Patent Application
20180339184
The present disclosure relates generally to a method of physical therapy treatment. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method of physical therapy treatment using a universal cage apparatus.
Physical therapists with special training deliver therapy using a system sometimes referred to as a universal cage (UC) or a universal exercise unit or UEU. The UEU has a system of a system of pulleys, straps and splints utilized to perform a variety of exercises. A major goal is to improve strength, AROM (active range of motion) and muscle flexibility. Through the system of pulleys and straps, the therapist can isolate any muscle group and target it.
A disadvantage of the known methods using UC is that before each session of therapeutic exercise or any other therapeutic procedure it is necessary to determine the correct angle of resistance and then place the hangers, brackets of the pulleys and blocks accordingly on the walls of the unit. This increase the duration of the session and consequently the cost of treatment.
Additionally, a physical therapist is required to be present during the therapy session which precludes a patient or a paraprofessional administering the therapy without the direct supervision of a physical therapist.
While these methods may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present disclosure as disclosed hereafter.
In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present disclosure describes a system and a method of treatment using a universal cage. Physical therapy is provided to a patient through a system of cords, blocks and belts disposed on a plurality of panels attaching to a plurality of mounting devices. Similarly, fitness exercises can be provided through the same system. Placement of the mounting devices on the panels is determined by which muscle is receiving therapy or exercise and the type of movement required. Once the placement for each movement is determined, the coordinates of the mounting device are captured on a map so that the mounting devices can be preset consistently for each motion and for each therapy or exercise session.
Each type of exercise uses its own pre-arranged panels in the cage, each exercise having a combination of a horizontal code, a vertical code on the panel where the fastening device is placed based on the standard coordinates from the list of exercises. For individual modifications or when of a new kind of training is to be added in the future, new standard coordinates are mapped and added to the list. The location of the table or chair for placing the patient is generally fixed on the floor in relationship to panels of the cage and can in certain limits be adjusted depending on the type of procedure, and if necessary, the anthropometric characteristics of the patient.
The present disclosure addresses at least one of the known disadvantages known to those of ordinary skill in the art. However, it is contemplated that the present disclosure may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claims should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed hereinabove. To the accomplishment of the above, this disclosure may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the disclosure.
In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows.
The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various example embodiments. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure is thorough, complete and fully conveys the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.
The universal cage 10 having a plurality of intersections 12 formed by a plurality of horizontal rods 14 intersecting a plurality of vertical rods 16, each intersection 12 identified by a pair of codes, a horizontal code 30 identifying the horizontal rod 14 and a vertical code 32 identifying the vertical rod 16 intersecting the horizontal rod 14. The mounting devices 40 are placed on the intersections 12 of the universal cage 10.
The universal cage 10 has a pair of side walls 28, a rear wall 24 and a ceiling 20, each of the side walls 28, the rear wall 24 and the ceiling 20 having two panels 18. Each of the six panels 18 has an indicium 34 as unique identifier. Each intersection 12 of horizontal rods 14 intersecting vertical rods 16 in the universal cage 10 can be uniquely identified by the pair of codes combined with the indicium 34 of the panel 18 each intersection 12 is located on.
The cords 48 attach to the mounting devices. The cords 48 each have a pair of ends, a first end 48 of the cords 48 attaching to a patient and a second end 48 attaching to a weight 50. The mounting devices 40 are selected from the group consisting of carabiners 42, pulleys 44 and brackets 46.
The mounting devices 40 are placed symmetrically throughout the universal cage 10. The mounting devices 40 on a first wall is directly opposite the mounting devices 40 of the second wall, the mounting devices 40 on a first panel 18 of the ceiling 20 are equidistant from a center 22 of the ceiling 20 where the panels 18 are conjoined and equidistant from the rear wall 24, the mounting devices 40 on a first panel 18 of the rear wall 24 equidistant from a center 26 of the rear wall 24 where the panels 18 are conjoined and equidistant from a floor.
The system includes a map for positioning the mounting devices, the map indicating coordinates that includes the horizontal code 30, the vertical code 32 and the panel indicium 34 for providing physical therapy to a specified portion of a specified muscle for movement through a specified range of motion. While the map can be represented visually on a grid, it also can be represented in a listing such as shown below in Table 1. (Please note that these are listings are illustrative only and may vary from one universal cage 10 to another depending on the size and manufacturer.)
Every skeletal muscle can be mapped to the universal cage 10. Varying the position on the muscle varies the torque, the more distal end of attachment providing more torque.
In one example embodiment, as shown in
It is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that a chair can be substituted for the gurney 54 if the treatment requires the patient to be sitting upright during the therapy. The chair is aligned to be symmetrically between the two side walls 28 and placed substantially in the center of the cage.
The method of providing physical therapy or a fitness regimen is presented in
The method of physical therapy uses the universal cage 10 in which each desired movement of a specific muscle is predetermined by using at least one mounting device 40 which is strictly positioned in advance at the appropriate intersections 12 of the universal cage 10 reflecting the angle of resistance for the therapeutic exercise for the specific muscle.
The first step 100 is providing the universal cage 10 having the pair of side walls 28, the rear wall 24 and the ceiling 20, each of the side walls 28, the rear wall 24 and the ceiling 20 having two panels 18 uniquely identified by the panel indicium 34, the intersections 12 on the panels 18 formed by the horizontal rods 14 intersecting the vertical rods 16, each intersection 12 identified by the pair of codes, the horizontal code 30 identifying the horizontal rod 14 intersecting the vertical rod 16 identified by the vertical code 32.
The cage in
The next step 102 is mapping the universal cage 10 for positioning the mounting devices 40 on the intersections 12 creating the map, the map indicating the horizontal code 30, the vertical code 32 and the panel indicium 34 for providing physical therapy to the specified portion of the specified muscle for movement through the specified range of motion.
The cage is mapped out with coordinates using codes. The codes can be expressed in an alphanumeric system, such as numbers and letters, or using other symbolic coding systems such as pictograms, logograms and colors. Each panel 18 has a unique indicium 34 and each intersection 12 on each panel 18 has a vertical code 32 and a horizontal code 30.
The map comprises the skeletal muscles specifically linked to the coordinates of the cage and the type of equipment mounted thereon. The map is developed so that the therapist or a therapy assistant can quickly set the cage up for therapy. The map can be stored electronically for quick retrieval.
Before each type of movement in different planes, the mounting device 40 is placed on an intersection 12 of a pair of rods of the cage unit 104, according to a plurality of coordinates determined for all the horizontal rods 14 and the vertical rods 16. The selection of the appropriate anchoring points for mounting devices 40 is based on the mapping of the muscles.
The next step 106 is attaching the first cord 48 to at least one mounting device 40, the cord 48 having the pair of ends, the first end of the cord 48 attaching to the patient 56 and the second end attaching to the weight 50, at least one mounting device 40, the cord 48 and weight 50 forming a resistance module 36.
After the first cord 48 attaches to the at least one first mounting device 40, forming the resistance module 36, a second cord 48′ is attaches to at least one second mounting device 40′, the first end of the second cord 48′ attaching to the patient 56 at the same place as the first cord 48 and the second end of the second cord 48′ attaching to a second weight 50′, the second weight 50′ weighing less than the first weight 50, the at least one second mounting device 40′, the second cord 48′ and the second weight 50′ forming an assistance module 38. The resistance module 36 and the assistance module 38 are placed symmetrically on the universal cage 10 but asymmetrically weighted.
The blocks are created by cords 48 placed symmetrically on each panel 18 of the cage at specified coordinates preset by mounting devices 40, 40″ as well. These blocks are placed at those coordinates and used for all programs.
The at least one first mounting device 40 is placed on the first wall directly opposite the at least one second mounting device 40′ on the second wall when the resistance module 36 and assistance module 38 is formed on the side panels 18. When the at least one first mounting device 40 is placed on the first panel 18 of the ceiling 20 and the at least one second mounting device 40′ is placed equidistant from the center 22 of the ceiling 20 as the at least one first mounting device 40, the center 22 being where the ceiling panels 18 are conjoined and equidistant from the rear wall 24 as the at least one first mounting device 40. When the at least one first mounting device 40 is placed on the first panel 18 of the rear wall 24 and the at least one second mounting device 40′ is placed equidistant from the center 26 of the rear wall 24 where the rear wall 24 panels 18 are conjoined as the at least one first mounting device 40 and equidistant from the floor as the at least one first mounting device 40.
When the gurney 54 is used, the gurney 54 is placed symmetrically 110 between the side walls 28 by aligning a center of the gurney 54 with the center 26 of the rear wall 24 where the two rear panels 18 are conjoined.
When the chair is used, the chair is aligned to be symmetrically between the two side walls 28 and placed substantially in the center of the cage.
The therapist or trainer guides a patient 56 through the specified range of motion of the specified portion of the specified muscle 108.
This method and system are advantageous because they allow the therapist to exactly reproduce the proper exercise for the same desired effect for each treatment session.
This not only produces better results but results in more efficiency in terms of time, use of equipment and patient comfort, which subsequently will reduce the cost of treatment. The patient's experience less delays and more time efficiency during treatment session, which results in higher compliance.
Once the universal cage 10 is set up, the therapist or trainer consults the map for each muscle. It is understood by those of ordinary skill that the method described hereinabove is useful for both providing therapy to a patient for the purpose of increasing range of motion after an injury or surgery but also to provide physical training for general fitness and to increase muscle strength.
It is understood that when an element is referred hereinabove as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present.
Moreover, any components or materials can be formed from a same, structurally continuous piece or separately fabricated and connected.
It is further understood that, although ordinal terms, such as, “first,” “second,” “third,” are used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, “a first element,” “component,” “region,” “layer” or “section” discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings herein.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, are used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It is understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
Example embodiments are described herein with reference to cross section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, example embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions as illustrated herein, but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as flat may, typically, have rough and/or nonlinear features. Moreover, sharp angles that are illustrated may be rounded. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the present claims.
In conclusion, herein is presented a system and a method of physical therapy treatment using a universal cage apparatus. The disclosure is illustrated by example in the drawing figures, and throughout the written description. It should be understood that numerous variations are possible, while adhering to the inventive concept. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present disclosure.
This application is a nonprovisional utility application of the provisional patent application, Ser. No. 62/512,006, filed in the United States Patent Office on May 27, 2017, and claims the priority thereof and is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62512006 | May 2017 | US |
