Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Means for passive movement of disabled extremity to return...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-11
2004-02-17
DeMille, Danton D. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Means for passive movement of disabled extremity to return...
C601S024000, C601S025000, C601S026000, C128S845000, C606S245000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06692451
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to exercise and therapeutic devices and, more particularly, to passive motion devices, i.e., devices which put a passive user through prescribed movements without effort on the part of the user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is estimated that in the United States alone, as of the mid-1990s, there were 25,000,000 people a day who suffered from some kind of back pain and that as many as nine out of ten Americans will suffer back pain at some time in their lives. The resultant total economic burden on industry in the United States is estimated at $40 to $50 billion annually.
One approach to relieving back pain and cervical pain is through exercise or therapeutic movement, and a substantial number of exercise devices and machines have been developed for exercising the back. However, many of these devices are unsuitable for persons suffering from serious back pain because use thereof tends to increase the pain and/or because there is danger of injury (or further injury) to the back, e.g., to the spine or to the supporting muscles.
One approach to exercising of the back and other parts of the body involves the use of passive exercise machines, i.e., machines that exercise muscles of the user (e.g., the back and abdominal muscles) without any active effort on the part of the user. A number of these devices and machines include separate support sections for supporting different parts of the body (e.g., the head and upper torso are supported on one section and the lower torso and legs on a second section) and are motorized so that, e.g., while the user lies flat on his or her back, the lower torso and legs are moved as a unit with respect to the upper torso and head which remain stationary, so as to provide automatic side flexion. Such machines include conventional “toning tables” as well as specially designed devices such as the “electric flexion distraction table” made by Health Care Manufacturing of Springfield, Mo. and the SPINALATOR® machine made by the Chattanooga Group, Inc. of Hixon, Tenn.
Patented devices of interest include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,002 (Riddle et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,641 (Riddle et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,916 (Riddle et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,913 (Parker); U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,880 (Daniels); U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,550 (Richardson); U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,541 (Parker, Jr.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,359 (Reinert); U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,260 (Mcllwain); U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,234 (Forsythe); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,017 (Stefani, Jr.). Briefly considering some of these patents, the Riddle et al. patents all disclose passive exercise devices designed for the lower back region. The devices feature two sets of support means, one for the upper body and one for the lower body. The device is designed such that either one, or both of the two support means may be pivoted up or down. The Parker patent discloses a passive exercise device which includes interchangeable components adapted to be attached to the table apparatus. The device is deigned to provide leg exercises in a variety of different positions. The Daniels patent discloses a passive traction/motion device. A cervical traction device is also provided. The Richardson patent discloses a passive exercise device in which the patient may be reclined in the so-called “90/90” position described below. The legs of the patient are placed in a leg rest which may be removed from a table portion. The device provides a variable speed rocking motion (in an elliptical path) to the legs and torso of the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, a continuous passive motion apparatus or machine is provided which affords a number of important advantages. The invention is based, in part, on the appreciation that continuous passive motion, particularly when combined with traction, can be beneficial in treating various muscular and skeletal injuries or disorders, and on the belief held by many health care professionals that the slow and passive movement of an injured joint or like disorder can reduce pain and/or speed the recovery of many patients with such disorders.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a passive motion apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: a main support assembly for supporting at least part of the body of a user of the apparatus and including a first support member including a substantially horizontal support surface defining a plane and a second support member including a substantially horizontal support surface disposed in said plane, said second support member being pivotably connected to said first support member and being movable relative thereto such that movement of the second support member with respect to the first support member provides passive movement of a part of the body of a user supported by said second member relative to a part of the body supported by said first support member; a separable leg support assembly adapted to be connected, in use, to said main support assembly at either end of said main support assembly so as to support at least part of the legs of the user; and motorized drive means for providing said movement of said second support member relative to said first support member.
In one preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the leg support assembly includes a support platform and a support strut for, when said leg support assembly is positioned at one end of said main support assembly so as to be disposed adjacent to said second support member, supporting said platform in a plane elevated with respect to the first-mentioned plane such that lower portions of the legs of the user are elevated with respect to the remainder of the body of the user and such that upper portions of the legs of the user extend at substantially right angles with respect to the lower portions of the legs and the trunk of the body of the user. Advantageously, the leg support assembly further includes means for pivotably mounting said support platform with respect to said support strut so as to enable angular adjustment of the support platform about the support strut.
In another embodiment, the leg support assembly comprises a leg support member defining an upper support surface and means for detachably affixing the leg support member to said main support assembly such that said upper surface of said leg support member is disposed substantially in said plane. Advantageously, the leg support member is adapted to be selectively connected to said main support assembly at either one of the two opposite sides of the main support assembly.
Preferably, the motorized drive means comprises an electric drive motor and control means for selectively controlling the operation of said motor. Advantageously, the control means comprises programmable means for controlling the motor so as to control the amount of pivoting movement of said second support member relative to said first support member.
The control means preferably includes a stop switch adapted to be operated by a user of the apparatus to terminate the relative movement of said second support member. In an advantageous implementation, the motor comprises a gear head motor and said drive means further comprises a worm screw mounted on said first support member and being driven in rotation by said motor, a traveling nut mounted on said worm screw for travel therealong in response to rotation of said worm screw by said motor, and a link pivotably connected to said traveling nut and to said second support member so as to cause said pivoting movement of said second support member in response to travel of said traveling nut along said worm screw.
Preferably, the passive motion exercise apparatus further comprises at least one temperature control pack removably disposed on one of said first and second support members. Advantageously, the temperature control packs comprise one of (i) at least one cold pack and (ii) at least one hot pack.
In a preferred implementation, the passive motion exercise apparatus further comprises a safety belt affixed to said seco
DeMille Danton D.
Larson & Taylor PLC
Suncepts Inc.
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