GB2291362A

GB2291362A - Orthopaedic apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2291362A
Application number: GB9514868A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Benito Ferrati
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-07-20
Filing date: 1995-07-20
Publication date: 1996-01-24
Also published as: FR2722683A3; GB9514868D0; ITMI941529A0; NL1000827C1; DE29511509U1; IT1273712B; ITMI941529A1; BE1008542A7; FR2722683B3

Abstract

An orthopaedic apparatus for the walking and rehabilitation of disabled persons comprises a compressed air or hydraulically operated semi-rigid sling for supporting the bust and lower limbs of the patient together with a wheeled framework designed as a stable rest and support for the user which carries the fluid delivery means. <IMAGE>

Description

ORTHOPAEDIC APPARATUS The present invention relates to an orthopaedic apparatus for the walking and rehabilitation of disabled persons.

The use of wheelchairs driven by hand or motor for persons injured in the motor ability of the lower limbs (paraplegics, etc.) is known.

If on the one hand these known means allow autonomous movement by such persons on the other hand they do not offer any possibility of rehabilitation where such possibilities exist in a more or less apparent manner.

Indeed, there are cases of serious injury to the motor abilities of the lower limbs (such as for example those caused by serious injuries to the spinal column) which leave open possibilities even though difficult and not yet fully investigated and explained on the medical & BR< scientific level of recovery of mobility where the lower limbs are extended and appropriately stimulated and exercised.

Different means of locomotion are also known and consisting of orthopaedic apparatus designed to allow walking for disabled persons and conceived by the author of the present invention and described in various patents among which Italian patents Nos. 1153225 (filed on 12.10.82), 1178548 (filed on 03.10.84) 204215 (filed on 03.07.85) and patent application No. 20882 A/90 (filed on 09.07.- 90).In particular in patent No. 1178548 is described an orthopaedic apparatus aiming at allowing walking even to persons with serious injuries to the motor abilities of the lower ,12bs and consisting of a semi-rigid sling for support of the bust and the lower limbs and jointed opposite the hip and knee joints and equipped with small actuators (microcylinders) with compressed air or hydraulic operation and designed to move the lower jointed parts of the sling in accordance with the human gait and on command of a programmed electronic unit in turn operated by the patient by means of a remote control permitting the patient to transmit to the electronic unit commands for starting and stopping the above mentioned lower parts or adjustment of the step speed.

However these apparatuses, in case of patients unable to hold themselves in balance because of very serious injuries such as to exclude even the use of crutches or common hand walkers gave limited results because used with fixed equipment (bars) poorly suited to a wakening and recovery of the mobility and feeling of balance in relatively short time. The use of the apparatus together with a common hand walker was rejected because of the lightness of the walker and the feeling of unsteadiness generated in the patient.

The present invention proposes with particular reference to the above said cases of serious injuries to the motor abilities of the lower limbs to supply an apparatus designed to allow walking and a faster recovery of the motor activities of the lower limbs and of the feeling of balance under conditions of sufficient stability and safety of the patient where possibilities of recovery of mobility, although minimal, can be enhanced or awakened in the patient.

The orthopaedic apparatus for walking and rehabilitation of a disabled person in accordance with the present invention comprises: - a semi-rigid sling for support of the bust and the lo wer limbs and jointed opposite the hip and knee joints and equipped with small actuators (microcylinders) with compressed air or hydraulic operation and desi gned to move the lower jointed parts of the sling in accordance with the human gait on command of an elec tronic or fluid power control unit in turn operated by the patient by means of a remote control and permit ting the patient to transmit to the control unit start or stop commands for the above mentioned lower parts or adjustment of the celerity of the gait, and - a framework designed to act as stable rest and support of the person and allow him to walk at the same time and having grips, wheels for running on the floor and, at its base and on the side where the person advances, a housing for pressurised fluid delivery means.

The characteristics of the present invention are set forth in the description of embodiments thereof given below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the annexed drawings wherein: FIG.1 shows a walking apparatus of known type, and FIG.2 shows an example of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

With reference to Fig.1 reference number 1 indicates a disabled person resting with his hands on two fixed bars equipped with a walking apparatus of the type described in Italian patent no. 1178548.

This apparatus comprises a metal corset 1 constrained to the bust and pelvis 1 by means of two closing devices 3 and 2. On the two sides of the corset are fixed metal rods 4 bearing integrally a console extension 15 At the lower end of 4 is hinged at 8 a rod 7 arranged along the external side of the thigh and this rod together with another rod 7' is arranged parallel on the internal side of the thigh to form the framework of the thigh.

The compressed air or hydraulically operated cylinder 6 is hinged above to the end of the console 15 while it terminates below with the rod 5 (fixed to the piston inside the cylinder) whose lower end is connected through a joint to the lower end of the rod 7.

The rod 7 terminates below with the hinge 9 which is connected to the lower rod 10 relative to the leg framework. On the lower part of the rod 10 is fixed integrally the console extension 12 (with enlarged length in the drawing for greater clarity). The cylinder 16 is clamped and hinged with the end of the console extension 12 and terminates above with the rod tl fixed two the piston in the cylinder. The upper end of said rod 11 is fixed through a joint to the lower end of the rod 7.

To the rods 7 and 10 correspond on the inner side of the leg other rods 7' and 10' which are hinged together.

The laced bands 22, 17 and 18 allow tightening the rods 7-7' and 10-10' to the thighs and legs of the patient.

The extension and the return of the rod 5 of the microcylinder 6 causes the relative movement of the thigh in relation to the pelvis.

The extension and retraction of the rod 11 causes the relative movement between the thigh and the leg. The microcylinders 6 and 16 are operated by the tubes C1, C2, SC1 and SC2 for input and outlet of the compressed air (or other fluid).

The patient bears on his back a pack (not shown) in which are housed the compressed air bottles. The solenoid valves for supply and operation of the microcylinders are controlled by an electronic unit appropriately programmed and fixed to the patient's belt. This electronic unit is in turn commanded by means of a manually operated remote control located on the corset.

FIG.2 shows a disabled person using a rehabilitation apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

This apparatus comprises a sling like that of FIG. 1 used together with a framework L equipped with rollers R for running over the floor and acting as a rest and support for the hands of the person during walking.

This framework is provided with a housing Q and pushbuttons for operation of the remote control of the above mentioned electronic unit (not shown in the figures) placed opposite the grips I.

The housing Q fulfils a dual function: - that of housing the various supply and control acces sories of the sling, i.e. the above mentioned electro nic unit for control of the microcylinders, the pres surized fluid delivery means, a power supply battery for the electronic unit, the electrical and electrome chanical components associated therewith (solenoid valves), an optional microcompressor etc. and connec ted to the sling through the cable T to unburden the patients shoulders of the weights (bottles, etc.) to the benefit of his balance; and - that of sufficiently weighting the framework so it can act as a steady support for the patient when he is walking.

As regards the feeling of greater safety as compared with a common hand walker which the support framework gives the patient this is due not only to the greater weight given by the housing Q but to the presence of the remote control pushbuttons opposite the grips allowing the person quick operation of the remote control at any phase of his walking.

As regards the pressurized fluid delivery means they can consist either of a simple bottle containing compressed gas (e.g. air) or a microcompressor or a pump (in case of hydraulic operation of the microcylinders).

The manner of supplying pressurized fluid can be appropriately chosen as a function of the place where the rehabilitation activity is carried out. Indeed in open places and for long travel a microcompressor driven by a battery or by an explosion motor can be used for example and in the latter case the motor and the fuel tank are also located in the housing Q.

In a closed place and for short travel the use of a single bottle might be more suitable.

In the case of persons afflicted with serious injuries to the motor abilities of their lower limbs and unable to stay in balance the advantages which the apparatus in accordance with the present invention exhibits in comparison with the solution of Italian patent no.

1178548 (sling used together with fixed bars) are considerable because they allow great increase in the progress of the patient in recovering mobility and balance.

Once sufficient feeling of balance has been recovered the patient will be capable of beginning a second phase of rehabilitation with sling and only crutches and with the remote control operating pushbuttons always present on the grip of the crutches and with the sources of supply of the microcylinders and the electronic unit (bottle and battery) transferred onto the patient's shoulders.

Just in view of the passage to the second phase of the rehabilitation the framework L can be provided with its two vertical rods provided with grips easy to detach from the others (this can be achieved e.g. by means of bolt connections between vertical rods and other rods, connections not shown for the sake of simplicity in drawing and in any case known) so as to be convertible into two crutches provided with grips with remote control.

The apparatus in accordance with the embodiment described above relates to the case of a patient injured in the motor ability of both legs. The apparatus can however be applied with obvious adaptations and variations even to patients injured in the motor ability of a single leg or contrariwise of all four limbs (tetraplegia).

In the latter case the vertical rods of the framework are extended upward in the likeness of crutches and the remote control will be the type operated by an electroacoustic transducer sensitive to particular guttural sounds emitted by the patient. The patient will wear two gloves extending up to the armpits and fixed with straps along the upper part of the crutches.

It is clear that numerous modifications, adaptations, variations and substitutions of elements by others functionally equivalent can be made to the embodiments described above by way of non-limiting example without thereby going beyond the protective scope of the following claims.

For example the electronic unit controlling movement of the jointed lower parts of the sling in accordance with the human gait can be replaced by a control unit with entirely compressed-air or hydraulic operation of known type. In this case even the associated remote control will be compressed-air or hydraulically operated.

Claims

1.

Orthopaedic apparatus for walking and rehabilitation of a disabled person and comprising: - a semi-rigid sling for support of the bust and the lower limbs and jointed opposite the hip and knee joints and equipped with small actuators (microcylin ders) with compressed air or hydraulic operation and designed to move the lower jointed parts of the sling in accordance with the human gait on command of an e lectronic or fluid power control unit in turn operated by the patient by means of a remote control and per mitting the patient to transmit to the control unit start or stop commands for the above mentioned lower parts or adjustment of the celerity of the gait, and - a framework designed to act as stable rest and support of the person and to allow his walking at the same ti me and having grips, wheels for running on the floor and, at its base and on the side where the person a dvances, a housing for pressurised fluid delivery means.

2.

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and characterized in that the grips of the framework are equipped with pushbuttons for operation of the above mentioned remote control.

3.

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and characterized in that on the framework are also housed means of electric energy delivery.

4.

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and characterized in that the pressurized fluid for supplying the microcylinders is in the gaseous state and that the above mentioned means designed to supply pressurized fluid consist of a bottle containing gas under pressure.

5.

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and characterized in that the pressurized fluid for supply of the microcylinders is air and that the above mentioned means of delivery for pressurized fluid consist of a microcompressor driven by an explosion motor or an electric motor.

6.

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and characterized in that the pressurized fluid for supply of the microcylinders is in the liquid state and that the above mentioned means designed to supply pressurized fluid consist of a hydraulic pump and a tank for supply of the liquid.

7.

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and characterized in that the framework comprises two vertical rods to which lead the above mentioned grips and which are easily disconnectable from the rest of the apparatus so that they can be converted into crutches.

8.

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and characterized in that the framework opposite the grips extends upward with two vertical rods like crutches and that the remote control is operated by an electroacoustic transducer sensitive to particular guttural sounds emitted by the patient.