# US 2014/0289959 A1 · Apparatus and method for assisting impaired or disabled persons > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0289959 A1 - Document ID: US20140289959A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/223,974 - Filed: 2014-03-24 - Published: 2014-10-02 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-26 - Assignees: Revac ApS - Applicants: Revac ApS - Inventors: Mogens Hjort; Jimmy Grotner; Henrik Hjort - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140289959A1 ## CPC - A61G 5/14: Standing-up or sitting-down aids - A61G 7/1019: {Vertical extending columns or mechanisms} - A61G 7/1046: {Mobile bases, e.g. having wheels} - A61G 7/1086: {Upper body} - A61G 7/1092: {the arms} - A61G 7/1096: {Knee, upper or lower leg} - A61G 2200/34: sitting - A61G 2200/36: standing - A61G 2203/16: Touchpads - A61G 2203/32: for force - A61G 2205/60: using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) ## Abstract An apparatus and procedure for disabled, impaired or handicapped persons in reaching or maintaining a standing or partially standing position. The apparatus includes a knee support and a movable torso support that is connected to an actuator arrangement. The actuator arrangement moves the torso support in a vertical range of positions independently of the horizontal position of the torso support and in a horizontal range of positions independently of the vertical position of the torso support. The user engages the torso support during the raising movement during which the torso support moves simultaneously forward and upward until he is substantially standing whilst leaning forward over the torso support (and vice versa for the lowering procedure). The torso support can also be rotated, independently of the vertical and horizontal position of the torso support. The apparatus is provided with a load sensing system monitoring self-participation of the user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for assisting a person to move from a seated position on a seat or the like to an upright or standing position and vice versa, said apparatus comprising: a base; a footplate supported by said base; an actuator arrangement supported by said base; a torso support configured for supporting the torso and possibly also the underarms of the person to be a supported with the chest of the person facing the torso support; said torso support having a main engagement surface for engaging the chest of the person to be assisted, said torso support being operatively connected to said actuator; said actuator arrangement being configured to be able to move said torso support up and down over a range of vertical positions and said actuator being configured to be able to move said torso support back and forth over a range of horizontal positions in a direction substantially perpendicular to said main engagement surface; wherein said actuator arrangement is configured to move said torso support in said vertical range of positions independently of the horizontal position of the torso support; and wherein said actuator arrangement is configured to move said torso support in said horizontal range of positions independently of the vertical position of the torso support; a processor connected to said actuator arrangement and configured to control the operation of said actuator; and one or more sensors connected to said processor and said one or more sensors being configured for sensing the load on said torso support and/or on said footplate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a knee support and a sensor configured to sense the load on said knee support. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display connected to said processor, and said processor being configured to determine to which extent said person participates with their own effort during a movement and wherein said processor preferably displays the results of the determination of the extent that said person participates with their own effort to move on said display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a memory is connected to said processor, said memory being configured for storing movement profiles associated with a specific person, said movement profiles including information for the path to be followed and the speed profile to be used in a moving operation, ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to reduce the movement speed in the person profile for parts of the movement where the load on the torso support exceeds a general or patient-specific threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to monitoring the load on the torso support and/or on the footplate and the processor is configured to using the load information to determining the self-effort in the movement of the person to be assisted. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to storing said self-effort in a person journal and/or to provide the person to be assisted with visual or audio feedback on his/her self-effort. ### Claim 8 A method for operating a person lift that is provided with a processor and with an arrangement for engaging, supporting or lifting a person to be assisted and with an actuator arrangement, wherein said actuator arrangement is configured to move said arrangement for engaging, supporting or lifting a person to be assisted in a vertical range of positions independently of the horizontal position of the arrangement for engaging, supporting or lifting a person to be assisted and wherein said actuator arrangement is configured to move said arrangement for engaging, supporting or lifting a person to be assisted in a horizontal range of positions independently of the vertical position of the arrangement for engaging, supporting or lifting a person to be assisted; said lift further comprising one or more sensors connected to said processor and said one or more sensors being configured for sensing the load on said torso support and/or on said footplate, said actuator arrangement being configured to carry out a movement for assisting said person to be assisted under the command from said processor, said method comprising: performing a movement with said actuator arrangement with said person supported by the lift under command of said processor, and monitoring the load on said arrangement for engaging, supporting or lifting a person to be assisted. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, further comprising determining the self-participation of the person to be assisted in said moment using the load information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, further comprising communicating said self-participation to said person or to an operator of said apparatus, preferably using audio/visual feedback. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, further comprising determining storing and/or transmitting data representing said self-participation.