Researchers Submit Patent Application, “Therapy And Physical Training Device”, for Approval (USPTO 20200406092)
2021 JAN 19 (NewsRx) -- By a
The patent’s assignee is
News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Many people suffer from neck pain or need to undergo neck exercises for numerous reasons. For example, people
“The majority of people
“Commonly these exercises may be carried out in the comfort of one’s home. However, due to the monotonic nature of these exercises, or due to the associated pain, many people do not adhere to the recommended regimen and therefore the sensation of pain is not adequately alleviated.
“Home training has several limitations. With no direct guidance from the clinician, the patient has no immediate feedback to confirm correct performance of required exercises. Also, lack of such guidance and supervision often leads to even lower adherence; current literature discusses the nature of low adherence to home training, suggesting that patients tend to disregard the importance of prescribed home training. Moreover, patients that suffer from chronic or other long-term conditions (such as those associated with WAD or NSNP) are even less inclined to perform recommended home training (
“It is an object of the present invention to provide a neck therapy and physical training device that facilitates neck mobility restoration, encourages conformance to an exercise regimen, and is cost effective.
“It is another object of the present invention to provide a therapy and physical training device that facilitates rehabilitation and improved conditioning of a given body part.
“Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.”
As a supplement to the background information on this patent application, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent application: “The present invention provides a neck therapy and physical training device, comprising a head harness and one or more resistance applying elements which are attached to selected regions of said head harness, said one or more elements configured to provide a user-selected and location-specific level of resistance to a desired head movement that promotes neck muscle activity for a specific neck related condition.
“The head harness is preferably configured with a plurality of spaced head engageable straps, each of said straps being provided with at least one of the regions that is coupleable with a resistance applying element, the coupled resistance applying element adapted to tension a neck related muscle that is located oppositely thereto and to force said tensioned muscle to contract until the head achieves a balanced condition. As referred to herein, the term ‘located oppositely thereto’ means the relative geometric location of a neck related muscle or a group of muscles with respect to the coupled resistance applying element, prior to head movement, such that said neck related muscle or group of muscles coincides with or is connected to tissue located on a line extending from the resistance applying element through the head-related center of rotation while said head-related center of rotation is interposed between said tissue and said resistance applying element. When the muscle or group of muscles is tensioned by two contralaterally located resistance applying elements which may be bilaterally symmetrical to each other, the tissue coinciding with or connected to the muscle or group of muscles is located on a line medially extending between the two resistance applying elements and passing through the head-related center of rotation.
“In one embodiment, the neck therapy device further comprises a head mounted display connected to the head harness on which is viewable computer generated images, thereby allowing neck rehabilitation training in conjunction with virtual reality enhancement.
“The head mounted display may be configured with image forming lenses and with a slot in which is insertable a processor enabled device, such as a smartphone.
“The present invention is also directed to a system comprising the neck therapy device, a computer configured to generate said images, a sensor in data communication with said computer for detecting, when the head harness is bodily engaged, a real-time three-dimensional disposition of the head of the user, and an application running on a processor of said computer.
“Said application is configured to receive inputs from said sensor and to generate, in response to said real-time disposition, a virtual reality object viewable by the user on said display, said object being indicative of an additional head movement to be made by the user in order to conform to a user-specific exercise program.
“The present invention is also directed to a therapy and physical training system, comprising one or more movement sensors each of which positioned on a corresponding body part of a user, a first computer on a processor of which an application is running, and a head mounted housing which is configured with a display on which images generated by said first computer are visible to said user.
“Said application is configured to receive inputs from each of said sensors or from a second computer in data communication with each of said sensors, said application also configured to generate, in response to a real-time disposition of each of said corresponding body parts during performance of an exercise related body movement, a virtual reality object viewable by said user, said object being indicative of an additional body movement to be made by said user in order to conform with a user-specific exercise program.
“In one embodiment, the system further comprises one or more bio-feedback sensors bodily engaged with said user and in data communication with the first computer or with a processor in data communication with the first computer, each of said one or more bio-feedback sensors configured to output a signal which is indicative of a pain intensity level experienced by the user during performance of the body movement or of the additional body movement and of a level of user-specific impairment. The application is configured to receive inputs from each of the one or more bio-feedback sensors, from the first computer, or from the second computer, said application also configured to generate, in response to a real-time pain intensity level indication during performance of the exercise related body movement that is below a predetermined threshold, a virtual reality object viewable by said user to urge continuance of the exercise related body movement. The present invention is also directed to a system for determining a cervical range of motion, comprising a head harness configured with a plurality of spaced head engageable straps and a superiorly located and substantially horizontally disposed calvarial region from which said plurality of straps extend; a sensor block attached to said calvarial region, said sensor block comprising one or more sensors adapted to detect head movement with respect to a head-related center of rotation in a plurality of translational directions and a plurality of rotational directions, and a processor operable to receive data from said one or more sensors, and to determine, based on said received data, a cervical range of motion which corresponds to displacement of a selected neck region between a starting and ending position; and means for outputting data representative of said determined cervical range of motion.
“The present invention is also directed to an automatized method for promoting rehabilitation of neck muscles of a patient suffering from impaired cervical motion, comprising the steps of bodily engaging a head harness provided with one or movement sensors and a processor, said head harness being connected to a head mounted display on which is viewable computer generated images; bodily engaging one or more bio-feedback sensors configured to output to said processor a signal which is indicative of a pain intensity level experienced by the user during performance of a body movement; viewing said images by said display; performing a corresponding head motion that is urged by said generated images; by said processor, determining an ending position for a selected neck region and transmitting, to a computerized device in data communication with said display, signals which are indicative of said ending position and a pain intensity level experienced by said patient at said ending position; and by said computerized device, generating additional images to urge said patient in continuing the head motion beyond said ending position if the pain intensity level thereat is below a predetermined threshold. Brief Description of the Drawings”
The claims supplied by the inventors are:
“1. A system comprising: one or more movement sensors each of which are configured to be positioned on a corresponding body part of a user; a first computer comprising a processor, a head mounted housing having a display on which images generated by said first computer are visible to said user; and one or more bio-feedback sensors configured to be bodily engaged with said user and in data communication with the first computer or a second computer, wherein said first computer is configured to: i) receive inputs from each of said one or more biofeedback sensors or from the second computer; and ii) generate, in response to a real-time disposition of each of said corresponding body parts during performance of an exercise related body movement, a virtual reality object viewable by said user, said object being indicative of an additional body movement to be made by said user in order to conform with a user-specific exercise program, said one or more bio-feedback sensors are configured to output a signal which is indicative of a pain intensity level experienced by the user during performance of the body movement or of the additional body movement, said one or more movement sensors are configured to output a signal which is indicative of a level of user-specific impairment including a starting position and an ending position from the performance of the body movement or of the additional body movement, said first computer is configured to encourage said user to continue motion beyond the ending position when the signal which is indicative of a pain intensity level experienced by the user during performance of the body movement or of the additional body movement is not above a predetermined intensity.
“2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display comprises at least one image forming lens and a slot into which a processor enabled device is inserted.
“3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor enabled device is a smartphone.
“4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first computer is configured to receive inputs from each of the one or more bio-feedback sensors, or from the second computer, the first computer is configured to generate, in response to a real-time pain intensity level indication during performance of the exercise related body movement that is below a predetermined threshold, a virtual reality object viewable by said user to urge continuance of the exercise related body movement.
“5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computer is a personal computer provided with a virtual reality platform and is connected to the head mounted housing.
“6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computer is housed within the head mounted housing.
“7. The system of claim 1, wherein the display of the head mounted housing comprises at least one image forming lens through which the virtual reality object is transmittable.
“8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to determine a displacement based on the starting position and the ending position, and compare said determined displacement to an expected displacement for a similar motion of a healthy person.
“9. A method comprising: bodily engaging a head mounted housing provided with one or movement sensors and a processor, said head mounted housing having a display on which is viewable computer generated images; bodily engaging one or more bio-feedback sensors, wherein each of said one or more bio-feedback sensors are configured to output to said processor a signal which is indicative of a pain intensity level experienced by the user during performance of a body movement and each of said one or more movement sensors are configured to output a signal which is indicative of a level of user-specific impairment including a starting position and an ending position from a head motion that is urged by said computer generated images; displaying said images on said display; by said processor and said one or more movement sensors, determining a starting position and an ending position for a selected neck region and transmitting, to a computerized device in data communication with said display, signals which are indicative of said starting position and said ending position; by said processor and said one or more bio-feedback sensors, determining a pain intensity level experienced by said patient during the head motion and transmitting, to the computerized device in data communication with said display, signals which are indicative of said pain intensity level; and by said computerized device, generating additional images to urge said patient in continuing the head motion beyond said ending position if the pain intensity level is below a predetermined threshold.
“10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: by said processor, receiving inputs from each of the one or more bio-feedback sensors, from the first computer, or from the second computer; by said computerized device, generating, in response to a real-time pain intensity level indication during performance of the exercise related body movement that is below a predetermined threshold, a virtual reality object viewable by said user to urge continuance of the exercise related body movement.
“11. The method of claim 9, wherein the computerized device comprises a personal computer provided with a virtual reality platform and is operably connected to display to thereby provide the virtual reality platform through the display.
“12. The method of claim 9, wherein the computerized device is housed within the head mounted housing.
“13. The method of claim 10, wherein the display comprises at least one image forming lens through which the virtual reality object is transmittable.
“14. The method of claim 9, wherein the display comprises at least one image forming lens and a slot into which a processor enabled device is inserted.
“15. The method of claim 14, wherein the processor enabled device is a smartphone.”
For additional information on this patent application, see: Orr, Eran. Therapy And Physical Training Device. Filed
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