Abstract:
A detachable orthopedic sling for treatment of a user&#39;s spine is provided. The detachable orthopedic sling includes first and second adjustable sections, first and second handholds, and a strap. The first and second adjustable sections permit adjustment of their respective lengths. The first and second adjustable sections extend from one or more attachment rings to the first and second handholds. The strap permits adjustment of its length and may be positioned by a user around his torso, under his arms, and across his back. The detachable orthopedic sling may be mechanically coupled to a support structure using the attachment rings and allows the user to hang from the sling to provide traction treatment of the user&#39;s spine.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application relates generally to therapeutic orthopedic devices and, more specifically, to a detachable orthopedic sling. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Back pain is a common and debilitating ailment. Traction is an alternative to surgery, drug therapy, and chiropractic manipulation for treatment of back pain. Some mechanisms for traction therapy require permanent installation in a building or a large, sturdy framework. Such mechanisms may be costly, not portable, and/or not suitable for home use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Various embodiments include a detachable orthopedic sling for treatment of a user&#39;s spine. In one embodiment, a detachable orthopedic sling includes first and second adjustable sections, first and second handholds, and a strap. The first and second adjustable sections are configured to permit adjustment of their respective lengths. The first and second adjustable sections extend from one or more attachment rings to the first and second handholds. The strap is configured to permit adjustment of its length and to be positioned by a user around his torso, under his arms, and across his back. The detachable orthopedic sling is configured to mechanically couple to a support structure using the one or more attachment rings and to allow the user to hang from the sling to provide traction treatment of the user&#39;s spine. 
     In another embodiment, a detachable orthopedic sling includes a first attachment section, first and second adjustable sections, first and second handholds, and a strap. The first attachment section includes first and second attachment rings. The first and second adjustable sections are permanently coupled to the first and second attachment rings, respectively. The first and second adjustable sections are configured to permit adjustment of their respective lengths. The first and second adjustable sections extend from the first and second attachment rings to the first and second handholds, respectively. The strap is configured to permit adjustment of its length and to be positioned by a user around his torso, under his arms, and across his back. The detachable orthopedic sling is configured to mechanically couple to a support structure using the one or more attachment rings and to allow the user to hang from the sling to provide traction treatment of the user&#39;s spine. 
     Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts: 
         FIG. 1  presents an orthogonal view of a detachable orthopedic sling according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  presents a second orthogonal view of a detachable orthopedic sling according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  presents a third orthogonal view of a detachable orthopedic sling according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an attachment strap according to another exemplary embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  presents an orthogonal view of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure in use; 
         FIG. 6  presents an orthogonal view of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure in use; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an attachment strap according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  presents an orthogonal view of two exemplary embodiments of the disclosure in use; 
         FIG. 9  presents an orthogonal view of a portion of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 10  presents an orthogonal view of a portion of another exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1 through 10 , discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged method and apparatus for payment of invoices. 
     The present disclosure relates to a detachable sling for therapeutic treatment of a human spine. The sling may be temporarily attached to a structure for use in providing therapeutic traction treatment of a user&#39;s spine. When not in use, the sling may be detached from the structure for storage, transportation, or other purpose. Examples of structures to which the sling may be temporarily attached include, but are not limited to, a door of a building or vehicle, a tree branch or other horizontal bar, or a body of a truck or other vehicle. 
       FIGS. 1, 2 and 3  present an apparatus  100  according to a first embodiment of the disclosure. An attachment strap portion  102  is permanently attached to a sling portion  104  by attachment rings  106 . In other embodiments, the sling  104  may be detachably coupled to the strap  102  using a carabiner, a J-hook, an S-hook, or other suitable quick coupler. The strap portion  102  is placed over a top side of a door of a building. The sling portion  104  is placed around the back and under the arms of a person for therapeutic traction treatment of the spine. 
     The attachment strap portion is configured to engage three sides of a top portion of the door, as well as the top side of the door. The strap portion  102  includes a slide adjustment mechanism  108  to permit a length of the strap  102  to be changed to adapt to a width of the door  110 . A hinge side of the strap  102  includes a safety loop  112  to prevent the strap  102  from slipping off the door while the person is suspended in the sling  104 . 
     In other embodiments, the apparatus  100  may be adapted for use with tall doors, for example, doors over nine feet high. In such embodiments, a attachment strap portion  102  is attached using a carabiner to the attachment rings  106  and flipped up to fit over the top side of the door on the handle side of the door and adjusted with the slider  108  to adjust for height. 
     The sling  104  includes adjustable sections  114  and  116 , on the left and right side, respectively, to allow for vertical positioning of handholds  118  and  120 . The handholds  118  and  120  serve as handles for the user, to enable proper use and ease of use of the sling  104 . Depending on the orthopedic position desired by the user, these handles allow the user to easily pull himself up to a standing vertical position and maneuver within the sling  104 . 
     The sling  104  also includes a strap  122  that extends between the handholds  118  and  120 . The handhold  120  is a single ring, and one end of the strap  122  is attached to the ring  120  by a loop in a first end of the strap  122 . The handhold  118  is a pair of rings, and a second end of the strap  122  passes through the pair of rings. In this way, a length of the strap  122  may be adjusted to further adapt the sling  104  to the needs of the user. Pads  124  and  126  are slideably attached to the strap  122 . The strap  122  is configured to permit a user to position the strap  122  around his torso, under his arms, and across his back, and to hang from the sling to provide traction treatment of the user&#39;s spine. 
     While the single ring of handhold  120  and the double ring of handhold  118  function both as handholds and as attachment points for the strap  122 , in other embodiments separate structures may be used to serve as attachment points and handles. Such handles may include a T-shaped handle or other handle adapted for comfortable grasping by a user&#39;s hand. 
       FIG. 9  shows a portion of an apparatus  900  according to another embodiment of the disclosure. A sling  904  includes non-adjustable sections  914  and  916 , extending from attachment rings  906  to handholds  918  and  920 , respectively. The sections  914  and  916  have loops at each end to couple to the attachment rings  906  and the handholds  918  and  920 . 
       FIG. 10  shows a portion of an apparatus  1000  according to yet another embodiment of the disclosure. A sling  1004  includes adjustable sections  1014  and  1016 . A loop at one end of the section  1014  couples the section  1014  to a handhold  1018 . A loop at one end of the section  1016  couples the section  1016  to a handhold  1020 . 
     Attachment rings  1006  include double rings on each side of the apparatus  1000 . Second ends of sections  1014  and  1016  pass through the double rings of the attachment rings  1006  in a conventional cinch arrangement, to permit adjustment of the lengths of sections  1014  and  1016 . 
       FIG. 4  shows an attachment strap  400  according to another embodiment of the disclosure. The strap  400  includes a first end having a loop  402 , sized to accept a removable anchor  403 . In this embodiment, the removable anchor  403  is a cylindrical wooden dowel. In other embodiments, it will be understood that the removable anchor  403  may have any suitable shape and be fabricated of any suitable material. In still other embodiments, an anchor may be formed from the material of the attachment strap  400 , for example by forming a knot or by forming and securing a roll of the material. 
     Extending from the loop  402  is an extension portion  404  of the strap  400 . The loop  402  and removable anchor  403  may be located in the interior of a car, truck or other vehicle and the extension portion  404  laid over a top side of a door of the vehicle. When the door is closed, the extension portion  404  passes between the top side of the door and a door frame of the vehicle. When the user then attaches the sling  104  to the attachment strap  400  and places his weight on the sling  104 , the removable anchor  403  operates to hold the attachment strap  400  in place. 
     In other embodiments, the section  404  may be extended such that, after closing a first door of the vehicle to trap the anchor, the section  404  is passed over a top side of the vehicle to hang down on an opposite side of the vehicle from the first door. The user may then open a second door, on the opposite side of the vehicle, and place his legs partially within the interior of the vehicle while using the sling  104 . 
     The attachment strap  400  further includes a loop  406  at an opposite end of the portion  404  from the loop  402 . Permanently captured in the loop  406  are two rings  407 , preferably having a diameter of 2 inches. 
     An adjustment portion  408  of the attachment strap  400  extends from the loop  406 . The adjustment portion  408  is attached to a coupling mechanism  410 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the coupling mechanism is a J-hook and the adjustment portion  408  passes through a base portion of the J-hook, threaded through the two rings  407 , and back through the base portion of the J-hook. The rings  106  (or other quick couplers) of the sling  104  may be removably coupled to the coupling mechanism  410 . The cinch mechanism formed by the adjustment portion  408  and the rings  407  may be used to adjust a distance of the coupling mechanism  410  from the removable anchor  403 , thus adjusting a height of the coupling mechanism  410  from the ground, and thereby adjusting a height of the sling  104 . 
     While the coupling mechanism  410  is depicted as a J-hook, it will be understood that any other suitable quick release mechanism may be used in other embodiments. 
     In an embodiment of the sling  104  used with the attachment strap  400 , the two attachment rings  106  may be replaced with a single attachment ring, to which both adjustable sections  114  and  116  are coupled. 
       FIG. 5  depicts the attachment strap  400  and the sling  104  in use, attached to a door of a truck cab.  FIG. 6  depicts the attachment strap  400  and the sling  104  in use, attached to a door of a truck trailer. 
       FIG. 7  shows an attachment strap  700  according to another embodiment of the disclosure. The attachment strap  700  may be used with the attachment strap  400  to support the sling  104  from any suitably sturdy support structure. The attachment strap  700  includes first and second attachment features at corresponding first and second ends of the strap  700 . A first end of the strap  700  may be passed around the structure and the second end of the strap  700  passed through the first attachment feature, a loop material of the strap  700 , to couple the strap  700  to the structure. The removable anchor  403  and loop  402  of the attachment strap  400  may be passed through the second attachment feature, a loop at the second end of the strap  700 , to secure the strap  400  to the strap  700 . In other embodiments, the attachment rings  106  may be coupled directly to one of the first and second attachment features of the strap  700  using any suitable quick release coupler. 
       FIG. 8  shows the attachment strap  700 , the attachment strap  400 , and the sling  104  in a first configuration: attached to a vertical structure on a rear door of a truck trailer.  FIG. 8  also shows an elongated embodiment of the attachment strap  700  in a second configuration: coupled to a structure under a first side of the truck trailer, passed over a top side of the truck trailer, and extending down a second side of the truck trailer (the second side is opposite the first side). 
     In the second configuration, other embodiments of the attachment strap  700  may include a J-hook, carabiner, or other suitable quick coupler, as the first attachment feature, configured to couple directly to a hole or other feature of a structure of the truck, or to be otherwise coupled to the structure without having to pass the entire length of the strap  700  through the loop in the first end of the strap  700 . Still other embodiments of the attachment strap  700  may include a J-hook, carabiner, or other suitable quick coupler, as the first attachment feature, configured to couple to the attachment strap  400  or to the attachment rings  106 . 
     Although the present disclosure has been described with an exemplary embodiment, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.