Exercise apparatus for a person with muscular deficiency

• US 7,497,806 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neopraxis Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Neopraxis Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Parker, Simon Geoffrey, Curcic, Branka, Duncan, Michael Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US10/344,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20040023759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,759 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482/51, 482/62, 482900-902, 434/247, 602/23, 607/2, 607/49, 601/23, 601 27- 36
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance

Abstract

An exercise system (10) for exercising at least one limb, such as the legs, of a subject with spinal cord injury or deficiency. The system (10) comprises an exercise bicycle (20) having a crank (17) and pedals (16) to which the feet of the subject can be mounted, and a functional electrical stimulation (FES) system (30). The FES system (30) stimulates the muscles of the legs and includes a transducer (51) mountable to at least one of the legs of the subject (12) that outputs signals representative of the position and/or movement of the leg when performing the exercise. The FES system (30) further includes a control means that receives and processes the signals output by the transducer (51) and outputs control signals to a stimulator (35) that through electrodes (53) provides electrical stimulation to the legs of the subject (12) so as to cause the legs to drive the crank (17) of the bicycle (20).

Claims

1. A functional electrical stimulation system for exercising the limbs of a subject that are at least partially paralyzed, the system comprising:

a limb monitor having at least one sensor mountable to at least one of the at least partially paralyzed limbs of the subject that outputs signals representative of the position or movement of said at least one limb during exercise; and

a controller that receives and processes the signals output by the monitor and outputs control signals to a stimulator adapted to provide electrical stimulation to said at least one limb in response to the position or movement of said at least one limb detected by the monitor;

wherein the controller has a storage unit having at least one predetermined action sequence storable therein such that on receipt of signals from the monitor, said at least one predetermined action sequence is provided to the stimulator;

wherein the system further comprises an operator including at least one sensor that monitors the position of a portion of the subject'"'"'s body other than said at least one monitored limb and outputs predetermined signals in response to detection of predetermined movements by said portion of the subject'"'"'s body;

wherein detection of a predetermined movement of the torso of the subject'"'"'s body leads to activation or deactivation of the system.

2. A functional electrical stimulation system for exercising the legs of a subject that are at least partially paralyzed by causing the legs to move in a pedaling motion to cause rotation of a rotator of an exerciser, the system comprising:

a leg monitor having at least one sensor mountable to at least one of the at least partially paralyzed legs of the subject that outputs signals representative of the position or movement of said at least one leg during the pedaling motion;

a controller that receives and processes the signals output by the monitor and, during the exercise, outputs control signals to a stimulator adapted to provide electrical stimulation to the legs of the subject to cause them to move in the pedaling motion in response to the position and/or movement of said at least one leg detected by the monitor;

wherein the system further comprises an operator including at least one sensor that monitors the position of a portion of the subject'"'"'s body other than said at least one monitored leg and outputs predetermined signals in response to detection of predetermined movements by said portion of the subject'"'"'s body;

wherein detection of a predetermined movement of the torso of the subject'"'"'s body leads to activation or deactivation of the system.