Patent ID: 8376909
Filing Date: 2013-02-19
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A therapy evaluation machine used for measuring range of motion during the rehabilitation of an injury to a patient's hand, the therapy evaluation machine comprising: a horizontal machine base, the base including an upwardly extending, vertical first frame member and a spaced apart, vertical second frame member; a horizontal exercise torque bar rotatably mounted on and suspended from the first and second frame members, the torque bar adapted for gripping and manual rotation by the patient's hand; a 360 degree, range of motion scale, the motion scale mounted on one end of the torque bar, the motion scale used for visually measuring range of motion in degrees by the manual rotation of the torque bar by the patient's hand; a gear box coupled to an opposite end of the torque bar, the gear box having increased torque ratios for measuring angular displacement and torque ranges when used by different strengths of the patient's hand; and a strain gauge coupled to the gear box, the strain gauge configured to be activated by the rotation of the torque bar, and the strain gauge configured to measure resistance to the torque bar during the manual rotation by the patient's hand.