Tent – canopy – umbrella – or cane – Canes – sticks – crutches – and walking aids – Combined and convertible
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-25
2001-12-18
Yip, Winnie S. (Department: 3635)
Tent, canopy, umbrella, or cane
Canes, sticks, crutches, and walking aids
Combined and convertible
C135S070000, C135S084000, C135S910000, C135S080000, C362S102000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330888
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to walking assistance devices, such as canes, crutches, and walking sticks, and is more particularly directed to such a device that includes a visual stimulation mechanism to assist a Parkinson's Disease victim in overcoming a sudden loss of mobility or motor block episode, i.e., “freezing.”
Parkinson's Disease is a neurological disorder caused by imbalance of chemical messengers in the central nervous system. This disease can result in loss of control over voluntary movement in the patient. Some of the well known symptoms are resting tremor, i.e., shaking; slowness of movement or bradykinesia; muscular rigidity or stiffness; and impairment of postural righting reflexes, i.e., balance. Other symptoms may include changes in gait while walking, including shuffling of feet, short steps, difficulty with turns, and decreased arm swing on the affected side. The usual medical management strategy involves medication, and this often may lead to a satisfactory and productive quality of life. A regular exercise regimen will often be beneficial in reducing these symptoms somewhat, as the muscular and skeletal system are not directly affected by this disease, and exercise such as regular walking keeps the body healthy. However, walking can be affected by the sudden immobility or freezing.
Many people with Parkinson's Disease, or PD, periodically experience a motor block episode, often called “freezing”, in which the person is suddenly made immobile, with a feeling as if his or her feet are “glued” to the floor. This can happen suddenly while walking, and can lead to loss of balance and falls. The occurrence of freezing is controlled somewhat by the patient's medication, but will occur without warning in more advanced cases, or in less advanced cases where the medication wears off. Adjusting the PD medication will not always fully solve this problem. Freezing episodes are sometimes triggered by visual stimuli, such as a change in flooring patterns, or from observing an elevator door closing or opening. Freezing occurs rather frequently when the patient is navigating through narrow passageways or small spaces. Freezing episodes will usually resolve spontaneously, but this demands time and patience. Coping with this problem can be annoying and frustrating to the PD patient. Where this happens frequently, the patient is often afraid to go out or to engage in any sort of activity on foot.
Some compensating strategies that have been tries include visualization techniques, that is, imagining a line or object on the floor, and then stepping over the imaginary object. This strategy can be successful, but requires training and concentration. Other strategies include changing the visual focus to a distant point instead of looking directly below; counting a cadence or marching in place; or rocking from side to side to break the forward “freeze.”
Many PD patients carry a cane or walking stick simply to assist in balance during walking. This can also be of help if balance or strength on the affected side is affecting gait stability. However, this should usually be a straight cane or stick, as tripod or quad canes are difficult for a PD patient to use correctly.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simple device that will assist a PD patient to overcome the sudden immobility or “freezing” as discussed above.
It is another object to provide a cane or stick that can be used as a visual stimulation to break the freezing and help the patient to initiate the first step. or can be used as a
It is yet another object to provide a cane or stick that can be used by the PC patient as the necessary stimulation for walking, and may also be used as a walking cane to assist in balance.
It is a further object to provide a visual stimulation cane that is of straightforward design, is light weight, and does not have a great cost.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a visual stimulation cane has a lightweight shaft having an upper end and a lower end. Favorably, there is a handle at the upper end, and a visual indicator at the lower end of the shaft. The visual indicator can be extended over the floor, ground, or other walking surface as a visible line or bar which the user can step over. Thus the visual stimulator helps the patient in overcoming a freezing episode. This visual indicator at the base of the cane can be extended, when needed, from a withdrawn position to its extended position. An actuator mechanism is situated at the lower end of the shaft permitting the user to move the visual indicator between its withdrawn and its extended positions. Preferably, the visual indicator is in the form of a thin semi-rigid strip or leg that can swing up to the withdrawn position along side the shaft of the cane, or can be swung down to a substantially horizontal position as a visual stimulus. In one preferred arrangement the cane has a spring-loaded piston or plunger that extends from the lower end of the shaft, and the leg is mounted on a pivot member that is rotated by the plunger. When downward pressure is applied on the handle, the leg comes down to its extended position and provides the necessary visual stimulus. The leg retracts back to the raised position when pressure is released. There can be a locking mechanism, i.e., a knob or other switch, to lock the visual indicator in the withdrawn or raised position, so that the cane can be used simply for balance. The shaft can be made as an upper and lower tube that telescope together and can be adjusted for the proper length.
In an alternative arrangement, a different visual indicator can be used. For example, the indicator may take the form of a coiled metal tape, like a steel measuring tape, that rotates and uncoils out to an extended position when the user presses down on the handle, and recoils back into the lower part of the cane when the downward pressure is relieved. In some circumstances, a laser or lamp could provide a line of light on the floor or walking surface as a visual stimulus.
The above and many other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment, which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying Drawing.
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Walde-Douglas, et al., Parkinson's Disease: Fitness Counts, Chap. 5, Improving Gait and Balance, National Parkinson Foundation, Inc., 1999.
Aravantinos Dimitrios
Aravantinos Katina
Murphy Harold R.
Molldrem, Jr. Bernhard P.
Yip Winnie S.
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