Chattanooga Group, Inc.

Dwayne Hofstatter

James R Vetter, Jr

Jeffrey K Pohl

D Chris Linville

Stephen L Brown

A therapeutic device may be used in providing physical therapy for a patient's knee by moving the patient's leg through a plurality of cycles of motion in each of a number of treatment sessions. The device includes a &ldquo;Comfort Zone&rdquo; range of motion feature which allows an operator to temporarily increase the flexion angle (or decrease the extension angle) to alleviate discomfort the patient is experiencing as the upper leg support and lower leg support pivot or attempt to pivot through a portion of the operational range of motion. The preferred embodiment of the device will automatically decrease the flexion angle (or automatically increase the extension angle) at a predetermined rate over a period of treatment time, so that the device may return to operation between the preset operational limits of the range of motion with a lower chance that the patient will experience the same pain or discomfort which necessitated the establishment of a Comfort Zone limit. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carriage holding the patient's leg is decelerated, at a controlled rate over a controlled distance, from the operational speed to zero, as the carriage approaches the extension or flexion limit, and the carriage is accelerated in the same fashion as the carriage moves away from the extension or flexion limit.

Continuous passive motion device having a comfort zone feature

A continuous passive motion device which may be used in providing physical therapy for a patient's knee by moving the patient's leg through a plurality of cycles of motion in a treatment session includes an &ldquo;Oscillation Zone&rdquo; range of motion feature that permits the machine to be operated in such a manner that the patient's knee is flexed and his leg extended through a critical or working range of motion more frequently than through the non-critical range of motion, or the remainder of the range of motion of the device, so as to increase the portion of time of a treatment session that is spent in the working range of motion. A preferred embodiment of the device allows the patient's knee to be flexed, extended and held in certain positions a predetermined number of times per cycle, so as to provide a treatment regimen which replicates the holding and stretching one might receive through physical therapy conducted by a therapist or a physician. A preferred embodiment of the invention also has &ldquo;Soft Turns&rdquo; capability, wherein the carriage holding the patient's leg is decelerated, at a controlled rate over a controlled distance, from the operational speed to zero, as the carriage approaches an extension or flexion limit, and wherein the carriage is accelerated in the same fashion as the carriage moves away from the extension or flexion limit.

Continuous passive motion device having a rehabilitation enhancing mode of operation

A therapeutic device which may be used in providing physical therapy for a patient's knee by moving the patient's leg through a plurality of cycles of motion in a treatment session. The device includes a &ldquo;Fast Back&rdquo; range of motion feature that permits the machine to be operated at more than one speed or rate per cycle, wherein the patient's knee may pass through a critical or working range of motion at a first rate, and through a non-critical or non-working range of motion at a second rate, so as to increase the portion of time of a treatment session that is spent in the working of the range of motion, as compared to conventional CPM machines. The preferred embodiment of the invention also has &ldquo;soft turns&rdquo; capability, wherein the carriage holding the patient's leg is decelerated, at a controlled rate over a controlled distance, from the operational speed to zero, as the carriage approaches an extension or flexion limit, and wherein the carriage is accelerated in the same fashion as the carriage moves away from the extension or flexion limit.

Continuous passive motion device that accelerates through the non-working range of motion

A therapeutic device may be used in providing physical therapy for a patient's knee by moving the patient's leg through a plurality of cycles of motion in each of a number of treatment sessions. The device includes a progressive range of motion feature that permits an automatic decrease in the flexion angle (or an automatic increase in the extension angle) over a period of time as rehabilitation progresses. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carriage holding the patient's leg is decelerated, at a controlled rate over a controlled distance, from the operational speed to zero, as the carriage approaches the extension or flexion limit, and the carriage is accelerated in the same fashion as the carriage moves away from the extension or flexion limit.

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Woodstock, GA, United States of America

Dwayne Hofstatter