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US 5,352,190 AGranted
Knee brace
AssigneeQ-Motus, Inc.
InventorsMark F. Fischer, Tammy C. Luttrell, Christopher J. Barton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeQ-Motus, Inc.
InventorsMark F. Fischer, Tammy C. Luttrell, Christopher J. Barton
Estimating the term…
An apparatus for use in bracing or exercising a knee joint in a manner that allows bending of the joint only along a predetermined path which approximates the natural bending of the joint. On one side of the joint are upper and lower struts that run along and are attached to the upper and lower leg and are attached to one another near the joint by a connecting mechanism which includes a set of linkage arms and telescoping elements that allow the struts to pivot relative to one another along the prescribed pivot line. On the other side of the joint are other upper and lower struts that run along and are attached to the upper and lower leg and are attached to one another near the joint by a ball and socket connector. The apparatus may be used as a brace or, alternatively, may be used with a cycling mechanism to cyclically flex and extend the joint or with a force-applying mechanism to apply a constant force urging the extension or flexing of the joint.
A method of bracing a limb, having an upper portion, a lower portion and a joint between the upper and lower portion, comprising attaching a brace to the limb, the brace having a lower attachment for attachment to the lower portion of the limb and an upper attachment for attachment to the upper portion of the limb, a first lower strut attached to the lower attachment and extending along the lower portion of the limb toward the joint, a first upper strut attached to the upper attachment and extending along the upper portion of the limb toward the joint, and a first connecting mechanism to pivotally connect the first upper and first lower struts, the connecting mechanism having a lower telescoping portion slidably attached to the end of the first lower strut that is toward the joint, whereby the first lower strut slides out of the lower telescoping portion and away from the joint as the joint bends, and the connecting mechanism further having an upper telescoping portion slidably attached to the end of the first upper strut that is toward the joint, whereby the upper strut slides out of the telescoping portion and away from the joint as the joint bends.
A method of bracing a limb, having an upper portion, a lower portion and a joint between the upper and lower portion, comprising attaching a brace to the limb, the brace having a lower attachment for attachment to the lower portion of the limb and an upper attachment for attachment to the upper portion of the limb, a first lower strut attached to the lower attachment and extending along the lower portion of the limb toward the joint, a first upper strut attached to the upper attachment and extending along the upper portion of the limb toward the joint, and a first connecting mechanism to pivotally connect the first upper and first lower struts, the connecting mechanism having a lower telescoping portion slidably attached to the end of the first lower strut that is toward the joint, whereby the first lower strut slides out of the lower telescoping portion and away from the joint as the joint bends, and the connecting mechanism further having an upper telescoping portion slidably attached to the end of the first upper strut that is toward the joint, whereby the upper strut slides out of the telescoping portion and away from the joint as the joint bends and further comprising a second lower strut attached to the lower limb attachment and extending along the lower portion of the limb toward the joint, a second upper strut attached to the upper limb attachment and extending along the upper portion of the limb toward the joint, and a second connecting mechanism to pivotally connect the second upper and second lower struts;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.