Patient positioning system and method for computer controled muscle exercising machine

A patient positioning system for a muscle exercise machine comprising:

• patient supporting means for supporting a patient thereon;
• an exercise element adapted for manipulation by a patient supported on said patient supporting means;
• data storage means for storing therein names of exercises and relative positions of the patient supporting means arid the exercise element;
• position direction indicating means, responsive to said data storage means, for indicating a direction of positioning movement of the patient supporting means and the exercise element based upon the relative position of the patient supporting means and the exercise element stored in said data storage means;
• position direction input means for accepting position selection of the patient supporting means and the exercise element in response to the direction indicated by the position direction indicating means;
• and
• position controlling means, operationally connected to said patient supporting means, said exercise element and said position direction input means, for controlling the relative positioning movement of the patient supporting means and the exercise element in response to the position accepted by the position direction input means.

A muscle exercise machine comprising:

• patient supporting means for supporting a patient thereon;
• an exercise element adapted for manipulation by a patient;
• means, operationally connected to said patient supporting means and said exercise element, for effecting relative positioning movement of said patient supporting means and said exercise element to define an exercise position, said relative positioning movement effecting means comprising
• position direction input means, for accepting selection of a relative position of said exercise element and said patient supporting means;
• position direction indicating means for indicating a direction of positioning movement of said relative positioning movement effecting means;
• and
• automatic positioning means for activating said position direction indicating means to indicate a direction of relative positioning movement of said relative positioning movement effecting means;
• and
• data storage means, for storing therein patient names and associated patient exercise names;
• and
• means for storing in said data storage means, an exercise position defined by said patient supporting means and said exercise element and corresponding to a patient name and a patient exercise name;
• wherein said automatic positioning means is responsive to said data storage means and moves at least one of said patient supporting means and said exercise element to an exercise position which is stored in said data storage means.

A muscle exercise and rehabilitation apparatus comprising

• a seat for supporting a patient thereon,
• seat mounting means comprising a seat base member, a vertical first post slidably mounted to said seat base member for selective movement in either direction along a linear, laterally directed path of movement, with said first post defining a vertical seat axis, first seat positioning means for moving said seat laterally in either direction along said lateral path of travel, and second seat positioning means for moving said seat in either direction along said vertical seat axis,
• a rotary actuator comprising an output shaft defining a rotational axis, an arm connected to said output shaft and extending radially therefrom, and drive means for selectively rotating said shaft in either direction about said rotational axis,
• actuator mounting means mounting said actuator adjacent said seat so that a patient supported on said seat can engage said arm of said actuator, and comprising an actuator base member, a vertical second post slidably mounted to said actuator base member for selective movement in either direction along a linear, longitudinally directed path of movement which is perpendicular to said linear laterally directed path of movement, with said second post defining a vertical actuator axis, first actuator positioning means for moving said actuator in either direction along said longitudinal path of movement, and second actuator positioning means for moving said actuator in either direction along said vertical actuator axis,
• a seat switch having four seat switch positions for selectively (1) operating said second seat positioning means to move said seat up, (2) operating said second seat positioning means to move said seat down, (3) operating said first seat positioning means to laterally move said seat to the right, (4) operating said first seat positioning means to laterally move said seat to the left,
• a light associated with each of said four seat switch positions so as to visually indicate which one of said four seat switch positions should be selected,
• an actuator switch having four actuator switch positions for selectively (1) operating said second actuator positioning means to move said actuator up, (2) operating said second actuator positioning means to move said actuator down, (3) operating said first actuator positioning means to longitudinally move said actuator in a back direction, (4) operating said first actuator positioning means to longitudinally move said actuator in a forward direction,
• a light associated with each of said four actuator switch positions so as to visually indicate which one of said four actuator switch positions should be selected,
• storage means for storing the names of patients and predetermined settings for the height of said seat, the lateral position of said seat, the height of said actuator, and the longitudinal position of said actuator, with respect to a particular exercising routine for each of the patients,
• position input accepting means for accepting selection of a name of a patient, a particular exercising routine, and a seat height position, a seat lateral position, an actuator height position and an actuator lateral position corresponding to said patient and said particular exercising routine, stored in said storage means,
• control means responsive to the actuation of said position input accepting means (1) for selecting the seat switch position to move the seat to the selected setting for its height stored in said storage means and the seat switch position to move the seat laterally to the selected setting for its lateral position stored in said storage means, and illuminating the associated lights in sequence, and (2) selecting the actuator switch position to move the actuator to the selected setting for its height stored in said storage means and the actuator switch position to move the actuator longitudinally to the selected setting for its longitudinal position stored in said storage means, and illuminating the associated lights in sequence.

A method for positioning a patient on a muscle exercise machine having a seat for supporting a patient thereon, an actuator having an output shaft for attaching an exercise element thereto, a data processor for controlling positioning movement of the seat and the actuator, and a display device, data storage means, and an input device operationally connected to the data processor;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• selecting a direction of positioning movement of said seat relative to said actuator and a direction of positioning movement of said actuator relative to said seat, wherein said selecting step comprises the steps of:
• indicating a direction of positioning movement of the seat relative to the actuator based upon the relative position of the seat and the actuator and indicating a direction of positioning movement of the actuator relative to the seat based upon the relative position of the actuator and the seat;
• and
• accepting selection of a direction of positioning movement of the seat relative to the actuator and the actuator relative to the seat in response to the direction indicated;
• and
• controlling the positioning movement of said seat relative to said actuator and the positioning movement of said actuator relative to said seat in response to the selection of a direction of positioning movement of the seat and the actuator;
• activating and deactivating the selection of a direction of positioning movement of the seat and the actuator, and the control of the positioning movement of the seat and the actuator based on the relative position of the seat and the actuator;
• and
• storing in said data storage means names of patients, names of exercises and seat positions relative to said actuator and actuator positions relative to said seat for exercises.

A method for positioning a patient on a muscle exercise machine having patient supporting means, an exercise element adapted for manipulation by a patient, a data processor for controlling positioning movement of the patient supporting means and the actuator, and a display device, data storage means, and an input device operationally connected to the data processor, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing in said data storage means names of exercises and relative positions of the patient supporting means and the exercise element;
• indicating a direction of positioning movement of the patient supporting means and the exercise element based upon the relative position of the patient supporting means and the exercise element stored in said data storage means;
• accepting selection of the position of the patient supporting means and the exercise element in response to the indicated direction of positioning movement of the patient supporting means and the exercise element;
• and
• controlling the relative positioning movement of the patient supporting means and the exercise element in response to the accepted selection of the position of the patient supporting means and the exercise element.

A method of controlling positioning a patient on a muscle exercise machine having patient supporting means, an exercise element adapted for manipulation by a patient, a data processor operationally connected to said patient supporting means and said exercise element, and a display device, data storage means, and an input device operationally connected to said data processor, said method comprising the steps of:

• effecting relative positioning movement between said patient supporting means and said exercise element to define an exercise position wherein said relative positioning movement effecting step comprises the steps of:
• accepting user selection of a relative position of said exercise element and said patient supporting means;
• indicating a direction of relative positioning movement of said exercise element and said patient supporting means;
• and
• automatically effecting positioning movement of at least one of said patient supporting means and said exercise element;
• and
• storing in said data storage means patient names and associated patient exercise names;
• and
• storing in said data storage means, an exercise position corresponding to a patient name and a patient exercise name
• wherein positioning movement of at least one of said patient supporting means and said exercise element to an exercise position stored in said data storage means is automatically effected.