Patent ID: 7998040
Filing Date: 2011-08-16
Classification: A61H,A63B

Abstract:
1. A physical therapy device for use in conjunction with a treadmill, the device comprising a cord for attachment to a foot and/or leg of a patient; a positionally adjustable stop plate defining an aperture, wherein the stop plate is configured to be positioned at an end of the treadmill and the cord is threaded through the one aperture; a cord stop fixed to the cord and positioned between a position of the patient on the treadmill and the stop plate, wherein the cord stop is configured such that the cord stop cannot pass through the aperture; and a resilient resistance force means under no actuator control attached to the at least one cord for resisting movement of the cord, wherein the resilient resistance force means is positioned on an opposite side of the stop plate from the cord stop; and wherein at the beginning of each step, when the patient's foot is placed down on the treadmill at a weight-bearing first position and the treadmill begins to move the patient's foot and/or leg in a first direction, the cord is moved from a slack condition and placed under tension, the cord stop is pulled apart from the stop plate, the resilient resistance force means is placed under increased load from an equilibrium position, and the resilient resistance force means exerts a pulling force in a second direction on patient's foot and/or leg; when the patient's foot and/or leg reaches a non-weight-bearing second position, the resilient resistance force means continues to pull the patient's foot and/or leg in the second direction returning the patient's foot/leg to an intermediate position when the respective cord stop strikes the stop plate; and the patient's foot and/or leg continues moving in the second direction while the cord returns to the slack condition until gravity pulls the patient's foot and/or leg into contact with the treadmill at substantially the first position.