Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing resilient force resistance
Reexamination Certificate
1996-05-07
2001-04-10
Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing resilient force resistance
C482S051000, C482S121000, C482S122000, C482S124000, C601S023000, C601S033000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213922
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to devices for nonsurgical (conservation) treatment of the locomotor apparatus (locomotorium) in various neuropathies, and more specifically to a device for treatment of patients with disturbed posture and motor activity.
The invention can find most utility when used for treatment of infantile cerebral paralysis.
The invention is likewise applicable in cerebrovascular accidents involving motor disturbances and traumatic lesions of the spinal cord.
Furthermore, the invention can be applied for correction of patient's posture (attitude), as well as for sports exercises.
BACKGROUND ART
At present the number of neuropathic patients suffering from affection of the locomotor functions becomes immense, while infantile cerebral paralysis, in particular, tends to rise, for a number of reasons, in many countries throughout the world.
Treatment of motor functions in infantile cerebral paralysis patients becomes urgent due to both, the number of patients and imperfection of the treatment method available.
The present state of the medical art knows a number of methods and devices for treatment of patients with disturbed posture and motor activity.
One state-of-the-art method for treatment of patients with disturbed posture and motor activity (cf. “Surgical correction of posture and walking in infantile cerebral paralysis” by A. M. Zhuravlev et al., 1986, Aiastan Publishers, Yerevan, pp. 90-91 (in Russian) is known to comprise stage-by-stage plastering, followed by rigidly fixing the position of the limb and trunk with an altered posture. A disadvantage inherent in said method resides in a restricted motor activity (immobility) of a patient, which might result in amyotrophy, spastic phenomena, and increased hypertensive syndrome due to enhanced pathological muscular synergies.
Furthermore, another disadvantage of said object is a prolonged treatment period, that is, from 4 to 6 months.
One state-of-the-art device for treatment of patients with disturbed posture and motor activity is known (FR, A, 2,120,500) to appear as overalls into which flexible inflatable tubes are inserted to impart rigidity thereto.
A disadvantage inherent in said device is the fact that it is aimed at maintaining the patient's body in a definite position, whereby the field of application of said device is extremely restricted. In addition, said device fails to solve the problem of muscular exercises of a patient, which might lead to profound dysfunction of the muscular system.
Another device for treatment of patients with disturbed posture and motor activity is known (FR, A, 2,252,836) to comprise two blades interposed between the patient's thighs, each of said blades being fixed to a respective thigh, and a mechanical system connected to the blades.
The device under discussion suffers from the disadvantage that it can correct only a wrong position of the thighs, knee joints, and feet. In addition, said device is bulky and therefore its application with therapeutic purposes is very questionable.
One more device for treatment of patients with disturbed posture and motor activity is known (SU, A, 1,528,483) to comprise a thoracic, pelvic, and pedal support, and fixing elements to interconnect the aforesaid supports to one another.
The fixing elements are shaped are telescopic stands interconnecting the pedal supports with the pelvic one and with a bar one of whose ends is rigidly coupled to the pelvic support. The bar carries a roller reciprocatingly mounted thereon and rigidly linked to the thoracic support. Two arms are rigidly connected to the pelvic support, the free ends of said arms being connected to springs movably mounted on the telescopic stands.
With the patient's body in the erect position the roller provides a light reclinating effect produced on the entire vertebral column, while the thoracis support provides rest for the upper trunk portion. With an inclined position of the trunk the roller rides over the bar depending on the angle of inclination so as to assume an optimum position, and the springs impart an effort to the bar. Thus, the weight of the inclined trunk portion is compensated for and the muscular system and vertebral column are released from load.
A disadvantage of the abovesaid device consists in that it is intended for treatment of the vertebral column only by releasing it from load. In addition, use of said device might result in restricted mobility of a patient followed by amyotrophy and affected activity of the antigravity muscles. Above all the treatment process with the use of said device is too prolonged.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an essential object of the present invention to provide a physiologically normal stereotype of posture and movements.
The present invention has for its principal object to provide a device for treatment of patients with disturbed posture and motor activity, wherein the fixing elements interconnecting the supports have such a construction that enables the patient's trunk and limbs to be fixed in a position approximating normal physiological parameters, while maintaining a possibility of performing energy-loaded movements by the patient, with the amplitude of said movements characteristic of a given patient.
The foregoing object is accomplished due to the fact that in a device for treatment of patients with disturbed posture and motor activity, comprising pelvic and pedal supports placed on patient's trunk and limbs and interconnected by fixing elements, according to the invention, the fixing elements are shaped as elastic tie-members arranged on the patient's body surface so as to follow anatomical arrangement of the skeletal muscles, each of the tie-members being connected to two supports.
The proposed device is instrumental in fixation of joints in a required position and to establish a moment of force effecting flexion, extension, rotation, adduction, and abduction of the patient's limbs and trunk.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises additional shoulder, knee, elbow, finger and toe supports.
Such an embodiment of the invention makes it possible to fix practically all the joints of patient's trunk and limbs in a preset position and enables patient to perform energy-loaded movements with amplitudes attainable by a given patient.
It is quite reasonable that the device comprises tension adjusters of the elastic tie-members, each of such adjusters being interposed between the respective tie-member and one of the supports.
Provision of the tension adjusters in the device enables one to vary and individually select the force of action exerted by the tie-members on the musculoskeletal system, thus adding to the efficacy of treatment.
Use of the proposed device makes it possible to utilize functional (active) correlation of the pathological positions of the trunk and limbs instead of static (passive) corrections thereof, rearrange the previous pathelogic stereotype of the posture and movements in the central and peripheral nervous systems, potentiate destruction of the old pathological complex of reflexes that has been established in the course of the disease, and create the new control and conduction system through the intermediary of the defense structures of the brain. In addition, the effect produced by the device on the patient's organism consists in that the correction of the locomotorium and energy loading of movements with the limbs and trunk assuming a new position result in activation of the brain central structures in elaborating a new arrangement of the control system of both, the locomotorium and the motor system of the speech-formation system. Practical application of the proposed device allows for creation of the stereotype of posture and movements closely resembling the physiological one.
REFERENCES:
patent: 420178 (1890-01-01), Yagn
patent: 807908 (1905-12-01), Bradstreet
patent: 1618273 (1927-02-01), Davidson
patent: 2097376 (1937-10-01), Marshmann
patent: 2467943 (1949-04-01), Mikell, Jr.
pate
Afanasenko Nikolai Ivanovich
Barer Arnold Semenovich
Grigoriev Anatoly Ivanovich
Kozlovskaya Inesa Benediktovna
Savinov Albert Pavlovich
Ajurveda
Donnelly Jerome W.
Kenyon & Kenyon
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