US 2004/0204666 A1 · Cervical spine brace and traction device

Abstract

A cervical spine brace and traction device incorporates a forwardly open head and jaw brace which is adjustably supported vertically above a forwardly collar member. The brace and the collar member have cooperating lateral wall sections having mating arcuate surfaces that are juxtaposed and which include interengaging means that assure they remain precisely angularly aligned with each other while the vertical spacing between them is being changed. Support of the brace and adjustment is by pairs of laterally extending brackets which interconnect with rotatable rod mechanisms that carry coaxial right-handed and left-handed lead screw surfaces. A miter gear affixed to each rod in a central location mates with a cooperative miter gear affixed to a horizontal shaft that carries a starwheel at one end which permits smooth and accurate patient adjustment.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A cervical spine brace and traction device comprising

a forwardly open arcuate collar member having a pair of lateral regions designed to rest upon the shoulders of a user adjacent the neck, and a lateral wall section extending superiorly from each said region,
each said lateral wall section having a laterally extending bracket,
an upwardly extending, rotatable rod mechanism supported by each said bracket, said rod mechanisms each having a pair of coaxial right-handed and left-handed lead screw surfaces,
a forwardly open, head and jaw brace including a pair of upper brackets through which said brace is supported on said pair of rotatable rod mechanisms in overlying relationship with respect to said collar member,
said brace having a head support region contoured to fit against the occipital region of the head,
interengaging means on said lateral wall sections of said collar member and on wall sections of said brace for maintaining one in alignment with the other while allowing them to be adjustably spaced vertically from each other, and
adjustment means connected to said rotatable rod mechanisms whereby traction may be applied to the cervical spine by causing said brace to be smoothly raised above said collar member or braced in a desired position.

4 more elements

A cervical spine brace and traction device comprising

a forwardly open arcuate collar member having a pair of lateral regions designed to rest upon the shoulder region of a user adjacent the neck and a lateral wall section extending superiorly from each said lateral region,
each said lateral wall section having a laterally extending bracket,
an upwardly extending, rotatable rod mechanism supported by each said bracket, said rod mechanisms each including a rod having a pair of coaxial right-handed and left-handed lead screw surfaces,
a forwardly open, head and jaw brace including a pair of upper brackets extending laterally from a pair of depending wall sections, through which brackets said brace is supported on said pair of rotatable rod mechanisms in overlying relationship with respect to said collar member,
said brace having a head support region contoured to fit against the occipital region of the head,
interengaging means on said wall sections of said collar member and said brace for maintaining one in alignment with the other while allowing them to be adjustably spaced vertically from each other, and
adjustment means connected to central sections of each of said rotatable rod mechanisms whereby traction may be applied to the cervical spine by rotating said rods as to effect simultaneous relative movement between said rod and each of said brackets causing said brace to be smoothly raised above said collar member.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cervical spine brace and traction device

Life of this patent

Cervical spine brace and traction device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17