Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – With light – thermal – magnetic – or electrical application
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-25
2004-03-09
DeMille, Danton D. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
With light, thermal, magnetic, or electrical application
C601S016000, C601S049000, C601S070000, C600S021000, C600S028000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06702767
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to systems and methods for stimulating sensory perceptions including visual, aural, olfactory and tactile senses for purposes of mental and physical stimulation and therapy, relaxation and entertainment. The invention is further directed to multisensory systems for stimulating visual, audio and olfactory senses through enhanced visual presentations, monitored and selected audio inputs and monitored and selected olfactory inputs.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Systems have been created for purposes of sensory stimulation not only for enhanced entertainment reasons but for purposes of therapy for the release of stress as well to improve body functioning. Other concepts with respect to sensory stimulation have dealt with creating enhanced visual system displays, audio variations and/or olfactory inputs to create different moods for one or more persons subjected to such systems. By way of example, in the entertainment industry, basic visual systems have been modified to create three dimensional imagining to make visual presentations more realistic. Other variations of image projection include creating multiple lighting and strobing effects of image presentation in order to stimulate an individual's mind as it is responses to different colors, shades, light intensities and sequences, all for purposes of stimulating an individual's response to what is visually perceived.
As with changes in visual stimuli, changes in audio stimuli can also have an effect on an individual's feelings, mood and health. Dynamic audio presentations tend to increase heart rate and biorhythm functioning whereas more melodic softer or quieter audio presentations tend to create a soothing effect on individuals.
By combining different audio programming with visual presentations, the movie industry has attempted to change the manner in which people become involved while viewing a film. In some prior art presentations it has been proposed to provide aromatic essences which are released into a theater to combine with the visual and audio presentations to achieve yet a higher degree of individual involvement with the presentation of a film. A further stimulation includes providing movement or vibration of seats in theaters to further stimulate the individual through a sense of touch or through a sense of bodily orientation which changes as the visual and audio presentations change. By combining numerous sensory inputs a heightened interaction can be established between individuals and a programmed presentation.
To date, however, most multifaceted sensory stimulation systems have been provided in the entertainment industry for purposes of stimulating the senses of an audience. Such systems are not only costly and complex, they are also not adequate for use with specific individuals. Thus, there is a need to provide individualized sensory stimulation systems which utilize multiple sensory inputs which can be varied according to an individual and to an individuals response to such stimulation. Such sensory stimulation systems can be used not only for purposes of entertainment but, more importantly, for purposes of mental and physical therapy to reduce stress, relieve headaches, including in migraine cases, reduce tension to relieve high blood pressure, to alter moods in order to create a more beneficial and alert mental status for a given individual and/or for purposes of relaxation, mind stimulation and the like, all which can have a positive mental and physical effect on an individual.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a multisensory stimulation system and method of use of such a system which is specifically designed to overcome the shortcomings of prior art stimulation systems and which is particularly adapted for individualizing sensory stimulation. The system includes a primary housing which is articulated on a support so as to be selectively alignable with an individual who is seated relative to the housing. In a preferred embodiment, the individual is seated on a contoured reclined seating device so that the individual is physically relaxed when the system is in use. In some embodiments, the seating device may be provided with heat exchange elements to supplement sensory stimulation through heat and cold therapy or the seating device may be provided with vibrating transducers or other devices for tactile purposes or for adding massage therapy and stimulating sensory touch response for an individual when using the system of the invention. Although not disclosed in the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, further modifications could be made to the system such as to reorient the seating device and/or the sensory stimulation system to generate further sensory responses of an individual during the use of the system of the invention.
The housing is designed with a viewport generally at one end thereof which viewport is designed such that an individual's eyes, nose and ears are generally directed into the housing and so that ambient light, sound and the like does not effect the individual. The viewport communicates visually with a main optical assembly mounted within the housing. The main optical assembly includes a plurality of reflective surfaces which are used to reflect light and images in a plurality of patterns to create varied visual effects. Light and images entering the main optical assembly are provided by one or more monitors or image projectors which are also mounted to the housing. Such monitors may be computer controlled monitors allowing presentation of specific programming from a data base or disc. Both preprogrammed and updated programming can be used to optimize the efforts of sensory stimulation for each individual utilizing the sensory stimulation system. In some embodiments, the monitor may be in the form of image projectors including television screens with are connected to an appropriate video input such as a video cassette, CD or DVD player so that prerecorded visual programs can be played through the monitor to an individual using the system.
The monitor is mounted on a frame within the housing so that the light and images therefrom are directed into the main optical assembly such that the light and images must be reflected from a plurality of reflecting surfaces before being transmitted for viewing to the viewport. This multi-reflection of light and images within the main optical assembly creates a three dimensional and floating effect to the images viewed within the housing.
To further change the visual characteristics of any program being presented by the internal monitor, secondary light sources and light controllers may be mounted to the housing and allowed to communicate within the main optical assembly to create secondary images or light patterns which border the primary or main images issuing from the monitor. The secondary optics one separately attached to one of the exterior panels of the main optical assembly and communicate through an optical lens port in which a Fresnel lens is mounted. An inlet end of the secondary optical assembly is in open communication with a portion of the screen of the monitor which is not utilized to create the main or primary image display. In this respect, the monitor screen is mounted such that only a portion of the monitor screen is communicated directly into the main optical assembly such that portions around the perimeter of the main screen or image display are not communicated directly into the main optical assembly but are available for transmission into the main optical assembly after passing through one or more of the secondary optical assemblies.
In the embodiment disclosed in the invention a single secondary optical assembly will be disclosed, however, it should be noted that a plurality of such assemblies may be used in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
The inlet end of each secondary optical assembly communicates with a portion, normally an exterior or corner portion
Douglas Nelson R.
Zubin Levy
DeMille Danton D.
Dowell & Dowell , P.C.
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