US3538911A - Therapeutic and/or rehabilitation apparatus - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent 72] Inventor Paul C. Emmons 71 Le Brun Road, Buffalo, New York 14215 [21] Appl. No. 733,541 [22] Filed May 31, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 10, 1970 [54] THERAPEUTIC AND/0R REHABILITATION APPARATUS 8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 128/25, 3 5/29 [51] Int. Cl. A6lh H02 [50] Field of Search 128/24, 25,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,074,716 l/l963 Mitchel etal l28/25X 3,362,090 l/1968 Adam l28/25X Primary Examiner- L.W. Trapp Attorney Bean and Bean ABSTRACT: A therapeutic apparatus for treating patients suffering from brain damage or other immobilizing injuries, diseases or illnesses; the apparatus being of the type which is adapted for use in connection with rehabilitation or teaching programs wherein externally induced movements of the patients body are employed to teach "patterns" of natural movements. The invention features an apparatus whereby a single attendant may perform patterning exercises on a patient with improved facility.

Patented Nqv. 10, 1970 Sheet l of2 INVENTOR.

Patentd Nov. 10, 1970 v I 3,538,911-

INVENTOR PAUL c. EMMONS ATTORNEYS THERAPEUTIC AND/R REHABILITATION APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to therapeutic devices for treating patie'nts suffering from birth defects, congenital deformities; or other diseases or illnesses resulting in brain or spinal cord or joint or muscular damage. Such diseases and illnesses may include those defined as polio, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, multiplesclerosis, bursitis, rheumatism, arthritis, spinal meningitis, or the like. It is now recognized that regularly performed programs of externally induced movements of the extremities of such patients is often an important aid to recovery and/or development of natural mobile capabilities in such cases.

More particularly, there has recently been developed an effective technique for treating ailments of this type, which is sometimes referred to as mobile patteming. Such treatments impose a variety of motions upon various parts of the patients body, with a view to educating previously inactive areas of the controlling brain cells to induce .them to take over and control the body. normal motions and/or functions.

The objectives of such treatment techniques, and of prior forms of apparatuses for such purposes are discussed at some length, for example, in earlier US. Pat. Nos." 3,060,926; 3,229,688; and 3,362,090.As' explained therein, such treatments minimally must be performed several times daily; and the prior art apparatuses for such purposes typically require that at least several persons participate in the patterning" manipulations of the head and arms and legs of the patient. Furthermore, the prior devices are not readily adaptable to provide for a sufficiently wide range of manipulation adjustments to meet varying medical requirements.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved and more easily operated device for such purposes, whereby a single person may satisfactorily perform selective and repeatable, programmed patterning" exercises on a patient, with a minimum of strain and fatigue on both the patient and the operator.

3 Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following and specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

THE DRAWING how the apparatus may be variously adjusted and employed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As shown by wayof example, in the drawing herewith, the machine of the present invention may include a base structure comprising frame members l0, 10, 11, ll; portably supported as by means of castoring rollers 12 (FIG. 1). A pair of vertical post members 14-14 extend upwardly from the front end of the base structure and support intermediately thereof a horizontal sillmember 1 6; the other end of the sill member 16 being vertically supported by meahs'of upright leg portions 18-18/At its rear end, the sill member 16 supports a vertical strut 20 which in turn supports the rear-end portion of a top sill member 22, the front end of which is'supported at a convergence ofthe front post members 14-14. At its rear end the base framestructure supports a pair of vertically convergent post members 24-24 which mount at their upper ends the rear end of a subsill member 26; the frontend of which is supported by the vertical strut 20 (FIG. 1). The top sill portion 22 mounts a transversely extending beam member 28 which telescopic ally encloses at its opposite ends stub shaft members 29 (FIG. 2) which in turn carry longitudinally extending arm brackets 30.

The arm brackets 30 mount in superposed relation thereon inclined support blocks 32-34 which in turn support at opposite sides of the machine a pair of "floor" pad platelike devices 36-36. The top sill member 22 also supports a sponge cushion or the like as indicated at 40 intermediately of the pads 36-36. Note that the top surface of the support pad 40 is somewhat rearwardly and downwardly inclined, while the upper surfaces of the pad members 36-36 are forwardly and downwardly inclined. The subsill member 26 carries longitudinally spaced pivot pins 42-42 which pivotally support laterally extending parallel arms 44-44 which in turn pivotally mount at their free ends by means of pivot pins 46-46 a pair of lower leg support pad devices 50-50. Pivot pins 46-46 are mounted on stub shaft members 47-47, which are telescoped within arms 44-44 and adjustably locked in position relative thereto by pin or screw devices 48-48 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Ankle clasp devices as indicated at 52-52 are provided in conjunction with the leg support pads 50-50, for maintaining the legs of the patient in proper positions on the pads 50-50. Devices 52-52 are adjustably mounted adjacent the rear of pads 50-50 by a pin or screw devices 54-54, which pass through device mounting arms 56-56 (FIGS. 1 and 5).

Thus, it will be understood that a patient may be disposed to lie face down in prone position on the apparatus; his torso being supported by the pad 40 while his elbows and lower arms are supported by the floor pads 36-36 and while his legs are supported by the pads 50-50. Hence, it will be clearly understood by reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing herewith that the patients body will be thereby disposed in the attitude of a crawling or swimming person.

A helmet device or the like as indicated at 60 is supported by means of a horizontally extending shaft 62 which is journaled in the top apex .portion of the front post structure I4-14; the helmet 60 being thereby disposed to receive in comfortably accommodated relation therein the crown portion of the patients head when lying on the apparatus. The midsill member 16 supports a bearing block 64 in which is journaled a drive shaft 66 to which is keyed a crossarm structure 68 terminating at its opposite ends in upstanding post members 70 -70 dimensioned so as to extend upwardly alongside the floor pads 36-36. From FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that crossarm structure 68 includes and intermediate portion 68aand telescopic end portions 68b, which may be positioned relative to portion 68a by pin or screw devices 68c. Each post member 70 carries at its upper end an inwardly extending arm 72 which includes a telescopically extensible portion 74 terminating in a downwardly extending wrist clasp device 75. The parts are so arranged that when the patientis lying onthe apparatus as explained hereinabove his arms will naturally extend into the regions of the wrist clamps 75-75; whereby the latter may be slip-fitted upon the wrists of the patient to maintain him in operative position on the apparatus.

It is a particular feature of the present invention that provisions are made whereby a single attendant may with ease and facility impart to a patient when lying prone on the apparatus as explained hereinabove a variety of body mobile patterning exercises. For this purpose, a drive shaft as indicated at is journaled on the frame post structure 14-14. As illustrated at FIGS. 1, 3, the drive shaft 80 is provided with an upstanding crank arm device 82, whereby an attendant may manually reciprocate the crank arm to operate the device. However, it is to be understood that whenever the machine is to be employed to train a patient of substantial size and/or strength, the drive shaft 80 will be clutched to a motor-driven crank arm or the like; to relieve the attendant from manually supplying the necessary power. The shaft 80 carries a pulley 84 driving an endless belt 86 which in turn trains around a pulley 87 which is keyed to the helmet support shaft 62. Hence, oscillations of the handle 82 will cause the helmet 60 to oscillate about the axis of shaft 62. The shaft 80 also carries a pulley 88 about which trains an endless belt 90 which travels via guide rollers 92-92 around a pulley 94 which is keyed to a vertical drive shaft 96 journaled in a bearing block 98 carried by the leg members 18-18. As illustrated at 99 (FIG. 1) the shaft 96 is operatively connected to the shaft 66 by means of a flexible coupling device; whereby it will be appreciated that oscillations of the drive shaft 80 will be accompanied by corresponding oscillations of the arm position control member 68, as well as by oscillations of the head support helmet 60.

The shaft 96 also carries a pulley 100 driving an endless belt 102 which trains around a pulley 104 which is keyed to a vertical shaft 106 which is journaled in the rear post structure of the device and is operatively connected by means of a flexible coupling to the rear pivot pin 42 supporting one of the arms 44. Thus it will be understood that manual oscillations of the control handle 82 will also be accompanied by corresponding oscillations of the parallelogram type support system for the leg pads 50-50. Thus, as illustrated diagrammatically at FIGS. 6A and 6B, manual movements of the control handle 82 will cause the leg pads 50-50 and the wrist clamps 75-75 to alternately advance and retreat at opposite sides of the apparatus while causing the head support helmet 60 to rotate from side to side; thereby imparting to the limbs and head of the patient a crawling or swimmingtype combination of movements.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the device of the invention is readily adjustable to comfortably accommodate patients of different sizes; and that it is also readily programmable to provide a wide range of relative motion adjustments of the operating parts, simply by adjusting the lengths of the limb-engaging levers and/or by varying the pulley diameters controlling the motions of different components of the machine. Hence, the machine is of vitally improved versatility with respect to its use. For example, an infant patient may be comfortably accommodated therein and a single attendant may easily and without fatigue manually operate the machine to apply to the infant the prescribed patterning limb motions. As the patient grows and/or when the machine is to be adapted to train a larger/stronger patient requiring firmer and more positive treatment, the motorized drive arrangement will be used. Thus, in any case only one person is needed to operate the machine in fact, when the motorized drive system is being used a single attendant may of course simultanteously supervise the training operations of a number of such machines, as in a hospital facility or the like. It will be appreciated that because all limb motion control components of the machine of the present invention are automatically coordinated and driven from a common power source, the action in all cases is positive and constant. Therefore, the machine operation is not vulnerable to the effects of human operator frailties, or misjudgments or inadvertently discordant maneuverings of the machine components, as in the case of prior machines.

it is of course to be understood that although only'one form of machine of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail hereinabove, it will be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

lclaim:

1. A therapeutic device adapted to accommodate a patient in prone position thereon and including means for imparting to the head and limb portions of the patient a predetermined pattern of coordinated naturallike motions, said device comprising:

a frame;

a prone body support means carried by said frame;

a head grip means;

a shaft carried by said frame and supporting said head grip means forwardly of said body support means for oscillating motions;

a pair ofleg support pad devices;

means extending from said frame and mounting said leg support pad devices in positionally adjusted relationship rearwardly of said body support means adjacent opposite sides thereof and for movement in fore and aft directions relative to said body support means;

ankle grip devices adapted to engage the ankles of the patient;

means for supporting said ankle grip devices on said leg support pad devices;

arm support pad devices;

means extending from said frame for mounting said arm support pad devices in positionally adjusted stationary relationship relative to said frame at opposite sides of said body support means;

wrist grip devices adapted to engage the wrists of the patient;

means extending from said frame for mounting said wrist grip devices in positionally adjusted relationship adjacent opposite sides of said body support means and for movement in fore and aft directions relative to said body support means and said arm support pad devices;

drive means carried by said frame; and

means interconnecting said drive means with said head, wrist and ankle grip means for simultaneously driving the latter in selectively coordinated relation.

2. A therapeutic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said body support means comprises a substantially flat cushion pitched rearwardly and downwardly, said leg support pad devices comprise substantially flat cushions pitched forwardly and downwardly, and said arm support pad devices are substantially flat and pitch forwardly and downwardly.

3. A therapeutic device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for mounting said leg support pad devices includes a pair of generally V-shaped struts pivotally fixed at opposite ends thereof to said leg support pad devices and pivotally fixed intermediate the ends thereof to said frame for movement about parallel axes pitched forwardly and upwardly, and said means for mounting said wrist grip device supports, said wrist grip devices having pivotal movement about an axis pitched forwardly and upwardly, the last said pivotal axis being arranged substantially parallel to said pair of pivotal axes.

4. A therapeutic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive means is selectively operable either manually or by motor means.

5. A therapeutic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said body support means comprises a substantially flat cushion pitched rearwardly and downwardly, said arm support pad devices are substantially flat and pitched forwardly and downwardly, and said means for mounting said wrist grip device supports, said wrist grip device having pivotal movement about an axis pitched forwardly and upwardly.

6. A therapeutic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said frame includes a horizontally disposed base portion;

front post means extending vertically from adjacent a front end of said base portion;

rear post means extending vertically from adjacent a rear end of said base portion;

intermediate post means extending vertically from said base portion intermediate said first and second post means;

a generally horizontal bottom still member supported adjacent front and rear ends thereon on said front and intermediate post means, respectively;

a strut member rising vertically from adjacent said rear end of said bottom still member;

a generally horizontal top still member supported adjacent front and rear ends thereon on said front post means and an upper end of said vertically rising strut member, respectively; and

a rear still member supported adjacent front and rear ends thereof on said vertically rising strut member and said rear post means, respectively, said body support means and said means for mounting said arm support pad devices being carried on said upper still member, said means for mounting said leg support pad devices being carried on said rear still member, and said means for mounting said wrist grip devices being carried by said bottom still member.

7. A therapeutic device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said means for mounting said leg support pad devices includes a pair of generally V-shaped struts pivotally fixed at opposite ends thereof to said leg support pad devices and pivotally fixed intermediate the ends thereof to said rear still member for movement about parallel axes pitched forwardly and upwardly, said means for mounting said wrist grip devices supports same for pivotal movement about an axis pitched forwardly and upwardly, the last said pivotal axis being arranged substantially parallel to said pair of pivotal axes, said body support means comprises a substantially flat cushion pitched rearwardly and downwardly, said leg support pad devices comprise substantially flat cushions pitched forwardly and downwardly, and said arm support pad devices are substantially flat and pitch forwardly and downwardly.

8. A therapeutic device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said interconnecting means includes a pair of vertical rising shafts coupled one to each of said means for mounting said leg support pad devices and wrist grip devices;

pulley means fixed one to each of said head grip means supporting shaft and said vertical rising shafts;

drive pulley means mounted on said front post means; and

cable means passing from said pulley means to said drive pulley means.

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