METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING AND MONITORING THE MOVEMENT OF HUMAN LIMBS
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An orthotic apparatus for use in providing improved range of motion is provided which allows the amount of stretch to be hydraulically powered and measured by the device, but controlled by the user. Because the apparatus accurately calculates the amount of stretch, the user, together with the user'"'"'s physician and therapist, can develop a rehabilitation plan based on accurate measurements. Progress is based on tangible results rather than the user'"'"'s ability to tolerate pain. This knowledge provides the incentive the user needs to work toward and achieve the user'"'"'s goal.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1-6. -6. (canceled)
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7. A leg manipulating device for manipulating the leg of a user sitting in a seat and for measuring at least one characteristic of said leg during said manipulation, said device comprising:
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an elongate frame member having a longitudinal axis and a first and a second end; a foot support carriage member movably attached relative to said elongate frame member, said foot support carriage member including a foot accepting portion configured for accepting the placement of the foot of said leg of said user while said user is sitting in said seat, a force member operably associated with said foot support carriage member configured to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said elongate frame member so as to cause said leg of said user to be bent from a first, lesser-bent, position to a second, greater-bent, position, in which said foot provides more force against said foot accepting portion when in said second position when compared to said first position; and a sensing device configured to determine when said foot of said patient provides at least a predetermined force against said foot accepting portion between said first and second positions. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for manipulating the leg of a user having a posterior suitable for sitting in a seat, said method comprising the steps of:
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A) providing a leg manipulating device including the following associated elements; 1) an elongate frame member having a longitudinal axis and a first and a second end; 2) a foot support carriage member movably attached relative to said elongate frame member, said foot support carriage member including a foot accepting portion configured for accepting the placement of the foot of said leg of said user while said user is sitting in said seat, 3) a force member operably associated with said foot support carriage member, said force member configured to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said elongate frame member; and 4) a sensing device configured to determine when said foot of said patient provides at least a predetermined force against said foot accepting portion between said first and second positions; B) situating the posterior of said user in said seat; C) operating said force member such that foot support carriage member moves along said elongate frame member so as to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said elongate frame member so as to cause said leg of said user to be bent from a first, lesser-bent, position to a second, greater-bent, position, in which said foot provides more force against said foot accepting portion when in said second position when compared to said first position; and D) measuring at least one characteristic of said leg during at least a portion of step “
C”
by use of said sensing device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for manipulating the leg of a user having a posterior suitable for sitting in a seat, said method comprising the steps of:
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A) providing a leg manipulating device including the following associated elements; 1) an elongate frame member having a longitudinal axis and a first and a second end; 2) a foot support carriage member movably attached relative to said elongate frame member, said foot support carriage member including a foot accepting portion configured for accepting the placement of the foot of said leg of said user while said user is sitting in said seat, 3) a force member operably associated with said foot support carriage member, said force member configured to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said elongate frame member; and 4) a sensing device configured to determine when said foot of said patient provides at least a predetermined force against said foot accepting portion between said first and second positions; and B) situating the posterior of said user in said seat; C) operating said force member such that foot support carriage member moves along a first direction relative to said elongate frame member so as to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said elongate frame member so as to cause said leg of said user to be bent from a first, lesser-bent, position to a second, greater-bent, position, in which said foot provides more force against said foot accepting portion when in said second position when compared to said first position; D) measuring at least one characteristic of said leg during at least a portion of step “
C”
by use of said sensing device;E) operating said force member such that foot support carriage member moves along a second direction relative to said elongate frame member, said second direction being opposite to said first direction, so as to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said elongate frame member so as to cause said leg of said user to be bent from said second, greater-bent, position, to a third, intermediate-bent, position in which said foot provides less force against said foot accepting portion when compared to said second position, but greater force when compared to said first position; and F) measuring the said same one characteristic of said leg measured at step “
D”
, during at least a portion of step “
E”
by use of said sensing device. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for manipulating the leg of a user having a posterior suitable for sitting in a seat, said method comprising the steps of:
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A) providing a leg manipulating device including the following associated elements; 1) a frame member; 2) a foot support carriage member movably attached relative to said frame member along an axis, said foot support carriage member including a foot accepting portion configured for accepting the placement of the foot of said leg of said user, 3) a force member operably associated with said foot support carriage member, said force member configured to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said axis relative to said frame member; and 4) a sensing device configured to determine when said foot of said patient provides at least a predetermined force against said foot accepting portion between said first and second positions; and 5) a data accumulating device configured for accumulating data relating to the elapsed time said foot of said patient provides at least said predetermined force against said foot accepting portion, B) situating the posterior of said user in said seat; C) operating said force member such that foot support carriage member moves along a first direction relative to said frame member so as to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said frame member so as to cause said leg of said user to be bent from a first, lesser-bent, position to a second, greater-bent, position, in which said foot provides more force against said foot accepting portion when in said second position when compared to said first position, said force being greater than said predetermined force; D) measuring at least one characteristic of said leg during at least a portion of step “
C”
by use of said sensing device;E) accumulating data during step “
D”
by use of said data accumulating device, relating to the elapsed time said foot of said patient provides at least said predetermined force against said foot accepting portion;F) operating said force member such that foot support carriage member moves along a second direction relative to said frame member, said second direction being opposite to said first direction, so as to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said frame member so as to cause said leg of said user to be bent from said second, greater-bent, position, to a third, intermediate-bent, position in which said foot provides less force against said foot accepting portion when compared to said second position, said less force being less than said predetermined force; G) measuring the said same one characteristic of said leg measured at step “
D”
, during at least a portion of step “
F”
by use of said sensing device;H) accumulating data during step “
G”
by use of said data accumulating device, relating to the elapsed time said foot of said patient provides at least said predetermined force against said foot accepting portion, said data accumulation being done prior to the point at which said foot provides a force against said foot accepting portion being less than said predetermined force;I) operating said force member such that foot support carriage member moves along said first direction relative to said frame member, so as to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said frame member so as to cause said leg of said user to be bent from said third position to a fourth position in which said foot provides greater force against said foot accepting portion when compared to said third position, said greater force being greater than said predetermined force; J) measuring the said same one characteristic of said leg measured at step “
D”
, during at least a portion of step “
F”
by use of said sensing device;K) accumulating data during step “
G”
by use of said data accumulating device, relating to the elapsed time said foot of said patient provides at least said predetermined force against said foot accepting portion, said data accumulation being done after the point at which said foot provides a force against said foot accepting portion being greater than said predetermined force; andL) combining the data accumulated during steps E, H, and K. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for manipulating the leg of a user, said method comprising the steps of:
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A) providing a leg manipulating device including the following associated elements; 1) a frame member; 2) a foot support carriage member movably attached relative to said frame member along an axis, said foot support carriage member including a foot accepting portion configured for accepting the placement of the foot of said leg of said user, 3) a force member operably associated with said foot support carriage member, said force member configured to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said axis relative to said frame member; and 4) a sensing device configured to determine when said foot of said patient provides at least a predetermined force against said foot accepting portion between said first and second positions; and 5) a data accumulating device configured for accumulating data relating to the elapsed time said foot of said patient provides at least said predetermined force against said foot accepting portion, B) situating the posterior of said user relative to said device; C) operating said force member such that foot support carriage member moves along said axis so as to cause said leg of said user to be bent in a plurality of positions, including a plurality of relatively greater-bent positions in which said foot of said patient provides a force being greater than said predetermined force, and also including a plurality of relatively lesser-bent positions in which said foot of said patient provides a force being lesser than said predetermined force, such that a during said operation said foot; D) measuring at least one characteristic of said leg during at least a portion of step “
C”
by use of said sensing device; andE) accumulating data during step “
D”
by use of said data accumulating device, relating to the total elapsed time said foot of said patient provides at least said predetermined force against said foot accepting portion during Step “
C”
. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A leg manipulating device for manipulating the leg of a user sitting in a seat and for measuring at least one characteristic of said leg during said manipulation, said device comprising:
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A) a frame member; B) a foot support carriage member movably attached relative to said frame member along an axis, said foot support carriage member including a foot accepting portion configured for accepting the placement of the foot of said leg of said user, C) a force member operably associated with said foot support carriage member, said force member configured to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said axis relative to said frame member; and D) a sensing device configured to determine when said foot of said patient provides at least a predetermined force against said foot accepting portion between said first and second positions; and E) a data accumulating device configured for accumulating data relating to the elapsed time said foot of said patient provides at least said predetermined force against said foot accepting portion. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method for manipulating the leg of a user, said method comprising the steps of:
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A) providing a leg manipulating device including the following associated elements; 1) a frame member; 2) a foot support carriage member movably attached relative to said frame member along an axis, said foot support carriage member including a foot accepting portion configured for accepting the placement of the foot of said leg of said user, 3) a force member operably associated with said foot support carriage member, said force member configured to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said axis relative to said frame member; and 4) a sensing device configured to determine when said knee encounters bending; and 5) a data accumulating device configured for accumulating data relating to the elapsed time said knee encounters a predetermined level of bending, B) situating the posterior of said user relative to said device; C) operating said force member such that foot support carriage member moves along said axis so as to cause said leg of said user to be bent in a plurality of positions; D) measuring the bending of said knee during at least a portion of step “
C”
by use of said sensing device; andE) accumulating data during step “
D”
by use of said data accumulating device, relating to the total elapsed time said knee of said patient encounters at least said predetermined level of bending. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56)
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57. A system for disseminating information relating to the manipulation of the leg of a user, said system including:
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A) a leg manipulating device including the following associated elements; 1) a frame member; 2) a foot support carriage member movably attached relative to said frame member along an axis, said foot support carriage member including a foot accepting portion configured for accepting the placement of the foot of said leg of said user, 3) a force member operably associated with said foot support carriage member, said force member configured to cause said foot support carriage member to move along said axis relative to said frame member; and 4) a sensing device configured to determine when said knee encounters bending; and 5) a data accumulating device configured for accumulating data relating to the elapsed time said knee encounters a predetermined level of bending; and B) a device for disseminating said data from step A-5 to a location remote from said device.
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Specification