Rehabilitation apparatus and method

• US 6,413,190 B1
• Filed: 07/27/1999
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enhanced Oilfield Technologies, LLC (Key Energy Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Enhanced Oilfield Technologies, LLC (Key Energy Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wood, Krista Coleman, Koval, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): MULCAHY, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/361,753
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 482/1, 482/4-9, 482/901-902, 600/505, 453/36, 453/37, 453/38, 733/790.1
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1071 measuring angles, e.g. using goniometers A61B5/1123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0007 Games with therapeutic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A system for rehabilitative therapy including a muscle contraction or body movement sensor coupled to a converter or interface, which is in turn coupled to a computer input port. The system includes software running on the computer for obtaining patient data, obtaining real time sensor data, storing sensor historical data, and outputting the sensor data as gamepiece movement or position in an executing computer game. In one embodiment, joint flexion and extension are required to move a cursor right and left. In another embodiment, joint rotation is required to move a cursor up and down. In one system the interface outputs data to a computer serial port. In one system, the relative sensor position is reflected in gamepiece position. In another system, the sensor position relative to a threshold is reflected in gamepiece movement after the body sensor passes a threshold in muscle contraction or body movement. A preferred system includes software for analyzing the therapy data, preparing a summary, and forwarding the data and/or summary to another computer. The system encourages repetitive muscle contraction or body movement and rehabilitative therapy by requiring body movement to play a computer game. The system allows tracking and analysis of those muscle contractions or body movements over a single session and over multiple sessions over days and months.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring rehabilitation patient therapy activity, comprising:

first means for detecting a first muscle contraction;

second means for detecting a second muscle contraction;

means for Boolean anding the presence of the first and second muscle contraction;

means for operating a computer game including a display having a gamepiece, wherein said gamepiece has a position on said display; and

means for setting said gamepiece display position responsive to said means for Boolean anding, such that measuring two muscle contractions is necessary to move said gamepiece on said display.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second muscle contraction is a non-relaxed muscle contraction state.