Apparatus and methods for reducing brain and cervical spine injury

• US 8,834,394 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jamshid Ghajar
• Original Assignee: Jamshid Ghajar
• Inventors: Ghajar, Jamshid
• Primary Examiner(s): Bianco, Patricia
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, BRANDON LEE
• Application Number:
  US12/700,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20100204628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 602/5, 602/17, 602/18, 128/846, 128/869, 128/870, 128874-875, 2/62, 2/68, 2 4/4, 2 4/5, 241/1, 241/2, 242/1, 242/2, 246/8, 297/216.12, 297/216.13, 297/393, 297/405, 297/465, 297/470
• US Class Current: 602/18
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/055 Cervical collars

Abstract

In an embodiment, a device for reducing brain and cervical spine injury includes a headpiece sufficiently designed to secure to a user'"'"'s head, the headpiece having a first attachment member; a support harness sufficiently designed to secure to the user'"'"'s torso, the support harness having a second attachment member; and a telescoping member having a main tube and a series of progressively smaller diameter tubes nested within each other, wherein the smaller diameter tubes are adapted to extend and compress in a linear plane by the intake and outflow of fluid, wherein the telescoping member has a first engaging member for engaging the first attachment member, and wherein the telescoping member has a second engaging member for engaging the second attachment member.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a headpiece sufficiently designed to secure to a user'"'"'s head, the headpiece having a first attachment member;

a support harness sufficiently designed to secure to the user'"'"'s torso, the support harness having a second attachment member; and

a telescoping member adapted to linearly extend and compress by a respective ingress or egress of fluid,

wherein the telescoping member includes perforated portions adapted to allow the ingress and egress of fluid during extension and compression of the telescoping member, and wherein a rotatable circular member circumferentially surrounds an outer diameter of the telescoping member and is adapted to control the ingress and egress of fluid through the perforated portions,

wherein the telescoping member has a first engaging member for engaging the first attachment member, and

wherein the telescoping member has a second engaging member for engaging the second attachment member,

wherein the first engaging member and the first attachment member form a ball and socket joint adapted to allow three degrees of freedom, permitting rotary movement in all directions through the movement of the first engaging member in the first attachment member, and wherein the second engaging member and the second attachment member form a ball and socket joint adapted to allow three degrees of freedom, permitting rotary movement in all directions through the movement of the second engaging member in the second attachment member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the fluid is a gas.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the gas is air.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the fluid is a liquid.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein an airtight membrane in fluid communication with the perforated portions covers an inside surface of the telescoping member and is adapted to house the liquid.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the rotatable circular member is controlled electronically to expose more or less of the perforated portions.

7. A device comprising:

a headpiece sufficiently designed to secure to a user'"'"'s head, the headpiece having a first attachment member;

a support harness sufficiently designed to secure to the user'"'"'s torso, the support harness having a second attachment member; and

a telescoping member having expansion bellows adapted to linearly extend and compress by an ingress or egress of fluid,

wherein the telescoping member includes perforated portions adapted to allow the ingress and egress of fluid during extension and compression of the telescoping member, and wherein a rotatable circular member circumferentially surrounds an outer diameter of the telescoping member and is adapted to control the ingress and egress of fluid through the perforated portions,

wherein the telescoping member has a first engaging member for engaging the first attachment member, and

wherein the telescoping member has a second engaging member for engaging the second attachment member,

wherein the first engaging member and the first attachment member form a ball and socket joint adapted to allow three degrees of freedom, permitting rotary movement in all directions through the movement of the first engaging member in the first attachment member, and wherein the second engaging member and the second attachment member form a ball and socket joint adapted to allow three degrees of freedom, permitting rotary movement in all directions through the movement of the second engaging member in the second attachment member.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the fluid is a gas.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the gas is air.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein the fluid is a liquid.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein an airtight membrane in fluid communication with the perforated portions covers an inside surface of the telescoping member and is adapted to house the fluid.

12. The device of claim 7 wherein the rotatable circular member is controlled electronically to expose more or less of the perforated portions.

13. A method for preventing brain and cervical spine injury to a user comprising:

providing a device comprising;

a headpiece sufficiently designed to secure to the user'"'"'s head, the headpiece having a first attachment member;

a support harness sufficiently designed to secure to the user'"'"'s torso, the support harness having a second attachment member;

an acceleration threshold device sufficiently designed to detect external forces experienced by the user'"'"'s head and for providing an output signal to a processor to trigger an event; and

a telescoping member adapted to linearly extend and compress by an ingress or egress of fluid,

wherein the telescoping member includes perforated portions adapted to allow the ingress or egress of fluid during extension and compression of the telescoping member and wherein the event signal triggers movement of a rotatable circular member to expose more or less of the perforated portions,

wherein the telescoping member has a first engaging member for engaging the first attachment member, the first engaging member and the first attachment member forming a ball and socket joint adapted to allow three degrees of freedom, permitting rotary movement in all directions through the movement of the first engaging member in the first attachment member, and

wherein the telescoping member has a second engaging member for engaging the second attachment member, the second engaging member and the second attachment member forming a ball and socket joint adapted to allow three degrees of freedom, permitting rotary movement in all directions through the movement of the second engaging member in the second attachment member;

connecting the first engaging member of the telescoping member with the first attachment member of the headpiece approximately at a level of the user'"'"'s inion;

connecting the second engaging member of the telescoping member with the second attachment member of the support harness approximately at a level of the user'"'"'s C7/T1 spinous processes;

detecting, using an acceleration threshold detector, external contact forces experienced by the user'"'"'s head to determine acceleration of the user'"'"'s head;

providing, using the acceleration threshold detector, an output signal representing if the determined acceleration experienced by the user'"'"'s head reached a predetermined threshold;

receiving, using a processor, the output signal from the acceleration threshold detector; and

generating, using the processor, an event signal to trigger the intake or outflow of fluid by the telescoping member in response to the determined acceleration.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the fluid is selected from one of a gas or a liquid.