Patent ID: 6221032
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
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 pivots 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 at least one intermediate limit within the desired range of motion, which intermediate limit corresponds to an oscillation zone angle between the upper leg support and the lower leg support, wherein each such intermediate limit is set:(1) as an extension limit which will correspond to an oscillation zone extension angle which is less than the operational extension angle; or(2) as a flexion limit which will correspond to an oscillation zone flexion angle which is greater than the operational flexion angle;(g) means for moving:(1) the extension limit from the operational extension limit to the intermediate extension limit; and(2) the extension limit from the intermediate extension limit to the operational extension limit;if the intermediate limit is set as an extension limit; or(3) the flexion limit from the operational flexion limit to the intermediate flexion limit; and(4) the flexion limit from the intermediate flexion limit to the operational flexion limit;if the intermediate limit is set as a flexion limit;(h) means for setting:(1) a number of times that the upper leg support and the lower leg support are pivoted from the operational extension angle to the intermediate flexion angle before the flexion limit is moved from the intermediate flexion limit to the operational flexion limit, if the intermediate limit is set as a flexion limit; or(2) a number of times that the upper leg support and the lower leg support are pivoted from the operational flexion angle to the intermediate extension angle before the extension limit is moved from the intermediate extension limit to the operational extension limit, if the intermediate limit is set as an extension limit; and(i) means for counting:(1) the number of times that the upper leg support and the lower leg support are pivoted from the operational extension angle to the intermediate flexion angle if the intermediate limit is set as a flexion limit; or(2) the number of times the upper leg support and the lower leg support are pivoted from the operational flexion angle to the intermediate extension angle if the intermediate limit is set as an extension limit.