GB2341099A

GB2341099A - Clinical table for spine treatment

Info

Publication number: GB2341099A
Application number: GB9819296A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Mullally; Robert Barrie Bristoll
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-09-07
Filing date: 1998-09-07
Publication date: 2000-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-07
Also published as: GB9819296D0; GB2341099B

Abstract

A clinical table for spine treatment has an opening (14) positioned to be overlain by the spine of a recumbent patient on the table and an applicator (15), for example a roller, mounted in or below the opening with means, for example bellows (19), for moving the applicator in a direction perpendicular to the supporting surface to apply pressure to a patient's spine and means, for example a slidable carriage (17), opening in directions which will be along the patient's spine to move vertebrae relative to each other in sequence.

Description

2341099 CLINICAL TABLE FOR TREATMENT OF THE SPINE In clinical treatment of

the spine it is common practice to stretch the patient so as to separate the vertebrae slightly to release compression on intervertebral discs and nerve roots which may be napped and to enable the vertebrae to be moved relative to each other more easily Stretching may be achieved by mechanical means, fitting harnesses to the recumbent or prone patieurs bead and feet and/or other body parts and connecting the harnesses to weights or to parts of a stretching device which slowly moves them apart. Alternatively the patienes own weight may be used to achieve stretching by employing a tilting table. The patient lies on the table which is initially approximately horizontal. A harness connected to the table is fitted to the patient's bead or fed or another body part, depending which part of the spine is to be stretched, and the table is then Wted to move the patient into a feet-down or head-down position so that his/her body weight is supported partially through the spine by the harness. The clinical practitiow can regulate the degree of tilt so as to obtain the desired degree of stretching Became different practitioners may use different terms it is here noted that the term "table" used herein refers to a supporting surface on which a patient may lie for treatment and which might otherwise be calK for "ample, a bed or a couch. The supporting surface may be fixed in a substantially horizontal position, but more commonly is capable of being dked about a transverse axis and may include a portion which is longitudinally movable relative to the remainder so that a patients body can mom readily move in response to tilting. The supporting surface may comprise a phualfty of relatively movable parts, some of which may be articulated so as to move angularly relative to one another. The surface may be hard or soft and may be wholly or partially upholstered.

Tins invention concerns a table for treatment of the spine including stretching as described above, which will for convenience be referred to as "a treatment table of die kind describeV.

According to the inverifton a treatment table of the kind described has an opening positioned to be overlain by the spine of a recumbent patient on the table, an applicator for applying pressure to the patients spine is mounted in or below the opening, first moving means are provided for moving the applicator in a direction having a component perpendicular to the supporting surface and second moving means are provided for moving the applicator in the opening in directions which will be along the patienes spine.

In use, with a recumbent patient on the table, by actuating the Em moving means to move the applicator to a raised position in the opening it can be urged against the patient with a controllable form and then by actuating the second moving means it can be moved along the patie&s spine so as to move the vertebrae in sequence. Repeated traverses of the applicator along the patienfs spine are most likely to be required and for that purpose the movement of the applicator may be reciprocating. If pressure is to be applied to the patients spine during travel m only one on, the apph may be rased for as trawirse m that diremon then be low for its mum traverse.

The applicator may be a pad of suitable stiffness or may comprise one or more rotatable elements such as rollers or balls a to roll along a patients spine on actuation of the second moving means. A preferred applicator is a single roller mounted with its ans of rotation disposed so as to be transverse to the patients spine.

The opening may be an aperture in and wholly encircled by a pat of the supporting surface or it inay haw a gap at one side. Alternatively it may be a space between two or more parts of the supporting surface which can be placed together to form a subsuy continuous surface for other treatments. A removable part of the supg surface may be used to close the opening when it is W required. Pairts of the supporting surface may be movable to form openings between thera at different alternative positions aCCOrding to the past of a patiarts spine to be treated, for example in positions which will be ovedain by the cervical or lumbar region of the recumbent patierits a.

The flyst and second]novmg means are preferably callbrated, with visible indicating means enabling the clinical practilloner, to regulate the treatment being The fiw moving means should be caU as to cc moved and/or force applied to a patient by the applicator and the second moving means may be cahb as to distance moved andlor s of movement and, if reciprocating, the number of tmverses executed in a treatment. In an example the first moving means May be Pneumatic Or hYd, With a Pressure gauge to show the force being applied to the patient and the second moving means may include a rotating cm with a calibrated speed controller and revolution co The length of the or its connection to the roller way be adpe to as to vary the stroke of reciprocation.

An embodiment of the inv is Illustrated by way of example by the accomp drawings, in which:

M 1 Is a diagramatic side elevation of a taMe for treatment of the spine and Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation showing a part of the table to a somewhat larger scale- The table comprises a support frame 1 mounted by a pivot 2 on a base 3 which has castors 4 permang free movement of the table but preferably lodkable to pm movement when 210 movement 15 requirecl. A hydraulic strut 5 is connected between the support e 1 and the base 3 for tilting the frame 1 about the pt 2 between positions indicated by dotted detail at 6 and 7. Supply of hydraulic fluid for lengthening or shortening the strut 5 is coat by a switch 8 on a coutrol 9 and a scale 10 is provided to show the angle of tilt of the frame 1 - On the support frame 1 is an apred cushion 11 providing a support surface on which a patient can lie and at the ends of the support frame 1 are anchorages 12 and 13 to which can be con ses (not shown) which may be attached respectively to the head and feet of a patient In order to stretch the patieds spine in the manner previously xxL In the pwt of the cushion 11 which will be ov by the lumbar region of the spine of a padent recumbent upon the supporting surface h head ad to the anchorage 12 is an oblong opening 14, positioned centrally between the sides of the cushion 11 and of width around 200 to 250 mm. so that the adjacent side portions of the cushion will provide a degree of support for the patient Wunted in or below the opening 14 is an applicator roller 15 its axis parallel to the supporting surface and transverse to the major axis of the opening 14. As shown in F 2 the applicator roller 15 is carried at the free end of an arm 16 piy mounted on a car 17 slidably mounted between rails 18 secured to the underside of the ftame 1. New its free end, the arm is connected to first moving me= comprising a pneumatic bellows 19 which is mounted in the carriage 17 and supplied, with compressed air ft= a cylinder 20 through a flexible pipe 21 and a valve 22 which is coiatrolled by a switch 23 on the control panel 9. Expansion of the bell 19 by admitting compressed air the roller 15 to that it projects more or lets through the opening 14. The carriage 17 is connected by second moving means comprising a connecting rod 24 and crank 25 to an electric motor 26 which is controlled by a switch 27 on the control panel 9. When the motor 26 is energized the carriage 17 is caused to mow along the rails 19, so causing the roller 15 to traverse along the opening 14. If the motor 26 is all to run continuously, the roller will reciprocate to and fro In the opening The length of thie traverse can be altered by altering the radius at which the connecting rod 24 is connected to the crank 25.

In m with the bellows 19 colla so that the roller 15 he% wholly below the opening as shown in dotted detail 15a in Figure 2, a patient can lie on the supporting surface of the cushion 11 with the lumbar part of his/her spine extending longitudinally over the opening 14. The frame may be as required by operation of the switch 8 to stretch the pas spine in known mmum. Air is admitted to the bellows 19 to the roller 15 to as to contact the patients back and apply a force proportional to the air pressure in the bell, which is recorded by a gauge 28 on the control 9. Eng the motor 26 then causes the 15 to traverse a pan of the patients spine, applying pressure in sequence to the vertebrae and moving relative to adjacent vertebrae in the manner deter by the ponff.

The first and second. moving means desc which rope raise and lower the applicator roller and cause it to nverse m the opening, way be m by other mechanism to produce simil movements out deparung from the Invention.

CLAWS 1. A treatineut table of the kind described having an opening positioned to be overlain by the spine of a recumbent patient on the table, an apph for applying pressure to the pas spine mounted m or below the openibig, first moving means for moving the applicator in a direction having a component perpendicular to the supporting a and second moving means for moving the applicator in the opening in directions which will be along the pads spine.

Claims

2. A treatinent table as claimed in Clai 1 wherein the opening is an

aperture in and wholly encircled by a part of the supporting s.

3. A treatment table as ed in Claim 1 wherein the opening has a gap at one side of the table. 4. A treatutent table as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the opening is a space between two or more pub of the supporting aurface.

5. A treatinent table as claimed m Clatim 4 wherein the said parts can be moved together to form a substantially continuous surface for other treatments.

6. A treatment table as claimed m Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein the add parts of the supporting surface are movable to form openings between them at different alternative positions according to the part of a patients spine to be treated- 7. A nent table as claimed m any preceding claim wherein the applicator comprises one or more rotatable elements arranged to roll along the patients spine on actuation of the second moving means.

8. A treatment table as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the applicator is a single roller mounted with its axis of rotation disposed to as to be transverse to the patients spine.

9. A ceut table as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first moving means includes control means for regulating and indicating the form applied to a patient by the applicator.

10. A treatinent table as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second moving means is arranged to reciprocate the applicator m the opening.

11. A treatment table as claimed in CL-aim 10 wherein the second moving means includes means for varying the traverse of reciprocation of the applicator.

12. A Uent of the kind)ed substan as bercinMom descrfi)ed and as illust by the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows (.0 CLAIMS 1. A treatment table of the kind described including an anchorage for connection to a part of a "mibent patient, first moving means for raising and lowering the applicator through the opening, second moving means for reciprocating the applicator in the opening and third moving means for tilting the surface downwardly away from the anchorage.

2. A treatment table as claimed in Claim 1 including first and second anchorages for selective connection to parts of a recumbent patient, the filird moving means being arranged for tilting the surface downwardly away from either of the anchorages.

3. A treatment table as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the opening is an aperture in and wholly encircled by a part of the supporting surface.

4. A treatment table as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the opening has a gap at me side of the table.

5. A treatment table as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the opening is a space between two or more parts of the supporting surface.

1 6. A treatment table as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the said parts can be moved together to form a substantially continuous surface.

1 7. A treatment table as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the said parts of the supporting surface may be moved to form openings between them at different alternative positions.

8. A treatment table as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the applicator comprises at least one rotatable element arranged to roll along a patient's spine on actuation of the second moving means.

9. A treatment table as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first moving means includes control means for regulating and indicating the force applied to a patient by the applicator.

0 10. A treatment table as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second moving means includes means for varying the traverse of the applicator in the opening.

-1 11. A treatment table as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a portion of the supporting surface is longihdlally movable relative to another so that a patient's body can more readily move in response to the tilting.

12. A treatment table of the kind descnbed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

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