Electromechanical Adjusting Instrument

• US 20070150004A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuromechanical Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Neuromechanical Innovations LLC
• Inventors: Colloca, Christopher, Keller, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,083,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/238
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/008 Apparatus for applying pressure or blows almost perpendicular to the body or limb axis, e.g. chiropractic devices for repositioning vertebrae, correcting deformation
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0292 for the spinal column A61H1/0218 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1685 interchangeable modular devices, A61H2201/0107
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5084 Acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0218 with alternating magnetic fields producing a translating or oscillating movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/005 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/16 Rectilinearly-movable armatures H01F7/17 takes precedence

Abstract

A chiropractic adjusting instrument comprising a housing; a thrust nose piece and an impact head to contact a body; a preload switch plunger; a dampening spring; a solenoid having a core; a preload spring; a recoil spring; an electronic pulse system operatively connected to a power source to provide alternating current for energizing the solenoid to impart impulse energy from the core to the thrust nose piece which is reproducible and independent of the power source; and a trigger system for triggering the electronic pulse system comprising an switch activated by the preload switch plunger. Preferably, the chiropractic adjusting instrument includes one or more of the following: an intelligent universal AC power converter; optimized force-time waveform; pulse mode operation; a sensing device having an sense output and a suite of electromechanical components designed to promote reproducible dynamic force impulses and safe operation.

Claims

1. A chiropractic adjusting instrument comprising:

a sensing device having an sense output,

an impact head coupled to the sensing device,

a housing containing

an electromechanical drive mechanism having a preload activation position and coupled to the impact head-sensing device,

an electronic pulse system coupled to the sense output and coupled to an electric power source and the electromechanical drive mechanism, and

a triggering system coupled to the electromechanical drive system by a switch and to the electronic pulse system by a trigger switch;

wherein the trigger switch can not activate the electronic pulse system to energize the electromechanical drive mechanism unless the electromechanical drive mechanism is in the preload activation position to activate the switch and wherein the impact head motion causes the sense output to control the electronic pulse system.

2. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensing device is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, load cell, or impedance head

3. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 2 wherein the electronic pulse system comprises a sensing processing unit to evaluate the sense output.

4. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 3 wherein the sensing processing unit is coupled to a programmable microprocessor used to control the electronic pulse system.

5. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 4 wherein the sensing processing unit is the programmable microprocessor.

6. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 3 further comprising a transmission device to transmit data between a computing device and the chiropractic adjusting instrument.

7. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 6 wherein the transmission device is a wireless transmission device.

8. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 3 wherein the sensing processing unit deactivates the electronic pulse system when a maximum spinal mobility is detected.

9. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 8 further comprising a indicator coupled to the trigger system, electronic pulse system and electromechanical system for status information.

10. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 9 wherein the indicator is selected from the group consisting of visual indicators or sound indicators.

11. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 10 wherein the indicator is at least one light emitting diode.

12. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 11 wherein the at least one light emitting diode indicates power, appropriate preload and electronic pulse mode, and error modes using combinations selected from the group consisting of at least one color, at least one blink and combinations thereof.

13. The chiropractic adjusting instrument as recited in claim 12 wherein the indicator is sound output devices.

14. A method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument comprising the steps of:

Initializing a data reset peak detector circuit,

Activating an electrically driven impact head to contact a body at least twice;

Reading the impact head response on a body each time using a sensing device;

Evaluating the sensing device measurements using a sensing processing unit;

Deactivating the electrically driven impact head when the first reading of the sensing device is exceeded by a subsequent reading of the sensing device such that the maximum spinal mobility has been obtained.

15. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 14 wherein the maximum spinal mobility has been obtained when the subsequent reading exceeds the first reading by a preset amount.

16. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 14 wherein the maximum spinal mobility has been obtained when the subsequent reading exceeds the first reading by at least one percent.

17. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 14 wherein the maximum spinal mobility has been obtained when the subsequent reading exceeds the first reading by at least two percent.

18. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 14 wherein the maximum spinal mobility has been obtained when the subsequent reading exceeds the first reading by at least five percent.

19. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 14 further comprising a step of counting a number times the step of activating the electrically driven impact head to contact a body is performed.

20. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 19 wherein if the step of counting exceeds a predetermined number of times between 2 and 24 the gun is deactivated.

21. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 14 further comprising the step of transmitting the sensing processing unit readings to a computing device.

22. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 14 wherein the sensing output is an accelerometer.

23. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 22 wherein the sensing processing unit is coupled to a programmable microprocessor.

24. The method for controlling an electric chiropractic adjusting instrument in claim 23 wherein the sensing processing unit is the programmable microprocessor.