Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Means for passive movement of disabled extremity to return...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-26
2004-02-24
DeMille, Danton D. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Means for passive movement of disabled extremity to return...
C601S026000, C601S033000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06695795
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a therapeutic device with at least one body carrying element which, for the purpose of performing the continuous passive body motion involving a patient, is movable by means of at least one motion apparatus, with at least one motion drive being control-connected with a control device.
Such therapy devices are known to exist in various designs. Therapy devices have been created which serve, for instance, to remobilize shoulder, elbow or knee joints after surgical interventions by means of continuous passive motion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a therapy device (
1
) with at least one body carrier element capable of being moved for the purpose of performing a continuous passive body motion of a patient using at least one motion drive (
17
), with at least one motion drive (
17
) being control-connected to a control device. One of the characterizing features of the therapy device (
1
) provides for the control device having a control program reader (
18
) in which machine-readable control program data media (
19
) can be read, with a personalized and individual patient control program being stored on said control program data media. The therapy device (
1
) according to the invention can be operated easily and conveniently also by untrained and unskilled users and operators (cf. FIG.
1
).
A therapeutic device is known from EP 0 147 645 which serves the treatment of a shoulder or elbow joint and which has an arm rail for supporting and/or propping the arm. The arm rail is connected to a support frame in the patient's head region which, in turn, is connected to the patient's body. Pivot drives are arranged between the support frame and the arm rail such that a vertical swivel movement and a horizontal swivel movement, respectively overlaid, combined movements of the arm are permitted for motion therapy.
By turning an upper part section of the support frame by 180°, the support frame can optionally be arranged on the left hand side or the right hand side. Changing the sides of the known therapy device, however, requires the connections between the individual components to be cumbersomely loosened and reassembled in mirror fashion. Also, handling and programming the known therapeutic device requires a great deal of time and skill which may make it difficult for patients to operate the device by themselves.
The need was therefore to develop a therapy device which is particularly easy to handle.
The solution of this task according to the invention is provided in the therapy device mentioned in the first paragraph by integrating a control program reader in the control device and by the fact that machine-readable control program data media can be read into the control program reader on which control programs individual to each patient can be stored.
The motion drives required for the continuous motion of the body carrier element of the therapy device as presented in this invention are control-connected with a control device fitted with a control program reader. Machine-readable control program data media, on which a control program specific and individual to each patient is stored, can be read into the control program reader. By inserting the control program data media into the control program reader and reading the data stored on the control program data media, the therapy device according to the invention can be automatically controlled in compliance with the therapy and treatment values recommended by the physician, such as the angle envisaged for the postoperative mobilization of a shoulder joint or for the continuous adduction, abduction, elevation and/or rotary movement or for anteversion or retroversion. By changing the control program data media, the device is easily and without much effort adapted to the therapy regime or protocol assigned to the next patient without the need for skilled or qualified personnel.
The control program data media may be designed as punchcards or similar machine-readable data media. The handling of the therapy device according to the invention is, however, substantially facilitated if the control program data media are designed as magnetic strip and/or as chip card.
The therapy device according to the invention may also be designed as training cycle in which the body carrier elements are designed as pedals in order to be able to continuously move the patient's feet resting on it in one level of rotation. The preferred design, however, assigns the therapy device for the treatment of a shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle, hand and/or finger joint.
One further proposal relates to a therapy device for the treatment of shoulder and/or elbow joints using an arm rail attached to a device carrier with shoulder pivot joints in such a manner that the point of intersection of their joint axes is located roughly in the patient's shoulder region. According to the invention, it is envisaged in such a therapy device that a first shoulder pivot joint roughly defining a horizontal pivot level is arranged below the seating surface for the seated patient or is adjustable such that the arm rail is linked to the first shoulder pivot joint via a specially curved or angled connecting arm and that a second shoulder pivot joint roughly defining a vertical pivot level is arranged between the arm rail and the connecting arm.
The therapy device intended specially for the mobilization of a shoulder and/or an elbow joint has a first shoulder pivot joint roughly defining a horizontal pivot level arranged underneath a seating surface. With such an arrangement, the usual configuration of this shoulder pivot joint near the patient's head, where the user normally perceives such components as irritating and where such components are likely to restrict the pivot angle of the arm rail to a substantial degree, becomes dispensable. The therapy device according to the invention also has a second shoulder pivot joint which defines a roughly vertical pivot level for the arm rail. The shoulder pivot joints of the therapy device according to the invention therefore allow a vertical swivel motion and a horizontal swivel motion during comprehensive motion therapy, and also overlaid, combined movements of the arm, with the first shoulder pivot joint crossing the patient's shoulder joint with its joint axis linked to the arm rail via a curved or angled connecting arm.
To be able to manually adjust the horizontal adduction and/or anteversion and the horizontal abduction and/or retroversion of the shoulder joint to the desired angle, it is advantageous if the first shoulder pivot joint is designed as a manually adjustable and lockable pivot joint. Another option would be to assign a motor-driven positioning or pivot drive to the first shoulder pivot joint. The pivot joint for anteversion and/or retroversion may also be motor-driven.
To be able to carry out a rotary movement in the patient's shoulder joint, it is advantageous if the arm rail carries a lower arm rest, if the lower arm rest is linked to the arm rail via a third shoulder pivot joint defining a rotary movement, and if the joint axis of the third shoulder pivot joint passes roughly through the point of intersection of the first and second shoulder pivot joint.
If the first shoulder pivot joint is designed as manual pivot joint, the desired angle can be adjusted with particular accuracy if the first shoulder pivot joint is equipped with a scale dial for reading the selected shoulder pivot angle.
If continuous abduction, adduction, elevation and/or rotary movements of the shoulder joint are desired, it is advantageous if the first, the second and/or the third shoulder pivot joint is fitted with a motorized pivot drive.
A particularly simple embodiment of the invention envisages that the device carrier is designed as a stand which may be positioned in the vicinity of a separate treatment chair such that the first shoulder pivot joint is arranged underneath the patient's seating surface and its joint axis crosses the patient's
DeMille Danton D.
Medireha GmbH
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
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