The invention relates to a system for at least supporting a treatment of a person, comprising a base platform for receiving said person.
Said system may for example be used in or for a reflex treatment.
Said system may be used only as a supportive system in said treatment, in particular by bringing said person in a balanced position, but may also be used for the treatment itself. The system may thus alternatively be referred to as a supportive system for a treatment and/or a treatment system.
In accordance with the invention said base platform comprises at least one upper surface which defines a substantially flat reference plane, and at least one fill element, wherein said at least one fill element is displaceable between a first position and a second position, in which second position an upper surface of said at least one fill element extends above said reference plane with an adjustable distance, such that said at least one fill element fills a space between said reference plane and a lower side of a or each foot of said person.
In use of said system said person will stand on said upper surface of said base platform. The upper surface forms a substantially flat receiving surface to stand on, which defines said flat reference plane. Said at least one fill element is used for filling the space between the lower side of the or each foot of the person and said reference plane, i.e. the space defined by the foot arch. By filling this space said person is able to stand in a balanced position, which may support said treatment. Because every foot and thereby every foot arch is different, said at least one fill element is displaceable, such that said at least one fill element can be displaced in accordance with the or each foot of the person. It is noted that said at least one fill element may be part of the upper surface of the base platform. At least in the second position of the at least one fill element said upper surface may thus be substantially flat except in the area of the at least one fill element. Said flat reference plane is defined along the substantially flat surface part of the upper surface, excluding the area where said at least one fill element is arranged.
It is noted that any number of fill elements may be provided. For example one fill element may be provided that fills up the spaces below each foot. Practically at least two fill elements are provided, one for each foot, such that the adjustable distance of each fill element in the second positions can be adjusted independent of the other fill element. If desired even more fill elements may be provided, for example three, four, five, six, seven, or eight fill elements, preferably equally divided per foot.
It is noted that the first position of said at least one fill element may be chosen as desired. For example said at least one fill element may substantially not extend above said reference plane in said first position, such that said upper surface may be substantially completely flat in the first position of the at least one fill element. Alternatively said at least one fill element may extend slightly above said reference plane in the first position, but preferably not as high as in the second position thereof. In other words, the distance between the reference plane and an upper area of said at least one fill element is smaller in the first position of the at least one fill element than in the second position thereof.
It is noted that said at least one fill element is in particular displaceable while being fixedly attached to the base platform.
It is further noted that at least the upper surface of the fill element is displaceable.
Said system may optionally comprising a controller for controlling the adjustment of the at least one fill element.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said system comprises measuring means for measuring a pressure of the or each foot of the person, wherein said system is arranged to adjust the adjustable distance of said at least one fill element based on the measured pressure and/or comprises displaying means for displaying the measured pressure.
By measuring said pressure of the or each foot of the person and adjusting the at least one fill element in accordance therewith it can be achieved that said person stands on said base platform in a balanced position.
By means of displaying the measured pressure a person may adjust the adjustable distance of the at least one fill element in accordance with the displayed pressure. This person may be the person standing on the platform but also another person, for example a practitioner. Alternatively adjusting the adjustable distance of the at least one fill element can be performed automatically by said system being arranged to adjust the at least one fill element based on the measured pressure. Said controller may communicate with said measuring means and be arranged to control the adjustment of the at least one fill element based on said measured pressure.
Said pressure may be displayed in any suitable way, for example on a display screen or in a auditive manner.
Said measuring means may for example comprise at least one pressure sensor or any other suitable means for measuring a pressure.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said adjustable distance is adjusted such that:
In particular said system may be arranged to adjust the adjustable distance of the at least one fill element in such a manner, for example based on said measured pressure, but alternatively a said person may adjust the adjustable distance of the at least one fill element in such a manner, for example based on said measured and displayed pressure.
By obtaining any of the above described pressure conditions a balanced position of the person standing on the base platform may be obtained.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said system comprises a driving means for displacing the at least one fill element between its first and second position, wherein said driving means are arranged for displacing the at least one fill element mechanically and/or by means of a gas and/or by means of a liquid.
In a mechanical embodiment said at least one fill element could be displaced using any suitable mechanical driving means, wherein said mechanical driving means are for example powered by a motor. When a gas or liquid is used said at least one fill element could be a hollow element that can be filled with said gas or liquid and thereby expands and displaces from its first position to its second position, and said gas or liquid can be discharged such that the hollow element can shrink and displace back towards its first position.
Said driving means may optionally be part of the base platform.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said upper surface of the at least one fill element defines a number of surface area zones, wherein the adjustable distance is variable and/or individually adjustable per surface area zone.
Such an embodiment may provide the advantage that the height adjustment can be more accurate.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said at least one fill element has a shape that is substantially adapted to the or each foot of said person.
More in particular said shape may be substantially adapted to the foot arch.
As a result of such a shape the height and thereby the adjustable distance of the upper surface is substantially continuously variable over substantially the complete upper surface of the at least one fill element.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said at least one fill element is provided as a replaceable element.
An advantage thereof is that the fill element may be replaceable for a fill element having a shape that is adapted to the foot arch of a specific user.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said displacement takes place using rotation and/or translation of the at least one fill element.
By rotating and/or translating the at least one fill element, wherein said rotation and/or translation may be different for different areas of the at least one fill element, said adjustable distance can be easily and/or accurately adjustable.
Said rotation and/or translation of the at least one fill element may in particular be with respect to and/or out of the flat reference plane when said at least one fill element is displaced from the first position into the second position, and with respect to and/or into the flat reference plane if it is displaced back into the first position.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said at least one fill element is arranged and/or a distance between at least two fill elements is chosen such that a straight line is defined between an outer side of a hip bone and a second toe of the person when said person stands on said base platform and said at least one or two fill element(s) fill(s) said space.
In such an embodiment said person may be in a substantially stable position.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said system comprises at least one treatment element that extends out of said reference plane.
Such at least one treatment element can be used in the treatment of said person.
Such at least one treatment element projects upwards with respect to said reference plane.
Such at least one treatment element can be arranged anywhere on the base platform, for example in accordance with a specific treatment of a said person. In particular said at least one treatment element is arranged outside of the area of the at least one fill element. In particular said at least one treatment element is arranged inside an area where the foot of the person is located during treatment.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said at least one treatment element is optionally releasable connectable to the base platform, wherein said base platform and said at least one treatment element optionally comprise mutually connectable connecting elements.
An advantage of such an embodiment is that the at least one treatment element can be connected to the base platform at substantially any suitable position, for example in accordance with the specific treatment of a said person.
Said connecting means may be embodied in any suitable way. For example, but not limiting thereto, said treatment element may comprise at least one pin like element and the base platform may comprise at least one hole and preferably a plurality of holes divided over the upper surface, such that the treatment element may be connected to the base platform by inserting the pin like element into a said hole.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said at least one treatment element has a shape that is chosen from the group comprising a spherical shape, an optionally topped of pyramid, an optionally topped of cone, a cuboid shape, a bar shape, a cylindrical shape, or part thereof.
It will be clear for the skilled person that, although these shapes are suitable shapes for treating said person, these shapes are provided as an example only and that said treatment element may have any suitable shape.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said base platform comprises at least one optionally releasable top layer, which layer can be arranged on the upper surface or may define the upper surface, which layer is for example made of an elastically synthetic material.
Such top layer may be comfortable for the person standing on the base platform.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said measuring means comprise at least eight pressure sensors.
Said at least eight pressure sensors are preferably arranged at different, suitable locations for measuring the pressure at said different locations.
The applicant has found that eight pressure sensors may provide a sufficiently accurate pressure profile of each foot of the person, but if desired less or more pressure sensors can be provided.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said system comprises at least one of:
Any one or more of such stimuli can be used for treating said person and applied as desired and/or in accordance with a specific treatment of the person and/or for relaxing said person.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said system comprises at least one muscle tension sensor for measuring a muscle tension of said person.
Using said at least one muscle tension sensor may provide insight into the state of the person and in particular if the person is relaxed or not.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said system comprises registration means for registering at least one of the following data:
Such registration means may be in particular arranged to register this information per individual person and preferably for a plurality of persons in an individual manner. An advantage of storing said information is for example that this information may be used in a next treatment.
Said system may further comprise a database for storing said data.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said system comprises a computing means which are arranged to determine based on said registered data which combination of treatment elements and/or stimuli and/or adjustable distance of the at least one fill element provide in a substantially equal pressure distribution of the or each foot and/or a low muscle tension.
An advantage thereof is that this can be used in the (next) treatment of said person, such that said person can be easily and/or quickly brought into his or her balanced position and/or relaxed state.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said system comprises control means for controlling said system.
Said control means may for example comprise said controller as described above.
In an embodiment of the system according to the invention said system comprises a scan device for scanning the position of the person.
Such a scan device may provide alternative or additional information on the position of the person.
The invention also relates to the use of a system as described above in any one or more of the above described embodiments and/or examples in any suitable combination, comprising the following steps:
Advantages of such a use and/or of the below embodiments of the use will be clear from the description relating to the system according to the invention.
In an embodiment of the use according the invention a system according to at least claim 2 is provided, and comprising step d) of measuring the pressure of a or each foot of said person, wherein step c) is performed by adjusting the adjustable distance of the at least one fill element in accordance with said measured pressure.
As described above with respect to the system according to the invention step c) may be performed by a person based on said displayed pressure or automatically by the system.
In an embodiment of the use according the invention, said use comprises the step of:
As described above with respect to the system this method may be performed for multiple persons in an individualized manner.
In an embodiment of the use according the invention, said use comprises the step of:
This can be used in the (next) treatment of said person, in particular for example for adjusting the adjustable distance in step c) and/or in selecting and/or applying suitable treatment elements and/or stimuli and/or a respective position or setting thereof, such that said person can be easily and/or quickly brought into his or her balanced position and/or relaxed state.
Said use may further comprise any further or alternative step, for example in accordance with any of the embodiments of the system according to the invention. For example a step of using a at least one treatment element and/or at least one stimulus may be performed. For example a step of measuring a muscle tension may be performed.
The invention will be further elucidated with reference to figures, wherein:
In this embodiment the two fill elements 4 are mechanically displaceable. As is shown in
It will be clear for the skilled person that the mechanical embodiment of
As is further shown in
A motor, for example an electromotor, may be provided for displacing the displacement elements 9-12. A controller may be used for controlling the movement of the displacement elements 9-12. Moving the displacement elements 9-12 and thereby the adjustment of the adjustable distance of the fill elements 4 may be performed manually or automatically.
If desired at least one stimulus may be provided in the treatment of said person. Such a stimulus may for example be:
If desired said system may comprise at least one muscle tension sensor for measuring a muscle tension of said person. Such a sensor may be used for measuring the muscle tension and thereby if the person is relaxed or not
Said system may comprise a registration means for registering at least one of the following data:
The system may comprise a computing means which is arranged to determine based on said registered data which combination of treatment elements and/or stimuli and/or adjustable distance of the at least one fill element provide in a substantially equal pressure distribution of the or each foot and/or a low muscle tension.
The system may comprise a scan device for scanning the position of the person.
The above described features are not shown in the figures but are known per se to the skilled person. The skilled person would thus know how to apply these features in the system according to the invention based on the description of these features.
The system of
It will be clear for the skilled person that the treatment elements may have any suitable shape and that any suitable number of treatment elements may be used. It will further be clear that the number of pins 126 that a treatment element comprises may for example be one for a relatively small treatment element and/or for rotationally symmetrical treatment elements, and may be more than one, for example two, for larger treatment elements and/or for treatment elements that are not rotationally symmetric. It will further be clear that the treatment elements may be connected or attached to the top layer 120, foot plate 102, or any other upper surface of the base platform 101 in any suitable way and this is in no way limited to the shown pin and hole connection.
The top layer 120 of the second embodiment may be embodied in any suitable way and/or made of any suitable material. For example said top layer 120 may be made of an elastically synthetic material, which material may be a convenient and/or relatively soft material for the person to stand on.
Said pressure sensors may for example alternatively arranged in a said top layer.
In an optional step 343 the pressure of each foot of said person is measured. If such a step 343 is provided step 342 may be performed by adjusting the adjustable distance of the at least one fill element in accordance with said measured pressure.
In an optional step 344 at least one treatment element is used by connecting or attaching that treatment element to the upper surface of the base platform and/or at least one stimulus is used.
In an optional step 345 the muscle tension of the person is measured.
In an optional step 346 at least one of the following data is registered:
In an optional step 347 it is determined based on data registered in step 346 which combination of treatment elements and/or stimuli and/or adjustable distance of the at least one fill element provide in a substantially equal pressure distribution of the or each foot and/or a low muscle tension. This may for example be used in a next treatment of the person and more in particular for example for adjusting the adjustable distance of the at least one fill element in step 342 and/or in step 344 for choosing suitable stimuli and/or treatment elements and/or a suitable setting and/or position thereof.
The system of
It will be clear for the skilled person that the method steps may be performed in any suitable order, optionally different from the order as shown. It will further be clear that said method may comprise less or more steps, to be performed at any suitable stage, for example after or between the shown steps.
It is noted that the invention is not limited to the shown embodiments but also extends to variants within the scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2027107 | Dec 2020 | NL | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/085660 | 12/14/2021 | WO |