WO2002074205A1

WO2002074205A1 - Traction apparatus for physical therapy of herniated nucleosus pulposus or sprain and strain

Info

Publication number: WO2002074205A1
Application number: PCT/KR2002/000208
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chang-Joon Park
Original assignee: Chang-Joon Park
Priority date: 2001-02-13
Filing date: 2002-02-08
Publication date: 2002-09-26
Also published as: KR20020066764A; TW586924B

Abstract

Provided is a traction apparatus for medically and physically treating herniated nucleosus pulposus or sprain and strain. The traction apparatus comprises a first traction device and a second traction device. The first traction device and second traction device have a plurality of expandable tubes stacked horizontally, respectively. The first traction device is opposite to the second traction device. The first traction device is provided in a first pocket and the second traction device is provided in a second pocket. The tubes are expandable to provide traction on the therapy region and are filled up with fluid which is generated by a fluid generation device.

Description

TRACTION APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY OF HERNIATED NUCLEOSUS PULPOSUS OR SPRAIN AND STRAIN

Technical Field The present invention relates to a medical aid appliance, and more particularly, to a traction apparatus for phsical therapy of herniated nucleosus pulposus or sprain and strain.

Background Art

The herniated nucleosus pulposus (hereinafter referred to as "HNP") , which is limited to the explanations thereof with omitting the explanations of the sprain and strain, is one of vertebral diseases. The HNP is caused by the herniation of the nucleosus pulposus of disk which is interposed between one vertebra and one adjacent vertebra. Excessive loads and external impacts trigger a person to the HNP. The HNP takes place at cervical region, thoracic region, or lumbar region of a vertebral column. The HNP sufferers undergo lumbago most of all because the nerves root is pressed and also undergo radiating pain as the lower half of sufferer's body.

Accordingly, as number of attempts have been maid to treat the HNP. Various therapy techniques, for example, operating therapy technique, physical therapy technique including bed rest therapy, therapy by hot heat, optical therapy, electrotherapy, traction therapy, and mediation technique, may have been used for the treatment of the HNP. The traction therapy is one physical therapy of providing traction forces at the therapy region or eliminating or minimizing compressive forces on the vertebral disks or on bone structure in the cervical, lumbar, sacral, or pelvic region to alleviate tension and pressure applied to the disks and the bone structure. Considering the prior art of a traction apparatus, this applicant has a Korean Patent No. 282766 with the patent application number 1998-43174. The traction apparatus according to the prior art comprises a traction means having a plurality of expandable tubes wherein each tube forms at least one closed compartment in flow communication with adjacent tubes and has two free ends with a space relation; an upper support member and a lower support member to support the upper therapy portion and the lower therapy portion, respectively wherein the traction means is positioned between the upper support member and the lower support member; fluid generating means; and a cover having a binding means.

The traction apparatus according to the prior art has an advantage that the patient wearing the traction apparatus is ambulatory. However, the traction apparatus has the problems that it is disadvantageous to wear the traction apparatus and the traction apparatus hampers the patient' s activity because the tubes of the traction means encircle the overall therapy region of the upper region and the lower region of lumbar region. Also, there is the drawbacks that it is difficult to wear the traction apparatus in accordance with the patient's body size because the circumferential length of the traction means is limited.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a traction apparatus for physical therapy of HNP which enables the patient to easily wear the traction apparatus due to a simple structure of the traction apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to provide the traction apparatus for therapy of HNP which increases wearing feeling and activity

According to the present invention, there is provided a traction apparatus, strain, comprising: a first traction means for providing a patient' therapy region with variable traction forces and positioned at one side of the therapy region and having a plurality of expandable tubes stacked horizontally wherein each tube forms at least one closed compartment in flow communication with adjacent tubes; a second traction means for providing the therapy region with the variable traction forces and positioned at the other side of the therapy region and having a plurality of expandable tubes stacked horizontally wherein each tube forms at least one closed compartment in flow communication with adjacent tubes; a pneumatic pressure generating means for providing pneumatic pressures for said first and second traction means; a cover having a first pocket with said first traction means therein and a second pocket with said second traction means therein wherein the first pocket is connected with the second pocket; and a binding means for binding both ends of said cover.

Brief Description of Drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a traction apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a traction apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing first and second traction devices and a pneumatic pressure generating device of the traction apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partial and sectional view of the first and second traction devices and a cover of the traction apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 5a and 5b are sectional views showing the operation of the first and second traction devices of the traction apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial and front view of a connecting means and a space controlling means of the traction apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7. is a sectional view showing first and second traction devices of another embodiment of the traction apparatus according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

A preferred embodiment of a traction device for physical therapy of HNP according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings .

First, it can be seen in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 that a traction apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first expandable traction device 10 and a second expandable traction device 20. The first traction 10 has a plurality of expandable tubes 12 which are stacked horizontally and form a closed compartment 11, and the second has a plurality of expandable tubes 22 which are stacked horizontally and form a closed compartment 21. The tubes 12, 22 has a substantially circular shape to encircle right and left portions of lumbar region of the patient. The tubes 12,22 have passage openings 13, 23, respectively. Each passage opening 13, 23 are in alignment each opening 13, 23 to enable air efficiently to flow. Uppermost tubes 12a, 22a are rigid to support an upper portion of the therapy region and also lowermost tubes 12b, 22b are rigid to support a lower portion of the therapy region. The uppermost and lowermost tubes 12a, 22a and 12b, 22b are filled with rigid upper and lower supporting members 30,31 and 40,41 respectively. On the other hand, the lowermost tubes 12b, 22b may be flexible.

The first traction device 10 is connected with the second traction device 20 by a flexible first hose 51 of a pneumatic pressure generating device 50 to expand and contract the tubes 12, 22. The first hose 51 passes through the upper supporting members 30, 31 and is connected to tubes 12c, 22c which are adjacent to the upper supporting members 30, 31. A second flexible hose 51 passes through the lower supporting member 40 and is connected to tube 12d which is adjacent to the lower supporting member 40. On the other hand, the second hose 52 is connected to the tube 12d of the first traction device 10 and the tube 22d of the second traction device 20. At this time, the first hose may be omitted. Each tube 12, 22 has substantially elliptical shape in cross section. Also, the cross section of the tubes 12, 22 may be lozenge. The tubes 12, 22 are made of flexible plastic material.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, a pressure bulb 53 is detachably connected to the second hose 52 of the pneumatic pressure generating device 50 to supply the tubes 12, 22 with air. An valve 54 is provided to select direction of air flow and a pressure gauge 55 is provide to measure air pressure. The detailed description of the valve 54 and the pressure gauge 55 are omitted in here because the valve and the pressure gauge are well known.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first device traction 10 is mounted in a first pocket 61 of a cover 60 and the second traction device 20 is mounted in a second pocket 62 of the cover 60, respectively. The first pocket 61 is connected with the second pocket 62 by a flexible back webbing 63 to encircle patient's back. Because the length of the back webbing 63 is long, the back webbing 63 may be folded to control the space between the first traction device 10 and the second traction device 20 in accordance with the patient' body size. The first hose 51 of the pneumatic pressure generating device 50 is mounted in the back webbing 63.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, a space controlling device 70 is used to control a space between the first traction device 10 and the second traction device 20 or between the first pocket 61 and the second pocket 62. The space controlling device 70 includes a first strip 71 fixed to the first pocket 61 and a second strip 72 fixed to the second pocket 62, and a fastener 73 to move along the first strip 71 or the second strip 72 and to fasten the first strip 71 with the second strip 72. The first strip 71 passes through the fastener 73 in a zigzag manner and the second strip is fixed to the fastener 73. Therefore, the fastener 73 may move along the first strip 71 to control the space between the first traction device 10 and the second traction device 20.

Referring to again FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it can be seen that a binding device 80 is used to wear the present invention. The binding device 80 includes a first belt 81 fixed to the first pocket 61 and a second belt 82 fixed to the second pocket 62, and hook and loop fasteners 83 (Trademark: VELCRO) . Hooks 83a are stuck to the inside of the first belt 81 and loops 83b are stuck to the inside of the second belt 82. An additional binding device 90 is provided at the outside of the binding device 80 to assist the binding device 80. The additional binding device 90 includes an elastic band 91 fixed to the first pocket 61 and a second band 92 fixed to the second pocket 62, and hook and loop fasteners 93. Hooks 93a, 93b are stuck to the inside of the first and second bands 91, 92, and loops 93c, 93d are stuck to the outside of the first belt 81 and the elastic band 92.

Referring to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 shows that the upper and lower supporting members may be directly fixed to the uppermost tubes 12a, 12b, and the lowermost tubes 22a, 22b, respectively.

Now, the operation of the traction apparatus according to the present invention will be explained in detail.

First, referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, the space between the first traction device 10 and the second traction device 20 is controlled by the space controlling device 70 in accordance with the patient's body size. The space control may be carried out by moving the fastener 73 along the strip 71. When the length of the back webbing 63 is longer and shorter than the space between the first traction device 10 and the second device 20, the back webbing 63 may be folded or unfolded to appropriately accord the space between the first traction device 10 and the second traction device 10 with the length of the back webbing 63.

Next, the first traction device 10 and the second traction device 20 are positioned at the right and left portions of the lumbar region, the patient wears the traction apparatus according to the present invention by binding the first belt 81 and the second belt 82 by means of the hook and loop fasteners 83. Thereafter, the first band 91 and the second band 92 are bound by the hook and loop fasteners 93 to protect the movement of the first traction device 10 and the second traction device 20. After wearing the traction apparatus, the air is supplied into the tube 12 of the first traction device 10 via the second hose 52 by the pressure bulb 53. Continuously, the air is filled in the tube 22 of the second traction device 20 via the first hose 51. Therefore, the tubes 12, 22 are expanded to generate the traction forces as shown in FIG. 5b. According to the expansion of the tubes 12, 22, the upper supporting members 30, 31 and the lower supporting members 40, 41 more and more strongly support the lower portion of the chest region and the upper portion of the pelvis region. After the completion of the traction therapy, the filled air is discharged via the second hose 52 by the pressure bulb 53. Then the tubes 12, 22 are contracted as shown in FIG. 5a.

Although the present invention has been described by way of example with respect to the preferred embodiment, it is not limited thereto. Various changes and modifications may be made thereto within the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims .

Indutrial Applicability

As described above, the HNP sufferers easily wear the traction apparatus according to the present invention with simple structure of the first traction device and the second traction device. The space of the first and second traction devices may be easily controlled in accordance with the patient's body size, Therefore, the traction apparatus provides the patent increased wearing feeling and activity.

Claims

1. A traction apparatus for physical therapy of herniated nucleosus pulposus or sprain and strain, comprising: a first traction means for providing a patient' therapy region with variable traction forces and positioned at one side of the therapy region and having a plurality of expandable tubes stacked horizontally wherein each tube forms at least one closed compartment in flow communication with adjacent tubes; a second traction means for providing the therapy region with the variable traction forces and positioned at the other side of the therapy region and having a plurality of expandable tubes stacked horizontally wherein each tube forms at least one closed compartment in flow communication with adjacent tubes; a pneumatic pressure generating means for providing pneumatic pressures for said first and second traction means; a cover having a first pocket with said first traction means therein and a second pocket with said second traction means therein wherein the first pocket is connected with the second pocket; and a binding means for binding both ends of said cover.

2. The traction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction apparatus comprises upper supporting members for supporting an upper portion of the therapy region and lower supporting members for supporting a lower portion of the therapy region, the upper and lower supporting members provided at each uppermost tube of the plurality of expandable tubes and each lowermost tube of the plurality of expandable tubes .

3. The traction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pneumatic pressure generating means includes a first flexible hose to connect said first traction means with said second traction means and a second flexible hose connected to one of said first traction means and said second traction means, and a pneumatic pressure generator connected to the second hose.

4. The traction apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first hose is provided in a connecting portion between the first pocket and the second pocket of said cover

5. The traction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a space controlling means for controlling a space between the first pocket and the second pocket of said cover and constantly maintaining the space wherein the space controlling means includes a first strip fixed to the first pocket and a second strip fixed to the second pocket, and a fastener to move along the first strip or the second strip and to fasten the first strip with the second strip.

6. The traction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said binding means includes a first belt fixed to the first pocket of said cover and a second belt fixed to second pocket of said cover, and hook and loop fasteners to bind the first belt and the second belt.