GB2202634A

GB2202634A - Electrostep

Info

Publication number: GB2202634A
Application number: GB08702766A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew John Philip Burns
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-02-06
Filing date: 1987-02-06
Publication date: 1988-09-28
Also published as: GB8702766D0

Abstract

The 'Electrostep' is used in the later stages of treatment of planterflexion of the foot and can be used virtually anywhere either with footwear on or with bare feet on most types of floor although there may be problems on deep pile carpets. It can work with either rechargeable or dry batteries (alkaline cells should be used). A battery charger can be supplied for it as well as an earphone and it will be supplied with a lead for recording results. It has a clip to fix it onto the belt and has a battery test button which will light if the battery is still useable.

Description

THE 'ELECTROSTEP' The following description is of an electronic device which uses a principle which I call "Audio-Muscular Feedback".

Electronically it is quite simple and can be used to treat patients in the field of physiotherapy who have suffered minor strokes or muscular injuries which have left the patient with the inability to walk properly because of weak or slightly wasted muscles in the leg or foot.

When a person steps correctly first of all their heel makes contact with the floor then the heel and ball of the foot come into contact then the heel is raised and the ball only is in contact (although the big toe is necessary for walking we are not concerned with it here).

Many people with the above problems either, when they step just put the foot down flat on the floor or put the ball down first. To correct this they must know what they are doing wrong at the time they do it. If a sound of A particular pitch can be produced for each form of contact then providing they do wish to correct it they can do it with their own will power (as has been proved feedback techniques are very effective in medicine). The device which I have called the "electrostep" is a box which can be held by the patient when walking or strapped to the belt, runs off a 9v battery, has a socket on it if a rechargeable battery is to be used, it also has an earphone socket on it to silence the use to others in a crowded area.The contact pads used are made using the same material used for printed circuit boards, being flexible, strong and coated on one side with copper, being a good electrical conductor. Two pieces are used and are separated partially by A thin insulator at either end leaving a gap in the middle*. When pressure is applied to the pad the two pieces come into contact (electrically a short circuit) this is used to supply power to the circuits and to produce the tones (see diagrams). The pads are attached to the underside of the foot and affixed using adhesive tape. The two oscillators used to produce the tones will produce, when the outputs are commoned A total of 3 tones when different combinations of contact pads are bought into operation. The devices major advantages are; 1) It can be produced at low cost.

2) The treatment requires no drugs or surgery.

3) The device can be taken home for the patient to use as it is very simple to learn to use.

4) There is no risk, to the user of electric shock, it being battery powered.

P.S. It should be-noted that the 'electrostep' is most effective in the later stages of physio-therapy in both stroke and muscular injury cases.

*See Diagram 1 The 'Electrostep' is A medical aid designed to help people who's walking is incorrect due to plantarflexion of the foot (see diagram 2). It should be stated here that the device cannot treat all cases. It is limited to cases of muscle weekness due to prolonged inactivity caused by for instance wearing a plaster cast after fractures. It can also be used to help the recovery of MILD stroke patients who have weak dorsiflexors (muscles used to raise the foot). By using "audio-muscular feedback" the patient can learn to correct the above problems and by recording the results of each session with the device the results can be kept for a progress report. The technique of recording the results means that the patient does not have to have a physio-therapist watching them constantly and the device can even be lent to the patient to take home.

"Audio muscular feedback" (as mentioned in the specification) is a type of biofeedback, a principal well known in the medical field and it can produce results faster than traditional methods.

Claims

Claims

1) The ELECTROSTEP is an electronic aid for the field of physiotherapy to be used to help correct footdrop,however it will not work with footdrop caused by such injuries as head injury,stroke or brain diseases. If the problem is caused by purely muscle weakness then a good result can be acheived 2) The ELECTROSTEP is fully portable and may be run from either dry cells or rechargeable batteries however if the recharge socket is to be used then the Dry/recharge switch must be in the correct mode.

3) The ELECTROSTEP results may be recorded on cassette tape to keep track of progress so that it can be lent to a physiotherapy out-patient to take home and report back to the hospital thus saving the therapist valuable time.

4) The price of medical aids generally is rather high however the ELECTROSTEP can be produced at a very competititve price.

5) The ELECTROSTEP can be used with an earphone for more personal use which is sometimes more desireable so as not to attract attention in a hospital or at home.