RU2262915C1 - Device for carrying out massage and vertebral column traction - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: device has casing which working surface is manufactured as couch, heater and means for fixing patient body, massage unit designed as platform provided with massage rollers, auxiliary compression unit, reciprocal movement unit and casing inclination unit mounted inside in the casing and programmed timer unit which outputs are connected to the heater and electric drives of auxiliary compression units, reciprocal movement units and casing inclination units. The casing is placed on fixed, particularly rubber supporting members with one its end and on supporting frame with the other end. The frame is articulated to the casing and has rollers for traveling over bearing surface of the casing. The casing inclination unit is designed as telescopic mechanism the first and the second ends of which are articulated with the casing and supporting frame, respectively. Casing inclination angle gage which shaft is kinematically linked to the supporting frame is mounted on the casing. The programmed timer unit has casing inclination control unit, which input and output are connected to casing inclination angle gage output and casing inclination unit electric drive input, respectively. The couch has fixed thoracic section connected to the means for fixing patient body and moveable hip joint section mounted on rollers and performing reciprocation motion along guide members. The massage unit platform is articulated to the auxiliary compression unit in their displacement plane. Massage roller axles are pivotally connected to the platform in planes set in perpendicular to their displacement direction.

EFFECT: high stability in inclined position; reduced power consumption; enhanced effectiveness of treatment.

3 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The invention relates to medical equipment, and more specifically, to devices for vibration-mechanical effects on the musculo-ligamentous apparatus of the spine and its axial traction and can be used for rehabilitation, prevention and treatment of diseases in patients with neurological manifestations of thoracolumbar spinal osteoarthrosis.

A device for stretching the spine, comprising a housing, an actuator, a device for fixing the patient’s body, kinematically connected with the actuator using flexible communication, an actuator control unit, a motion compensator, a vibrator located between the body and the motion compensator roller [1].

The disadvantages of such a device:

a) narrow functionality, due to the fact that it does not allow simultaneous hardware-assisted vibration massage of the back and thermal effects in the process of stretching the spine;

b) does not provide a smooth dosed traction of the thoracolumbar spine.

There is also known a device for massage and traction of the spine, comprising a body, the working surface of which is made in the form of a couch and equipped with a heating element and a temperature sensor, cervical and lumbar traction units placed inside the body, connected via flexible links with the corresponding devices for fixing the patient’s body, the node is returned - translational movement, made in the form of a massage trolley mounted on the guides and a kinematically connected chain transmission, tiya with a preload level sensor, placed on a massage trolley and made in the form of an electromechanical screw lifting mechanism, a massage unit kinematically connected with the lifting mechanism and made in the form of a platform with massager rollers installed in the couch slot, a vibrator mounted on the platform, and software - a temporary unit, the inputs of which are connected to the outputs of the temperature sensor and the preload level, and the outputs are connected to a heating element and electric vibrator and preload units and return stupatelnogo movement [2].

The disadvantages of such a device:

a) the complexity of the design, due to the fact that the implementation of axial traction of the spine requires a special block of lumbar traction;

b) the relatively low efficiency of spinal traction due to the presence of friction between the hip of the patient’s body and the surface of the couch.

The design of the device [2] is such that the patient is in a horizontal position during treatment, and external artificial forces are used for traction (extension), which are usually difficult to dose. More physiological is the oblique type of extension, when gravity of the patient’s own body is used to stretch the spine, to which his tissues are adapted. The patient is placed on a special table, the surface of which can tilt at a certain angle to the horizon. With this extension, traction occurs under the action of a force equal to, and most often, less body weight, which minimizes the possibility of complications during the procedure. In addition, by increasing the slope, it is possible to gradually increase the traction force, which reduces the excitability of muscle and ligamentous proprioreceptors [3].

One of the constructions for oblique extension is described in [4], which is the closest invention to the proposed technical essence and circuit design.

Such a device, selected as a prototype, contains a body, the working surface of which is made in the form of a couch and is equipped with a heating element and a device for fixing the patient’s body, a massage unit placed inside the body, made in the form of a platform with rollers-massagers, a preload unit made in the form frames with a mechanism for turning the frame and pivotally connected to the bed, a reciprocating movement unit mounted on the frame of the preload unit and kinematically connected to the massage unit, an inclination unit to a pus mounted on the bed and kinematically connected with the body, and a program-time block, the outputs of which are connected to the heating element and the drive units of the preload, reciprocating movement and tilt of the body, while the body is pivotally connected at one end to a fixed support, made in the form massive bed.

The disadvantages of such a device:

a) there is a high probability of the device toppling over, caused by its instability in the inclined position of the case (especially if there is a patient on it). When the body is tilted, the center of gravity of the device is shifted up, and the area of its support is limited by a fixed bed, on which the body rests only at one end;

b) the relatively low efficiency of spinal traction due to the presence of friction between the hip of the patient’s body and the surface of the couch;

c) the relatively large power consumed by the device, due to the fact that for tilting the body, as well as the frame with the massage unit and the node of the reciprocating movement, considerable force moments have to be overcome (the forces providing the tilt are applied at points close to the axis of rotation of the case) ;

d) poor adaptation of the moving massage unit to the shape of the patient’s body surface, which reduces the effectiveness of the massage.

The invention is aimed at achieving the following technical results:

a) increasing the stability of the device in an inclined position by increasing the support area of its housing;

b) reducing the power consumed by the device by changing the kinematic diagram of the tilt housing unit and applying tilt forces to the housing points farther from the axis of rotation;

c) increasing the efficiency of spinal traction by eliminating friction between the hip of the patient’s body and the surface of the couch;

d) increasing the adaptation of the trajectory of the massage node to the shape of the patient’s body surface by increasing the degrees of freedom of the platform with the massager rollers.

These technical results are achieved in a device for massage and traction of the spine, comprising a body, the working surface of which is made in the form of a couch and is equipped with a heating element and a device for fixing the patient’s body, a massage unit located inside the body, made in the form of a platform with rollers, massagers, preload nodes , reciprocating movement and tilt of the housing and the program-time block, the outputs of which are connected to the heating element and the electric drive of the preload units, in reciprocating movement and tilt of the housing, in which the housing is placed at one end on fixed, such as rubber, supports, and the other end on a support frame articulated with the housing and provided with movement rollers along the supporting surface of the housing, the housing tilt assembly is made in the form of a telescopic mechanism, the first and second ends of which are pivotally connected respectively to the housing and the support frame, a housing angle sensor is located on the housing, the shaft of which is kinematically connected to the support frame, software V-belt unit comprises a regulator body tilt input and output of which are respectively connected to the output of the inclination angle sensor body and the actuator assembly housing entry angle.

In addition, the couch is made in the form of a fixed "chest" section associated with a device for fixing the patient's body, and a movable "hip" section mounted on rollers and with the possibility of reciprocating movement along the guides.

The platform of the massage unit is also pivotally connected to the clamping unit in the plane of their movement, and the axes of the massager rollers are pivotally connected to the platform in the planes perpendicular to the direction of their movement.

The main features that distinguish the claimed device from the prototype are:

a) the housing is placed at one end on fixed, for example rubber, supports, and at the other end on a support frame pivotally connected to the housing and provided with movement rollers along the supporting surface of the housing;

b) the housing tilt assembly is made in the form of a telescopic mechanism, the first and second ends of which are pivotally connected respectively to the housing and the supporting frame;

c) a housing angle sensor is placed on the housing, the shaft of which is kinematically connected with the support frame;

d) the program-time block contains a housing tilt regulator, the input and output of which are connected respectively to the output of the housing tilt angle sensor and the input of the electric drive of the housing tilt assembly;

d) the couch is made in the form of a fixed "chest" section associated with a device for fixing the patient's body, and a movable "hip" section mounted on rollers and with the possibility of reciprocating movement along the guides;

f) the platform of the massage unit is pivotally connected to the clamping unit in the plane of their movement, and the axes of the massager rollers are pivotally connected to the platform in the planes perpendicular to the direction of their movement.

The presence of these features ensures compliance with the totality of the essential features of the claimed device the patentability condition of "novelty." However, no devices were found in which the indicated technical results are achieved by a similar set of essential features.

A comparison of the claimed device not only with the prototype, but also with other technical solutions in this and related fields of science and technology showed that they lack signs that distinguish the claimed device from the prototype.

Therefore, the claimed device meets the condition of patentability "inventive step".

The invention is illustrated by drawings, which show:

figure 1 - General view of the device, including the kinematic diagram of the couch;

figure 2 - kinematic diagrams of the nodes of the reciprocating movement, preload and massage node;

figure 3 is a diagram explaining the operation of the node tilt of the housing;

figure 4 shows the electrical connection between the blocks of the device.

A device for massage and traction of the spine (figure 1) contains a hollow body 1, the upper working surface of which is made in the form of a couch installed on the base 2 with a longitudinal rectangular slot (not shown) corresponding to the location of the axis of the patient's spine.

The couch consists of a fixed "chest" 3 and a movable "hip" 4 sections. The fixed section 3 is equipped with a device 5 for fixing the patient’s body, a heating element 6 and a temperature sensor 7. The movable section 4 is equipped with rollers 8 and is mounted with the possibility of longitudinal reciprocating movement along guides (not shown) attached to the base 2.

The housing 1 is placed at one end on the fixed, for example rubber, supports 9, and the other end on the support frame 10, pivotally connected to the housing 1 and provided with rollers 11 for moving along the supporting surface 12 of the housing 1.

Inside the housing 1, a reciprocating movement unit 13, a preload unit 14, a massage unit 15 (FIG. 2), an inclination unit 16 of the body 1 (FIG. 3) and a program-time unit 17 (FIG. 4) are placed.

The node 13 of the reciprocating movement is made in the form of a massage trolley 18 and a kinematically connected chain gear 19. The massage trolley 18 is mounted with the possibility of reciprocating movement along the guide rails 20 and through a rigid connection 21 and the cam 22 is connected to the chain gear 19. Chain transmission 19 through the worm gear 23 is connected to the electric drive 24.

The preload unit 14 is placed on the massage trolley 18 and is made in the form of a screw lifting mechanism 25 with an electric drive 26 and is equipped with a preload level sensor 27.

The massage unit 15 is made in the form of a platform 28 with massager rollers 29 located in the slots of the fixed section 3 of the couch. The platform 28 is pivotally connected to the lifting mechanism 25 in the plane of movement of the nodes 13-15, and the axes 30 of the massager rollers 29 are pivotally connected to the platform 28 in planes perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nodes 13-15.

On the platform 28, a vibrator 31 with an electric drive 32 is rigidly fixed.

The node 16 of the inclination of the housing 1 (Fig. 3) is made in the form of a telescopic mechanism, one end of which is pivotally connected to the housing 1, and the other end to the support frame 10. The telescopic mechanism comprises a screw-nut pair with a screw 33 and a nut 34, a worm gear with a worm 35 and a worm wheel 36 and an electric drive 37. A nut 34 is rigidly connected to a tube 38, inside of which a screw 33 is placed, rigidly connected to the worm wheel 36. The worm 35 is mounted on the shaft of the electric drive 37.

On the housing 1, a sensor 39 of the angle of inclination of the housing 1 is rigidly fixed, the shaft 40 of which is kinematically connected with the supporting frame 10.

The program-time unit 17 contains controllers 41-44, respectively, of the angle of inclination of the housing 1, the couch temperature, the preload level of the massager rollers 29, and the vibration of the massager rollers 29, a control signal distributor 45 with a timer 46, and a device control panel 47.

Regulators 41-44 are equipped with corresponding digital pointers 48-51 and are designed to maintain the given operating modes of the device. The inputs of the regulators 41-43 are connected to the outputs of the sensor 39 of the angle of inclination of the housing 1, sensor 7, temperature of the couch, and sensor 27 of the preload level, respectively. The outputs of the regulators 41-44 are connected respectively to the input of the electric drive 37 of the angle of inclination of the housing 1, the heating element 6 and the electric drives, respectively, 26 of the preload unit 14 and 32 of the vibrator 31.

The device 5 for fixing the patient’s body is made in the form of a chest belt (bandage).

The device provides emergency operation, for which there is an emergency button 52 in the hands of the patient.

The operation of the device for massage and traction of the spine is determined by the program specified in its program-time block 17.

Before the session of vibration massage and stretching of the patient's spine in the distributor 44 of the program-time block 17, the following predetermined values are set:

- the duration of the full procedure,

- maximum and minimum angles of inclination of the housing 1, which correspond to certain traction forces,

- the level of preload roller massagers 29,

- the amplitude and frequency of vibration of the massager rollers 29 (if it is not contraindicated to the patient).

A patient with lumbar or lumbosacral osteohodrosis is placed on the couch and tightly fastened to its fixed section 3 using the device 5 at the level of the axillary hollows. In this case, the hip portion of the patient’s body is located on the movable section 4 of the couch.

From the remote control 47, the program-time unit 17 is started, which, in turn, includes electric drives 24, 26, 32. At the same time, the massage trolley 18 comes into motion and starts to reciprocate. The lifting mechanism 25 raises the platform 28 with the massager rollers 29. As a result, the massager rollers 29 begin to move within the couch slot, massaging the patient’s back along the line of the axis of his spine.

At the same time, the vibrator 31 starts to work and the heating element 6 is turned on. The set heating temperature is maintained by the regulator 42 due to the feedback including the temperature sensor 7.

After preliminary mechanical vibration massage (kneading) of the patient’s spine for 1-2 minutes (during which 5-6 passes of the massager rollers 29 take place), in accordance with the program, the tilt unit 16 of the housing 1 is turned on, which smoothly sets the couch tilt angle α _max corresponding to the specified the maximum value of the force F _out.max traction.

To do this, the signal from the controller 41 starts the electric drive 37, which starts to rotate the worm 35 and the worm wheel 36 engaged with it. The rotation of the worm 36 is transmitted to the screw 33. Rotating, the screw 33 "extends" from the tube 38 of the telescopic mechanism, which leads to rotation body 1 around the fixed supports 9 and the corresponding inclination of the couch with the patient.

When the housing 1 is rotated, the support frame 10 rotates around the axis of its hinge, and its rollers 11 "roll" along the support surface 12 in the direction of the fixed supports 9.

The rotation of the housing 1 (couch tilt) is controlled by the tilt angle sensor 39, the output signals of which are fed to the input of the regulator 41, where they are compared with the set value of the couch tilt angle.

It should be noted that the sensor 39 does not measure the angle α of the tilt of the couch with respect to the supporting surface 12, but the angle β of the rotation of the support frame 10 with respect to the housing 1. Since, when tilting, the supporting frame 10 is rotated by an angle larger than the corresponding angle of inclination couches, i.e. β> α, more accurate control of the couch tilt is achieved. Since the values of α and β are interconnected, it is possible to calibrate (calibrate) the scale of the corresponding digital pointer 48 in the values of the angle α of the slope of the couch.

The spinal traction force can be calculated by the formula [3]:

F out _. = KP _n sinα,

where K is the coefficient of friction between the hip portion of the patient’s body and the couch,

R _p - the weight of the patient.

Due to the fact that section 4 of the couch is movable, the friction between the hip portion of the patient’s body and the couch is practically zero and therefore the value of K tends to 1. The values of F _v. can be pre-calculated for patients with different weights and presented in tabular form. Typically, the values of F _vt. are selected in the range of 20-50 kg [3], then the α values for this device are in the range of 15-25 °.

In the device, the above-mentioned maximum traction force _{Foutmax.max is} maintained for a predetermined time determined by the timer 46 of the program-time unit 17. After this, the maximum traction force is _gradually reset to the minimum value of _Fout.min (if specified) by reducing the couch tilt angle ( housing 1) to the corresponding value of α _min .

After the exposure time of the minimum traction force (which is determined by the timer 46), the next cycle is repeated to smoothly establish the maximum value of the traction force according to a given program.

If the minimum value of the traction force is not specified (i.e., given equal to zero), the change in the traction force occurs from the maximum value to zero and vice versa, while the set value of the maximum traction force is also maintained for the time specified by the signal distributor 45 with a timer 46.

In the process of massage and traction of the spine by the regulators 41-44 of the program-time block 17, the level of compression and the amplitude and frequency of vibration of the massager rollers 29, the angle of inclination of the body 1 and the temperature of the couch are set and maintained in predetermined modes. In this case, the corresponding values of the indicated values are indicated in the digital indicators 48-51.

If necessary, the patient by pressing the button 52 can stop the operation of the device. In this case, the distributor 45 generates signals transferring the regulators 41-44 into emergency mode. As a result, the actuators return to their initial position, i.e. the reciprocating movement of the massage trolley 18 is stopped, the vibrator 31 stops working, the lower (zero) level of the massager rollers 29 is set, the angle of inclination of the housing 1 is reduced to zero.

Thus, the proposed combination of essential features of the device allows you to:

a) increase its stability in an inclined position by increasing the support area of its body;

b) ensure its mobility, the ability to quickly reinstall in the room due to the presence of rollers 11 and the absence of a massive bed;

c) to reduce the power consumed by the device due to the regrouping of forces acting on the body during the implementation of its tilt;

g) to increase the efficiency of spinal traction by eliminating friction between the hip portion of the patient’s body and the surface of the couch;

d) increase the adaptation of the trajectory of the massage node to the shape of the patient’s body surface by increasing the degrees of freedom of the platform with the massager rollers.

The applicant has developed and begins to produce the described version of the device for massage and traction of the spine, which confirms its compliance with the patentability condition "industrial applicability".

USED SOURCES

1. Patent of the Russian Federation No. 2090175. Device for spinal traction, IPC A 61 N 1/02. Bull. No. 26, 1997

2. RF patent No. 2195243. Spinal traction device. IPC A 61 H 1/02. Bull. No. 36, 2002

3. Bonev L. Extensional therapy / Guide to kinesitherapy. Medicine and physical education. Sofia. 1978, p. 177-181.

4. RF patent No. 2026051. Device for mechanized massage, IPC A 61 N 1/02. Bull. No. 1, 1995 (prototype).

Claims (3)

1. A device for massage and traction of the spine, comprising a body, the working surface of which is made in the form of a couch and is equipped with a heating element and a device for fixing the patient’s body, a massage unit located inside the body, made in the form of a platform with rollers-massagers, preload nodes, translational movement and tilt of the body and the program-time block, the outputs of which are connected to the heating element and electric drives of the preload, reciprocating movement and tilt and the housing, characterized in that the housing is placed at one end on fixed, such as rubber, supports, and the other end on a support frame pivotally connected to the housing and provided with movement rollers along the supporting surface of the housing, the housing tilt assembly is made in the form of a telescopic mechanism, the first and the second ends of which are pivotally connected respectively to the housing and the support frame, a housing angle sensor is located on the housing, the shaft of which is kinematically connected to the support frame, the program-time unit comprises a controller Pull the housing, input and output of which are respectively connected to the output of the tilt sensor body and the actuator assembly housing entry angle. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the couch is made in the form of a fixed chest section associated with a device for fixing the patient’s body, and a movable hip section mounted on rollers and with the possibility of reciprocating movement along the guides. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the platform of the massage unit is pivotally connected to the clamping unit in the plane of their movement, and the axes of the massager rollers are pivotally connected to the platform in the planes perpendicular to the direction of their movement.

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