Interrupted drive limb motion apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for moving a limb of a patient, the apparatus comprising: carriage means for supporting the limb through a range of reciprocal angular movement; drive means for providing drive force to cause movement of the carriage means between first and second positions; stimulation means for applying electrical stimulation to a muscle of the limb; and control means for coordinating operation of the drive means and the stimulation means so that alternating drive and pause periods are produced in which drive force is and is not provided by the drive means to the carriage means, respectively, as the carriage means is moved between the first and second positions, and so that the stimulation means applies electrical stimulation during stimulation periods which have a predetermined temporal relationship to the drive and pause periods.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control means comprises: means for providing a joint angle signal indicative of an angle of a joint of the limb; means for selecting a duration T1 of the drive periods; means for selecting a duration T2 of the pause periods; means for selecting a time duration T3 of the NMS stimulation periods; means for selecting a phase relationship φ between the NMS stimulation periods and the drive and pause periods; and means for controlling the drive means and the NMS means as a function of T1, T2, T3, φ, and the joint angle signal.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the drive means comprises a motor and a clutch.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the control means controls operation of the drive means by supplying a motor forward/reverse signal to the drive motor which selects the direction of movement of the drive motor.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the control means controls operation of the drive means by supplying a clutch ON/OFF signal which selects whether the drive motor is connected or disconnected from the carriage means.

Claim 9

Apparatus for moving a limb of a patient, comprising: carriage means for supporting the limb through a range of reciprocal angular movement; drive means for causing reciprocal angular movement of the carriage means between a flexion end position in which an angle of a joint of the limb is at a minimum, and an extension end position in which the angle is at a maximum; angle sensing means for providing a joint angle signal representative of an angular position of the carriage means within the range of reciprocal angular movement; and stimulation means for applying electrical stimulation to the limb; means for selecting a program of alternating drive and pause periods of the drive means which characterize movement of the carriage means between the flexion and extension end positions during each operating cycle; means for selecting a program of intermittent actuation of the stimulation means during each operating cycle; and means for controlling the drive means and the stimulation means as a function of the joint angle signal and the selected programs of alternating drive and pause periods and of intermittent actuation.

Claim 10

Apparatus for moving a limb of a patient, comprising: carriage means for supporting the limb through a range of reciprocal angular movement; drive means for causing reciprocal angular movement of the carriage means between a flexion end position in which an angle of a joint of the limb is at a minimum, and an extension end position in which the angle is at a maximum; angle sensing means for providing a joint angle signal representative of an angular position of the carriage means within the range of reciprocal angular movement; and stimulation means for applying electrical stimulation to the limb; means for selecting a program of alternating drive and pause periods of the drive means which characterize movement of the carriage means between the flexion and extension end positions during each operating cycle; means for selecting a program of intermittent actuation of the stimulation means during each operating cycle; and means for controlling the drive means and the stimulation means as a function of the joint angle signal and the selected programs of alternating drive and pause periods and of intermittent actuation.

Claim 11

Apparatus for providing therapy to a patient comprising: carriage means for supporting a limb of the patient through a reciprocal range of angular movement between first and second positions; and vibratory drive means for driving the carriage means along a path of movement between the first and second end positions and for superimposing vibratory motion in the direction of the path of movement upon the carriage means while the carriage means is driven between the first and second end positions.

Claim 12

Apparatus for providing therapy to a patient comprising: carriage means for supporting a limb of the patient through a reciprocal range of angular movement between first and second positions; and vibratory drive means for driving the carriage means along a path of movement between the first and second end positions and for superimposing vibratory motion in the direction of the path of movement upon the carriage means while the carriage means is driven between the first and second end positions.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 and further comprising: means for applying stimulation to selected muscles of the limb in a predetermined temporal relationship to the vibratory motion.

Claim 14

Apparatus for moving a limb of a patient, the apparatus comprising: carriage means for supporting the limb through a range of reciprocal angular movement; drive means for providing drive force to the carriage means to cause reciprocal angular movement of the carriage means between first and second positions; control means for controlling operation of the drive means to produce alternating drive and pause periods of the drive force supplied by the drive means to the carriage means as the carriage means is moved between the first and second positions; means for selecting a duration T1 of the drive periods; and means for selecting a duration T2 of the pause periods.

Claim 15

Apparatus for moving a limb of a patient, the apparatus comprising: carriage means for supporting the limb through a range of reciprocal angular movement; drive means for providing drive force to the carriage means to cause reciprocal angular movement of the carriage means between first and second positions; control means for controlling operation of the drive means to produce alternating drive and pause periods of the drive force supplied by the drive means to the carriage means as the carriage means is moved between the first and second positions; means for selecting a duration T1 of the drive periods; and means for selecting a duration T2 of the pause periods.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 10 and further comprising: stimulation means for applying electrical stimulation to the muscles of limb; and means for coordinating operation of the drive means and the stimulation means so that the stimulation means applies electrical stimulation during stimulation periods which have a predetermined temporal relationship to the drive and pause periods.

Claim 17

Apparatus for moving the limb of a patient, comprising: carriage means for supporting the limb through a range of reciprocal angular movement between a flexion end position in which an angle of a joint of the limb is at a minimum, and an extension end position in which the angle is at a maximum; drive means for supplying a drive force which causes movement of the carriage means between flexion and extension end positions; and means for controlling the drive means to produce alternating drive and pause periods, the drive force being supplied to the carriage means during each drive period and not being supplied during each pause period as the carriage is moved between the flexion and extension end positions.

Claim 18

Apparatus for moving the limb of a patient, comprising: carriage means for supporting the limb through a range of reciprocal angular movement between a flexion end position in which an angle of a joint of the limb is at a minimum, and an extension end position in which the angle is at a maximum; drive means for supplying a drive force which causes movement of the carriage means between flexion and extension end positions; and means for controlling the drive means to produce alternating drive and pause periods, the drive force being supplied to the carriage means during each drive period and not being supplied during each pause period as the carriage is moved between the flexion and extension end positions.