Patent ID: 6050965
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: A61F,Y10S

Abstract:
A cervical collar for lifting the skull of a wearer, comprising:a) a core for replaceably encircling the neck of the wearer and having a non-wearing position and a wearing position; said core having a pair of free ends overlapping for facing the back of the neck of the wearer when said core is in said wearing position, with said core being releasably maintained in said wearing position by mating portions of hook and loop fasteners disposed on adjoining faces of said pair of free ends of said core;b) a pair of bladders being inflatable and disposed on said core; said core further having an inner surface with a pair of sides for facing the sides of the neck of the wearer, with each bladder of said pair of bladders only being disposed on a respective side of said pair of sides of said inner surface of said core; each bladder of said pair of bladders having an upper edge for facing the skull of the wearer; said upper edge of each bladder of said pair of bladders having:i) a proximal end with a cushion thereon for contacting only a point behind a respective angle of the jaw of the wearer; andii) a distal end with another cushion thereon for contacting the base of the skull of the wearer, only at a respective nuchal point on a respective side of the base of the skull of the wearer, with the point behind the respective angle of the jaw of the wearer and the respective nuchal point on the respective side of the base of the skull of the wearer being those portions of the skull of the wearer that are sufficient for handling upward supporting and lifting pressure when said pair of bladders are inflated; andc) inflating apparatus in fluid communication with said pair of bladders, and when said pair of bladders are inflated to a predetermined pressure by said inflating apparatus, the skull of the wearer is gently pushed off the shoulders of the wearer, which relieves downward pressure on the cervical spine of the wearer by forming intrinsic neck traction, whose early and continued use relieves pain and weakness and prevents major and sometimes non-reversible deterioration of the cervical spine of the wearer; said inflating apparatus comprising a filler tube depending at one end thereof from, and in fluid communication with, one bladder of said pair of bladders, and terminating at another end thereof; said inflating apparatus further comprising a squeezable hand bulb in fluid communication with said another end of said filler tube of said inflating apparatus, and when squeezed, inflating said pair of bladders; said inflating apparatus further comprising a set of relief valves, with one relief valve of said set of relief valves of said inflating apparatus at a time being in fluid communication with said filler tube of said inflating apparatus, between said squeezable hand bulb of said inflating apparatus and said one bladder of said pair of bladders, and which prevents over inflation of said pair of bladders preventing unnecessary trauma; said set of relief valves of said inflating apparatus being interchangeable which allows chances needed in head lifting pressure as clinical conditions warrant in the wearer as need arises.