Chattanooga Group, Inc.

Brian S Baxter

Anne W Belsito

Claude L McCormick

Paul R Camp

Brent E Boxall

An apparatus is disclosed for monitoring the movement and force production of the lumbar spine during flexion and extension in each of several sagittal-frontal planes of the body, as well as during movement in the transverse (twisting) plane. The apparatus includes a rotatable platform upon which the patient is adapted to stand, and the platform is pivotable about a vertical axis, so that the platform may be pivoted to a selected angle and held in the selected position. For operation in the flexion/extension mode, there is provided a lever arm which is rotatable about a horizontal axis which is adapted to pass through the lumbro-sacral junction of the patient, and a first upper body engaging member is releasably mounted to the lever arm. A first computer controlled drive motor pivotally rotates the lever arm in opposite directions in accordance with a predetermined program. An overhead frame assembly is also mounted for rotation about the horizontal axis, and a second upper body engaging member is mounted to the overhead frame assembly for rotation about a generally vertical axis which is perpendicular to the horizontal axis. Thus the apparatus may be operated in a flexion/extension mode, or in a twisting mode, and with the foot platform in a selected angular position.

Apparatus for monitoring the motion of the lumbar spine

A patient positioning system for computer controlled muscle exercising machine allows for automatic positioning of large numbers of patients prior to exercises and evaluations. The patient positioning system simplifies the patient positioning process by allowing the seat and actuator to be moved, manually or automatically, in both the horizontal and vertical direction relative to each other. This is accomplished by indicating the direction in which the seat and actuator are to be moved based upon optimum exercise positions stored in a data storage means. The directions are indicated adjacent to a four way switch and on a display device for selecting the direction of movement. In response to this prompt, the direction of movement of the seat and/or actuator is selected by pressing the four way switch for the seat or the four way switch for the actuator in the direction indicated adjacent to the switch and on the display device. The seat and/or actuator are moved based on the direction selected until the optimum exercise position stored in the data storage means is reached. Once the exercise position for the particular exercise and patient is reached, i.e. automatic (standard or custom) positioning is completed, the relative positions of the seat and actuator are manually adjusted. The exercise positions are stored in the data storage means in association with a particular patient and exercise.

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Hixson, TN, United States of America

Brian S Baxter