Patent ID: 6267735
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: A61H

Abstract:
A therapeutic device for use in providing physical therapy for a patient's knee, which device comprises:(a) an elongated frame having an axis;(b) a lower leg support having a first end and a second end and being adapted to support the lower leg of the patient;(c) an upper leg support having a first end and a second end and being adapted to support the upper leg of the patient;wherein the first end of the upper leg support is pivotally connected to the first end of the lower leg support so that said upper leg support and said lower leg support are pivoted with respect to each other through a plurality of pivotal positions, each of which establishes an angle between said upper leg support and said lower leg support; and wherein said frame, lower leg support and upper leg support are interconnected in a manner such that both the tibia and the femur of the patient are generally coplanar with the axis of the frame; said therapeutic device further including:(d) means for repeatedly pivoting the lower leg support and the upper leg support at the connection therebetween so as to move the patient's leg through a plurality of cycles of motion, each of which:(1) imposes a range of motion on the patient's leg comprising a flexion phase, in which the angles of the pivotal positions between the lower leg support and the upper leg support are decreasing, and an extension phase, in which the angles of the pivotal positions between the lower leg support and the upper leg support are increasing;(2) is defined by a flexion limit which establishes the minimum angle between the lower leg support and the upper leg support to which the lower leg support and the upper leg support are pivoted during a flexion phase and an extension limit which establishes the maximum angle between the lower leg support and the upper leg support to which the lower leg support and the upper leg support are pivoted during an extension phase;(e) means for setting a desired range of motion including:(1) an operational extension limit which corresponds to an operational extension angle between the upper leg support and the lower leg support to which the upper and lower leg supports are pivoted during the extension phase of a cycle; and(2) an operational flexion limit which corresponds to an operational flexion angle between the upper leg support and the lower leg support to which the upper and lower leg supports are pivoted during the flexion phase of a cycle;(f) means for setting a comfort zone limit within the desired range of motion, which comfort zone limit corresponds to a comfort zone angle between the upper leg support and the lower leg support, wherein said comfort zone limit is set:(1) as a flexion limit which will correspond to a comfort zone flexion angle that is greater than the operational flexion angle; or(2) as an extension limit which will correspond to a comfort zone extension angle that is less than the operational extension angle;(g) means for setting at least one intermediate limit within the desired range of motion, wherein each such intermediate limit corresponds to an intermediate angle between the upper leg support and the lower leg support, and wherein each such intermediate limit is set:(1) as a flexion limit, if the comfort zone limit is set as a flexion limit, so that each intermediate limit will correspond to an intermediate flexion angle between the upper leg support and the lower leg support that is less than the comfort zone flexion angle and greater than the operational flexion angle, and so that if more than one intermediate flexion limit is set, each such limit after the first in a sequence of such limits will correspond to a flexion angle that is less than the flexion angle which corresponds to the previous flexion limit in the sequence; or(2) as an extension limit, if the comfort zone limit is set as an extension limit, so that each intermediate limit will correspond to an intermediate extension angle between the upper leg support and the lower leg support that is greater than the comfort zone extension angle and less than the operational extension angle, and so that if more than one intermediate extension limit is set, each such limit after the first in a sequence of such limits will correspond to an extension angle that is greater than the extension angle which corresponds to the previous extension limit in the sequence;(h) means for moving:(1) the flexion limit, if the comfort zone limit is set as a flexion limit, sequentially from the operational flexion limit to the comfort zone limit, and then to each intermediate flexion limit, in turn, wherein each successive intermediate limit is nearer to the operational flexion limit than the next preceding intermediate flexion limit, and then to the operational flexion limit;(2) the extension limit, if the comfort zone limit is set as an extension limit, sequentially from the operational extension limit to the comfort zone limit, and then to each intermediate extension limit, in turn, wherein each successive intermediate extension limit is nearer to the operational extension limit than the next preceding intermediate extension limit, and then to the operational extension limit;(i) means for counting:(1) the number of times the upper leg support and the lower leg support are pivoted from the operational extension limit to the comfort zone limit, if the comfort zone limit is set as a flexion limit;(2) the number of times the upper leg support and the lower leg support are pivoted from the operational flexion limit to the comfort zone limit, if the comfort zone limit is set as an extension limit;(j) means for setting:(1) the number of times the upper leg support and the lower leg support are pivoted from the operational extension limit to the comfort zone limit, if the comfort zone limit is set as a flexion limit;(2) the number of times the upper leg support and the lower leg support are pivoted from the operational flexion limit to the comfort zone limit, if the comfort zone limit is set as an extension limit.