Said device has a lever, the fixed end of which is connected to the shaft of a force giver, while its free end is intended to be actuated by for example the arm or leg of the person whose muscular force is to be tested. For measurement of for example leg and thigh muscles there are for instance special chairs where the measuring device is secured by screws to one side or the other depending on which leg that is to be studied. For measurement of certain arm movements a bench has correspondingly been used where the person performs these arm motions lying. Therefore, it has up to now been relatively troublesome, inconvenient and time-consuming to shift between different measurements.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a measuring/exercising table for static and dynamic force givers, which table in a quick and simple way can be rearranged between different measuring positions for different types of muscular force measurements. The new measuring/exercising table can be used for measuring/exercising on persons in a sitting as well as a lying position without inconvenient dismounting and removal of the force giver between the different measurements. Through the invention it is thus possible to perform several different measurements and exercising moments respectively with one and the same measuring/exercising table. This is of great value particularly within medical service, since it considerably increases the examination capacity. Furthermore, the measuring/exercising table according to the invention permits such muscular measurements and exercise moments respectively that it previously has not been possible to perform for practical reasons. These together with other objects are achieved according to the invention with a measuring/exercising table having the features given in the subsequent claims.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described more in detail hereinafter, reference bein
REFERENCES:
patent: 3103357 (1963-09-01), Berne
patent: 3285070 (1966-11-01), McDonough
patent: 3323366 (1967-06-01), Lorme, Jr. et al.
patent: 3465592 (1969-09-01), Perrine
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