Patient controlled therapy table

• US 5,667,529 A
• Filed: 02/28/1995
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tarry Adair Butner
• Original Assignee: Tarry Adair Butner
• Inventors: Butner, Tarry Adair
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULCARE, NANCY C
• Application Number:
  US08/395,904
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 5/613, 5/614, 5/618, 5/620, 606/237, 606/241, 606/240, 606/245, 602/32, 602/33, 602/35-36
• US Class Current: 602/33
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/009 Physiotherapeutic tables, beds or platforms; Chiropractic or osteopathic tables with incorporated massage means A61H2201/0138
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0222 Traction tables A61H1/0229 take precedence

Abstract

The invention is a physical therapy table having moveable sections allowing the patient to be placed in different physical positions as part of an individual physical therapy regimen wherein the patient himself applies and controls extension, traction and mobilization therapy.

Claims

1. I claim a patient operated treatment table comprising:

a treatment surface having two sides and an upper body section with a head end and a first connecting end and a lower body section with a second connecting end and a foot end wherein the first connecting end of the upper body section and the second connecting end of the lower body section are mutually rotatingly connected; and

patient manually operated mechanical means for rotating the head end of the upper body section upwardly toward the lower body section;

wherein;

the head end of the upper body portion is a U-shape surface with a base and arms, and

the base of the U-shape is adapted to support a patient'"'"'s chest, and

the arms of the U-shape are adapted to support a patient'"'"'s shoulders and head, and

the width of the surface of the U-shaped head end is more narrow than the width of the lower body portion.

2. I claim a table according to claim 1, including patient manually operated mechanical means for applying traction to the patient wherein the means applying traction comprises:

an upper body harness adapted to be fixed about a patient'"'"'s upper torso when the patient is resting face down on the treatment surface with head, chest and shoulders resting on the U-shaped head end, said harness capable of securing the upper torso to the upper body section of the treatment surface, and

a lower body harness adapted to be fixed about the patient'"'"'s lower torso and provided with a cable extending to the foot end of the lower body section, beneath the surface and then to a cable tightening means located beneath the U-shaped head end within reach of the patient.

3. I claim a table according to claim 1, including patient manually operated mechanical means for applying mobilization pressure to the patient wherein the means applying mobilization pressure comprises:

a mobilization bar with two ends, said bar positioned to extend across the back of a patient resting face down on the treatment surface with head, chest and shoulders resting on the U-shaped head end; and

levers extending along the two sides of the treatment table and extending from the upper body section to the lower body section, each adapted to be rotated about a center of rotation located on the respective side of the treatment surface, each lever is connected to one of the two ends of the mobilization bar, each lever being provided with a handle toward the head end and within reach of the patient and a counter balance weight toward the foot end of the treatment table;

wherein downward pressure on the handles causes the mobilization bar to contact and press downwardly on the patient'"'"'s back.

4. I claim a table according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical means rotating the upper body section is a hydraulic jack located under the upper body section and is adapted for operation by a patient resting face down on the treatment surface with head, chest and shoulders supported by the U-shaped head end, said hydraulic jack capable of raising the head end of the upper body section to rotate the upper body section toward the lower body section.

5. I claim a table according to claim 1, including a second patient manually operated mechanical means for rotating the foot end of the lower body section upwardly and toward the upper body section.

6. I claim a table according to claim 5, wherein the mechanical means for rotating the lower body section is a hydraulic jack located under the lower body section, said jack adapted for operation by a patient resting face down on the treatment surface with head, chest and shoulders supported by the U-shaped head end, said hydraulic jack capable of raising the foot end of the lower body section to rotate the lower body section toward the upper body section.

7. I claim a table according to claim 4, wherein said patient operated mechanical means is adapted to simultaneously rotate the head end of the upper body section upwardly and toward the lower body section and the foot end of the lower body section upwardly and toward the upper body section.

8. I claim a patient operated treatment table comprising:

a treatment surface having two sides, an upper body section with a head end and a first connecting end and a lower body section with a second connecting end and a foot end wherein the first connecting end of the upper body section and the second connecting end of the lower body section are mutually rotatingly connected; and

patient manually operated mechanical means for rotating the upper body section toward the lower body section; and

patient operated mechanical means for applying traction to the patient comprising;

an upper body harness adapted to be fixed about a patient'"'"'s upper body when the patient is resting face down on the treatment surface, said harness provided with a first cable extending to the head end, then extending beneath the treatment surface and then to first cable tightening means located under the head end within reach of the patient; and

a lower body harness adapted to be fixed about the patient'"'"'s lower body and provided with a second cable extending to the foot end of the lower body section then extending beneath the treatment surface and then to a second cable tightening means located under the head end and within reach of the patient.

9. I claim a table according to claim 8, wherein:

the head end of the upper body section is a U-shape with a base, arms and surface,

the base of the U-shaped head end is adapted to support a patient'"'"'s chest and the arms of the U-shaped head end are adapted to support a patient'"'"'s shoulders and head, and

the width of the surface of the U-shaped head end is more narrow than the width of the lower body section.

10. I claim a table according to claim 8, including patient manually operated mechanical means applying mobilization pressure to the patient and comprising:

a mobilization bar with two ends, said bar positioned to extend across the back of a patient resting face down on the treatment surface; and

levers extending along each of the two sides of the treatment table and extending from the upper body section to the lower body section, each adapted to be rotated about a center of rotation located on the respective side of the treatment surface, each of said levers connected to one of two ends of the mobilization bar, each lever being provided with a handle toward the head end of the upper body section and within reach of the patient, and a counter balance weight toward the foot end of the treatment table;

wherein downward pressure on the handles causes the mobilization bar to contact and press downwardly on the patient'"'"'s back.

11. I claim a table according to claim 8, wherein the mechanical means rotating the upper body section is a hydraulic jack located under the upper body section and is adapted for operation by the patient resting face down on the treatment surface, said hydraulic jack capable of raising the head end of the upper body section to rotate the upper body section toward the lower body section.

12. I claim a table according to claim 8, including patient manually operated mechanical means for rotating the foot end of the lower body section upwardly and toward the upper body section.

13. I claim a table according to claim 12, wherein the mechanical means rotating the lower body section is a hydraulic jack adapted for operation by the patient resting face down on the treatment surface, said hydraulic jack capable of raising the foot end of the lower body section so as to rotate the lower body section toward the upper body section.

14. I claim a patient operated treatment table comprising:

a treatment surface having two sides and an upper body section and a lower body section, said surface adapted to support a patient receiving treatment;

patient operated mechanical means for applying mobilization pressure to the patient, wherein the mechanical means comprises;

a mobilization bar with two ends, said bar positioned to extend across the back and spine of a patient resting face down on the treatment surface;

levers extending along the two sides of the treatment surface and extending from the upper body section to the lower body section, each lever adapted to rotate about a center of rotation located on the respective side of the treatment surface, each of said levers connected to one of the two ends of the mobilization bar, each lever being provided with a handle toward the head end of the upper body section within reach of the patient, and a counter balance weight toward the foot end of the of the treatment table;

wherein downward pressure on the handles causes the mobilization bar to contact and press downwardly on the patient'"'"'s back.

15. I claim a table according to claim 14, wherein the mobilization bar is padded and further wherein the padded bar is provided at its center with an unpadded annular notch, said notch adapted to fit over the spine of a patient lying on the treatment surface.

16. I claim a table according to claim 14, wherein the upper body section has a head end and a first connecting end and the lower body section has a second connecting end and a foot end and further wherein the first connecting end of the upper body section and the second connecting end of the lower body section are mutually rotatingly connected.

17. I claim a table according to claim 14, wherein:

the head end of the upper body section is a U-shape with a base, arms and a surface, and

the base of the U-shape is adapted to support a patient'"'"'s chest, and

the arms of the U-shape are adapted to support a patient'"'"'s shoulders and head, and

the width of the surface of the U-shaped head end of the upper body section is more narrow than the width of the lower body section.

18. I claim a table according to claim 14 including patient manually operated mechanical means adapted to rotate the head end of the upper body section upwardly toward the lower body section and patient manually operated mechanical means to rotate the foot end of the lower body section upwardly toward the upper body section.

19. I claim a table according to claim 16, including patient manually operated mechanical means for applying traction to the patient wherein said means comprises:

an upper body harness adapted to be fixed about a patient'"'"'s upper torso when the patient is resting face down on the treatment surface, said harness securing the upper torso to the upper body section of the treatment surface, and

a lower body harness adapted to be fixed about the patient'"'"'s lower torso and provided with a cable extending to the foot end of the lower body section, beneath the treatment surface and then to a cable tightening means located beneath the U-shaped head end within reach of the patient.