Safety features for continuous motion therapy system
First Claim
1. A continuous motion system for providing continuous motion therapy to a patient'"'"'s limb, including:
- a carriage for supporting a patient'"'"'s limb;
drive means for driving the carriage through a range of reciprocal angular movement;
neuromuscular stimulation (NMS) means for applying electrical stimulation to muscles of the patient'"'"'s limb; and
control means for controlling the drive means and the NMS means, the control means including;
ON/OFF switch means having ON and OFF states for controlling the application of power to the control means;
NMS switch means having ON and OFF states for controlling the NMS means; and
NMS safety circuit means coupled to the ON/OFF switch means, the NMS switch means and the NMS means for disabling the NMS means and thereby preventing the application of electrical stimulation when the ON/OFF switch means is is in its ON state until after the NMS switch means has been switched from its OFF state to its ON state.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Safety features for a continuous motion therapy system of the type including a carriage for supporting a patient'"'"'s limb, a drive unit for driving the carriage through a range of reciprocal angular movement, first and second channel neuromuscular stimulators for applying electrical stimulation to muscles of a patient'"'"'s limb, and a controller for controlling the drive unit and stimulators. Both stimulator channels must be turned OFF after the controller is powered up before either stimulator channel will operate. The drive unit is enclosed by a cover. When pressure on the cover is sensed, the controller stops and reverses the direction of the carriage. The drive unit includes a drive motor which is coupled to the carriage by a linkage. Limit switches provide limit signals when the linkage reaches predetermined limit positions. In response, the controller stops and reverses direction of the carriage. A remote patient controller which is coupled to the controller by a multiconductor cable permits the patient to control motion of the carriage from a remote location. Should the cable be disconnected from the controller, or should any lead therein become open or short circuited, the controller causes motion of the carriage to stop either immediately or after the remote patient controller is again actuated.
51 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A continuous motion system for providing continuous motion therapy to a patient'"'"'s limb, including:
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a carriage for supporting a patient'"'"'s limb; drive means for driving the carriage through a range of reciprocal angular movement; neuromuscular stimulation (NMS) means for applying electrical stimulation to muscles of the patient'"'"'s limb; and control means for controlling the drive means and the NMS means, the control means including; ON/OFF switch means having ON and OFF states for controlling the application of power to the control means; NMS switch means having ON and OFF states for controlling the NMS means; and NMS safety circuit means coupled to the ON/OFF switch means, the NMS switch means and the NMS means for disabling the NMS means and thereby preventing the application of electrical stimulation when the ON/OFF switch means is is in its ON state until after the NMS switch means has been switched from its OFF state to its ON state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A continuous motion system for providing continuous motion therapy to a patient'"'"'s limb, including:
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a carriage for supporting a patient'"'"'s limb; drive unit means for driving the carriage through a range of reciprocal angular movement by cyclically driving the carriage in a first direction toward an extension end position and in a second direction toward a flexion end position; obstruction sensor means for sensing obstructions with respect to the carriage; and control means responsive to the obstruction sensor means for controlling the drive unit means and causing the carriage to be driven as a function of sensed obstructions. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A continuous motion system for providing continuous motion therapy to a patient'"'"'s limb, including:
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a carriage for supporting a patient'"'"'s limb; drive unit means for driving the carriage through a range of reciprocal angular movement; a remote patient controller switch; a remote patient controller cable having a plurality of conductors with first and second ends, the first ends of the conductors interfaced to the remote patient controller switch; and control means, to which the second ends of the conductors of the remote patient controller cable are interfaced, for controlling the drive unit means as a function of patient actuation of the remote patient controller switch and for causing motion of the carriage to stop when some of the conductors of the remote patient controller cable are open circuited. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A continuous motion system for providing continuous motion therapy to a patient'"'"'s limb, including:
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a carriage for supporting a patient'"'"'s limb; drive unit means for driving the carriage through a range of reciprocal angular movement; a remote patient controller switch; a remote patient controller cable having a plurality of conductors with first and second ends, the first ends of the conductors interfaced to the remote patient controller switch; and control means, to which the second ends of the conductors of the remote patient controller cable are interfaced, for controlling the drive unit means as a function of patient actuation of the remote patient controller switch and for causing motion of the carriage to stop when some of the conductors of the remote patient controller cable are short circuited to one another. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A continuous motion system for providing continuous motion therapy to a patient'"'"'s limb, including:
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a carriage for supporting a patient'"'"'s limb; drive unit means for driving the carriage through a range of reciprocal angular movement; a remote patient controller switch; a remote patient controller cable having a plurality of conductors with first and second ends, and first ends of the conductors interfaced to the remote patient controller switch; a plug connector interfaced to the second ends of the conductors of the remote patient controller cable; and control means, including a jack adapted to receive the plug connector, for controlling the drive unit means as a function of patient actuation of the remote patient controller switch and for causing motion of the carriage to stop when the plug connector is unplugged from the jack. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification