MOBILE UPPER EXTREMITY (UE) SUPPORTS FOR USE IN RAILED ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

A patient aid assembly for a railed device having first and second associated rails in parallel relation, and an interconnecting member joining first and second mobile upper extremity support assemblies.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure is directed to assistive device technologies which are accessories for railed devices used for rehabilitation and exercise, such as single rail devices, parallel bars, hemiplegic bars, treadmills, walkers, and the like. In particular, accessories which are related to upper extremity (UE) support and movement can be used for gait rehabilitation, ambulation activities, balance and coordination training, conditioning and strengthening and other therapeutic activities as well as for upper body rehabilitation and exercise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a telescoping interconnecting assembly. This assembly variably can house a spring (compression or extension) or not house a spring.

FIG. 2A is a mobile bilateral upper extremity support assembly with two forearm support assemblies mounted on each of first and second symmetrically positioned housings. A telescoping interconnecting member connects the two housings.

FIG. 2B is the assembly in FIG. 2A shown mounted on parallel rails, with asymmetrically positioned housings.

FIG. 3 is an assembly with two housings asymmetrically mounted on rails connected by a telescoping interconnecting member. A forearm support assembly is mounted on one housing and no upper extremity support assembly is mounted on the second housing.

FIG. 4 is the assembly in FIG. 2A with a grip handle support assembly mounted on the first housing instead of a forearm support assembly.

FIG. 5 is an assembly with two grip handles without hand brakes mounted on first and second housings with a different design compared to housings shown in FIGS. 2-4. A telescoping interconnecting member connects the two housings, and housings are shown mounted on parallel rails.

FIG. 6 is an assembly with mobile housings which support forearms of an associated user, and a telescoping interconnecting member.

FIG. 7A is an assembly with two forearm support assemblies mounted on first and second symmetrically positioned housings which have been mounted on parallel rails, respectively. Each side of a rigid interconnecting member is pivotally connected to a respective one of the two housings.

FIG. 7B is a bird's eye view of the assembly in FIG. 5A, with first and second mobile upper extremity support assemblies asymmetrically positioned on first and second rails. This is enabled by the mobile pivotal connections of the interconnecting member with each of first and second housings.

FIG. 8A is an assembly with two forearm support assemblies each mounted on first and second symmetrically positioned housings mounted on parallel rails. The ends of the rigid interconnecting member are mounted with hinge pins on housings. A hinge is located at each of two corners of a U-shaped interconnecting member.

FIG. 8B is a bird's eye view of FIG. 8A with assemblies asymmetrically positioned on rails.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS

Three types of interconnecting members are presented which enable reciprocating, out of phase, or alternating arm movement while standing, marching in place, or walking within two rails of a railed device.

A telescoping straight bar interconnecting member 3000 shown in FIG. 1 is comprised of a smaller diameter tube 3002 which slides within a larger diameter tube 3004. Tubes, for instance, can be made out of aluminum or rigid plastic or other material. The lengths of the tubes are sufficiently long to enable variable width settings of parallel rails, and for allowing longitudinal displacement of mobile assemblies mounted on first and second rails positioned in parallel relation. The outermost/exposed end of each of the smaller and larger diameter tubes, 3006 and 3008 respectively, is mounted onto a plate 3010 which is pivotally mounted by a hinge pin 3012 onto a three-sided mounting member 3014. First and second mounting members are configured for mounting onto each of first and second housings. Tube diameters and housing mounts are of sufficient size and stability to provide rotational stabilization to the mobile housings. A spring is placed inside of the two sliding tubes. The spring can be a compression spring or an extension spring. The amount of force needed to push/pull assemblies depends on the physical characteristics of the spring, as well as resistance to glide of the housing along the rails. Variably, no spring is placed within the tubes.

Without a spring assembly housed in the tubes, the telescoping interconnecting member enables longitudinal displacement of one assembly relative to the second assembly, by provision of a mechanism to increase the distance between hinged connection points.

A compression spring pushes the tubes part. In terms of walking forward in parallel bars with a bilateral support assembly with a compression spring in the telescoping interconnecting member, this type of spring facilitates forward movement of the upper extremity of the user from a position symmetrical with the opposite support assembly. For stationary activities, movement of one arm forward concurrent with movement of one arm backward (reciprocating arm movement) is facilitated, and movement would be symmetrical without a differential in amount of resistance to movement exerted by the user.

A spring is placed within the tubes and spacers are added to adjust the amount of compression. There are two stable positions of the two sliders/mobile housings associated with this spring: left housing full forward and right housing full back, or vice versa. From either position, the user needs to pull and/or push on one or both of the mobile support assemblies until they are directly opposite each other. In this position, the spring is maximally compressed for a given spacing of two parallel rails. This mobile bilateral upper extremity support assembly can be used to enable symmetrical, out of phase upper extremity motion in front of and behind the frontal plane of the body while the user is standing or marching in place, or while walking within the rails. Reciprocating, out of phase arm movement occurs, and each mobile assembly repetitively moves forward and backward, with overall progression in the direction the user is walking. In the presence of a strong spring and/or large excursion distance capability of the tubular components, the user may elect to exert control over the fore/aft movement of the lengthening spring. It can also be used to alternatingly advance the mobile support assemblies. For walking forward, this can be accomplished by statically positioning one assembly in a neutral position (by user's side) with the use of a hand brake, or otherwise maintaining fairly constant positioning of the mobile assembly once the assembly is advanced, and allowing the second assembly to advance forward (or backward, if walking backward) with or without variable active restraint of movement of the assembly by the user. The second assembly is thereafter statically positioned (actively held in place or braked) and the first assembly is pushed forward, which compresses the spring, to the point at which the assemblies are symmetrically positioned, and then additional forward movement for placing the assembly in front of the user is accomplished by allowing the support assembly to snap forward, or to advance more slowly via variable active resistance to glide as the spring extends. Incorporation of this type of spring serves to facilitate advancing an assembly forward from a position of symmetry with the opposite assembly, as well as facilitate equal and opposite movement of the assemblies to forward and backward positions. During sequential placement of the assemblies, each assembly roughly travels the length of the rails. In terms of forward walking: arm movement from a forward position, rearwardly toward the body occurs as the body advances on the fixed arm.

An extension spring pulls the tubes together in another arrangement. The ends are attached to the inside ends of both tubes. The stable position is when the mobile housings are directly opposite each other. From this position, the user needs to push/pull one or both of the mobile support assemblies to the fore/aft positions. As with the compression spring, the user can alternatingly advance the assemblies along respective rails while walking within the rails or can move the upper extremities back and forth, concurrent with walking. From a neutral position, with the support assemblies symmetrically positioned at the sides of the user, the user brakes or otherwise statically positions the first assembly in neutral position, then pushes the second assembly forward and uses the hand brake to statically position or variably maintains the assembly stationary to the extent desired. The first assembly is allowed to advance to the stable position (symmetrical housings), and then the user pushes it forward to the forward position. Incorporation of this type of spring facilitates to advance a lagging assembly up to a symmetrical position with the more advanced assembly. The cycle is then repeated. The user can also move the upper extremities (supported on mobile upper extremity support assemblies) in reciprocating fashion, forward and backward, in front of and behind the body, concurrent with walking or while standing/marching in place.

In FIG. 2A, mobile housings 3100 are positioned symmetrically. Telescoping interconnecting member 3000 is in place between the housings. Mounting members 3014 are secured medially on housings. A forearm support assembly 3200 is mounted on each of the two housings by securing mounting tube 3210 into tube clevis 3110 to create a mobile upper extremity support assembly 3300. Forearm trough component shown as 3208 and grip handle is identified as 3206. This is simply one example of support assembly (and associated mounting method) design. Two mobile support assemblies and the interconnecting telescoping linkage create a bilateral assembly 3400.

In FIG. 2B, bilateral assembly 3400 is shown asymmetrically positioned on rails 3500 and 3502. The allowable longitudinal distance (fore/aft longitudinally along rails, or straight line connecting distance between similar locations on housings) between mobile assemblies can be altered by blocking degrees of rotation of the hinge plate on the telescoping assembly mounting member, on one or both housings. Maximum allowable displacement between assemblies is also dependent on the length of the tubes and selected width between rails, and length and tensile properties of the spring. Reciprocating gait patterns are performed as the opposite lower extremity is advanced simultaneously with the opposite upper extremity, or is advanced following advancing and placing the opposite upper extremity support assembly along the rail.

In FIG. 3, a mobile support assembly 3300 is connected to mobile housing 3100 by telescoping interconnecting member assembly 3000 which includes associated housing mounts, 3014. Housings are mounted on rails 3500 and 3502. Preferrably, hinge connections on one or both housings are locked in static position. This serves to maintain selected distance between assemblies. This embodiment provides for unilateral upper extremity. The user can stand, march in place, or walk with one forearm supported.

In FIG. 4, mobile housing 3100 with attached grip handle assembly 3210 creates a mobile grip handle assembly 3310. Telescoping linkage assembly 3000 interconnects mobile grip handle assembly 3310 and mobile forearm support assembly 3300 to create a bilateral assembly 3420. A grip handle assembly 3210 is mounted onto mobile housing 3100 by mounting the tube into the tube clevis on the medial side of housing as was done with forearm support assembly on opposite rail. Grip handle assembly and forearm support assembly are both shown with brake levers and associated brake cables 3212 and 3214 and 3202 and 3204, respectively. Braking provides for adjusting resistance to glide as well as for static positioning of housings.

In FIG. 5, telescoping interconnecting member assembly 3000 is shown secured in place between a different type of mobile housing 3110, one on each rail. Resistance to glide is altered by adjusting fasteners 3112 on underside of housings. Grip handles 3220 are shown mounted on the housings to create mobile grip assemblies 3320. Bilateral assembly is represented by 3430. There are no brake levers associated with this design.

Mobile housing 3120 has forearm support surfaces integrated into the housing design in FIG. 6. Grip handles could favorably be secured to the front ends for gripping by the user. Rail heights would be raised to accommodate housings supporting the forearms of the user. Two housings 3120 are shown connected with a telescoping linkage assembly 3000 to create a bilateral assembly 3440.

A different type of interconnecting member enabling reciprocating arm movement (out of phase, back and forth arm movement while standing/marching in place or concurrent with walking, or alternating placement of upper extremity support assemblies while walking forward or backward within parallel bars) is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. The linkage is rigid with two pivoting connections. Mobile housings 3110 are mounted on parallel rails. Forearm support assemblies 3200 are mounted onto mobile housings to create mobile support assemblies 3300 by securing vertical tube 3210 into tube clevis 3112. Ends of a rigid interconnecting member 3010 are secured in tube clevises 3114, one on each housing. Tube clevises are secured to housings by hinge pins 3116 which enable pivoting motion of the clevises. Bilateral assembly is identified as 3450.

When pivotal connections on assembly 3450 are allowed to be mobile, one or both mobile upper extremity support assemblies 3300 can move relative to the other in a longitudinal direction, as shown in FIG. 7B. Forearm trough 3208 and grip handle component of forearm support assembly 3206 are shown. The rigid interconnecting member is rotated to the right in this illustration. An increase in the linear distance between symmetrical landmarks on the housings compared to the distance between points when housings are symmetrically positioned is enabled by the rotation of the nonlinear connecting member. From the position of the assemblies shown in FIG. 7B, for forward walking, the user would move the assembly on the right forward and past the assembly on the left rail. Variably, the user could move the left assembly in a reverse direction concurrent with moving the right assembly forward, and then vice versa, all concurrent with walking forward or marching in place. Movement of one assembly causes movement of the second assembly only when the maximum distance between assemblies limited by the linkage is reached and maintained, and the user moves forward or backward.

In FIGS. 8A and 8B, an alternate interconnecting member design is shown. Bilateral assembly 3460 is shown and is comprised of mobile forearm support assemblies 3300 and an interconnecting member 3020 with hinges 3022 at the corners. Tube clevis attachments 3114 are pivotally connected to housings. FIG. 8B shows asymmetrically positioned assemblies from an overhead or bird's eye view. Forearm trough 3208 and grip handle component 3206 of forearm support assembly are shown. Movement of one or both mobile assemblies to create asymmetrical positioning on rails in a longitudinal direction is enabled due to movement in the hinges 3022 at the corners and pivoting movement of tube clevis attachments to housings.

Claims

1. An assembly for a railed device having first and second associated rails in parallel relation, the assembly comprising: first and second housings configured for attaching to and for slidingly engaging the associated first and second rails, respectively;first and second upper extremity support assemblies connected to or integrated with the first and second housings, respectively, each for supporting a forearm or a gripping hand of associated first and second upper extremities of an associated user while the associated user is positioned between the associated first and second rails; andan interconnecting member joining the first and second mobile upper extremity support assemblies, via at least first and second hinge/pivotal connections.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the interconnecting member includes first and second telescoping tubes.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the interconnecting member includes a spring therein.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the spring is either a compression spring or an extension spring.

5. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the interconnecting member does not includes a spring therein.

6. An assembly for a railed device having first and second associated rails in parallel relation, the assembly comprising: first and second housings configured for attaching to and for slidingly engaging the associated first and second rails, respectively;first and second forearm support surfaces associated with first and second housings for supporting first and second forearms of an associated user; andan interconnecting member positioned between and joining the first and second mobile upper extremity support assemblies and configured to allow lengthening as distance between housings in a longitudinal direction is increased.

7. An assembly for a railed device having first and second associated rails in parallel relation, the assembly comprising: first and second housings configured for attaching to and for slidingly engaging the associated first and second rails, respectively;first and second upper extremity support assemblies associated with first and second mobile housings, configured for supporting a portion of an upper extremity of an associated user; andan interconnecting member joining first and second mobile assemblies and configured to enable assemblies to be alternatingly (symmetrically or asymmetrically) advanced longitudinally along associated rails.