Patent ID: 9554964
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A41D,A61D,A61F,A61H,A63B,B32B

Claim:
1. A system for assisting the motion of or supporting a body of a mammal having a body weight during a treatment procedure, said system comprising: (a) a pressure-tight suit adapted to being worn over all or a portion of one or more of the mammal's body parts consisting of a torso, leg, or arm, the pressure-tight suit having at least one opening adapted to be positioned around the mammal's torso, leg, arm, or neck for accommodation by the pressure-tight suit of the body parts; (b) each opening of the pressure-tight suit having connected adjacent thereto a pressure-tight seal for operative engagement of a body part surface of the mammal; (c) inlet means in the suit for introduction of at least one source of a positive pressure or vacuum to an interior of the suit between the mammal body and the suit to create a differential pressure condition therein between the positive pressure or vacuum condition inside the suit, and a pressure condition existing outside the suit; (d) a rigid band adapted to be positioned at least partially around the mammal's torso and operatively connected to the suit by means of at least one cord and pulley assembly; (e) support means separate from the suit operatively connected to the rigid waist band by attachment means for counteracting a downwards force applied to the suit when it is placed under the differential pressure condition; (f) wherein the differential pressure condition is adapted to exert an upwards force upon the body part to offload a portion of the weight of the body to the support means, while the cord and pulley assembly provides the mammal greater lateral and rotational freedom of movement with respect to the support means.