Other

Champion Toy Company

Pfizer Hospital Products Group, Inc.

Frank B Gray

LeRoy Stienbarger

John L Parris

Rocco R Borzone

David H Gray

Rainer G Riffert

Raimer G Riffert

Clyde M Hardin, Jr

An apparatus and method of operation for measuring forces applied to a wearer's foot, the apparatus providing an indication to the wearer when forces on the foot exceed pre-selected upper limits or do not meet pre-selected lower limits. A body member is disclosed for attachment around the wearer's foot, the body member having an exterior sole and an interior sole portion covered by a rigid foot plate. The foot plate includes an upper support surface for contact with the foot. The interior sole portion includes at least one cavity within, with a force sensing unit attachable partially within the cavity. At least one strain gage is positioned at a midpoint on the force sensing unit, and the force sensing unit is connectable to the underside of the foot plate. An electronic means is mounted within the cavity and is electrically connected to the at least one strain gage. The electronic means receives electronic signals from the strain gage, the signals in proportion to force applied onto the force sensing unit when the wearer's foot applies weight onto the foot plate, with conversion of the signals to output signals for transmission to a signal processing means in a remotely located receiver and display unit. The display unit compares the output signals to upper limits and lower limits, and displays alarms when output signals do not reach lower limits, or exceed upper limits, therefore assisting with therapeutic rehabilitation of an injured lower extremity.

Force monitoring shoe

A shoe to be worn by diabetic persons, or persons afflicted with various types of foot maladies, where excess pressure exerted upon a portion of the foot tends to give rise to ulceration. The shoe body is fabricated to have relieved areas in the inner surface that contacts the foot at locations where the excess pressure is thought to possibly occur. Mounted within each relieved area is a force sensing resistor unit that is connected to a switching circuit. When the switching circuit senses a pressure against the force sensing resistor of a value corresponding to a set threshold, the switching circuit causes the energization of an alarm unit to warn the wearer of the existence of this threshold pressure. At this point in time, the wearer can remove the shoe to prevent the damage to the foot. Provision can be made to adjust the critical threshold pressure at which the alarm is given.

Shoe contruction for use by diabetic persons

A device for monitoring force being applied by a wearer thereof to the wearer's foot, as during walking. The device is contained within a shoe-like structure which can be worn by a recuperating injured person or a person recovering from surgery, etc. The device includes a pressure sensitive element that produces an electrical signal that is related to the force, with this signal being used to alert the wearer when a force in excess of a preselected value occurs. Further, this signal can be used as input to data recording and analysis equipment. The signal transmission can be by direct wire connections, or via radio transmission. A vibratory motion is of particular value to alert the wearer of the point where the excess force occurs. The alerting device can be contained within the shoe, or in other apparatus utilized by a patient. Through the use of this device, a recovering patient will know how much weight to place on the leg in order to achieve maximum healing value.

Device for measuring force applied to a wearer's foot

A force monitoring shoe (10) for monitoring the force being applied to a patient's leg, as during walking. The device is contained within a shoe-like enclosure which can be worn by a recuperating injured person. Provision is made, as with a spring, to absorb the shock of the step. When force equal to a selectable value has been applied, an alert system notifies the patient. With this device a recovering patient will know exactly how much weight to place on the leg during every step.

A toy vehicle for a child includes a track and roller drive train for propelling the vehicle. Each of a pair of pedal arms is pivotally mounted at its forward end and has a split track mounted at the rear end thereof which rides on a roller mounted on either side of the axle. As the pedal arms are reciprocated by a rider, the tracks drive the rollers and axle with the gap between ramps of the track allowing the track to straddle the axle at the bottom of each stroke. The track may be generally curvilinear, or compound angled to balance the torque generated by each stroke in either the forward or rearward direction, and to also provide a smoother driving action through substantially 180.degree. of axle rotation with each stroke.

Toy vehicle with track and roller drive train

The cutting head for a surgical reamer has a leading end for insertion into a bone canal and a trailing end for attachment to a drive shaft. The cutting head has a cutting surface formed about an axis of rotation of the cutting head. The cutting surface is formed by the rotation of the cutting edges on a plurality of flutes spaced around the axis of rotation. Each cutting edge has a first portion spaced a predetermined radial distance from the axis of rotation at the tip portion and terminates at a terminating point which is at a greater radial distance from the axis of rotation than the starting point. The cutting edge on each flute has a second portion having a starting point at the trailing end of the cutting head which is at a second predetermined radial distance from the axis of rotation. The second portion extends axially towards the tip portion and terminates at a point at a greater radial distance from the axis of rotation than the starting point thereof. A third curved portion starts at the terminating point of the first portion and terminates at the terminating point of the second portion and intersects the first and second portions tangentially.

Surgical reamer

A three-wheeled scooter includes a reciprocating treadle drive which a rider may use to propel the scooter in either the forward or rearward direction. The treadle drive includes a pair of treadles having their rear ends mounted to crank portions of a rear crank drive axle and their forward ends supported by rollers from a bar track having a generally flattened portion therein along with an inclined portion. Movement is achieved by a rider's shifting of his weight alternately from one treadle to the other as each treadle rotates into a driving orientation. The treadle drive is characterized by maintaining a driving relationship between at least one treadle and the crank axle at all times to thereby eliminate any 'dead spots'.

Three-wheeled scooter with reciprocating treadle drive

A femoral component (10) for a hip prosthesis. The femoral component (10) includes a proximal body (18) having a lower portion for implantation into the proximal femur, and a neck portion (26) carried by the upper portion of the proximal body (18). A head portion (30) is mounted on the neck portion (26) for being rotatably received in the acetabulum (14) of an operatively associated acetabular component (12). Further, an extramedullary buttressing plate (38) is provided for supporting the proximal body (18) in a desired implanted position. The buttressing plate (38) includes an elongated body (40) for being secured to the exterior of the femur along a selected portion of the length of the femoral shaft, the elongated (40) body having a proximal end portion (44) for engaging the proximal body (18).

Femoral component for a hip prosthesis

An improved manual instrument for use in performing surgical procedures with the tool portion of the instrument being readily detachable from the handle portion. This instrument has a coupling between the handle portion and the tool portion that permits a full transfer of all forces, including axial, transverse and rotational, from the handle portion to the tool portion during use of the instrument. The primary portions of the coupling are mating (complementary) conical nondeformable surfaces on one end of the tool member and one end of the handle member. In the preferred form, the two mating surfaces are also provided with flat portions that prevent relative rotation of the components. Further, these mating flat portions permit a selected orientation between external portions of the handle member and the work portion of the tools member. The structure described permits the rapid exchange of tool members with respect to a given handle member when, for example, the work portion of the tool member becomes damaged or when a tool member with a work portion of a different configuration is required during the surgical procedure. A transfixing rod that passes axially through the handle member is treadably engaged with the tool member when the parts are to be joined. In the preferred embodiment, this rod has a knurled knob at an opposite end to permit rapid rotation of the rod by a user of the instrument. Several embodiments of mating surfaces of the coupling are described.

Surgical instrument with detachable tool member

A tricycle or other similar vehicle has an improved drive mechanism utilizing a pair of pedals, each of which has an associated cam and cam follower such that as the pedals are reciprocated the cam followers ride along the cams to rotate a drive axle and propel the vehicle. A shift mechanism permits realignment of the cam followers and cams to thereby change the direction of movement of the vehicle as the pedals are reciprocated. The drive mechanism and shift may be mounted to the rear wheels or, in an alternate embodiment, mounted to the front wheel of the vehicle.

Pedal operated vehicle with cam and cam follower drive assembly

A femoral component (10) for a hip prosthesis. The femoral component (10) comprises a femoral stem (18) including a proximal stem portion (24) for being implanted in the proximal portion of a femur and a distal stem portion (28) for being closely received in the medullary canal of the femur. The distal stem portion (28) is releasably secured to the lower end (32) of the proximal stem portion (24) such that the proximal and distal stem portions (24 and 28) can be independently sized to accommodate a specific femur configuration. The femoral component (10) further comprises a neck portion (20) and a head portion (22), the head portion (22) being releasably secured to the outboard end (52) of the neck portion (20). In the preferred embodiment, the proximal stem portion is held in place in the proximal femur through the use of a porous surface portion (42) which receives bone ingrowth from the femur.

An improved surgical instrument with detachable tool member (10). The surgical instrument (10) comprises at least one tool member (14) defining a work portion (15) and a rearward end portion (16). The rearward end portion (16) is provided with a tenon (28) for detachably mounting the tool member (14), the tenon (28) defining a narrowed waist portion (34) and an expanded portion (36) rearward of the waist portion (34). The tool member (14) is also provided with a locking rod receptor (42) defining an opening in the rearward end portion (16). The surgical instrument (10) also comprises a tool support member, which in alternate embodiments defines a handle (12) and flexible shaft (48) having a flexible shaft (49). The tool support member includes an outboard end portion (32) provided with a mortise (30) for closely receiving the tenon (28) of the tool member (14) and is further provided with a locking rod passageway (40) defining an opening in the outboard end portion (32) registering with the receptor (42) of the tool member (18). In order to prohibit the tenon (28) from moving laterally within the mortise (30), an elongated locking rod (38) is slidably received in the passageway (40) and in the receptor (42), thereby securing the tenson (28) in the mortise (30).

A method and apparatus for making cutting dies having sidewalls diverging from the cutting edge from thin bar stock having an internal side and an external side. A section of bar stock is cut at least as long as the perimeter of the die. Starting at one end the section is successively bent and advanced according to a pattern, making internal bends between a first set of tools and external bends between a second set of tools. The first set of tools, has a female tool with a sloping surface supporting the external side of the bar stock with the cutting edge pointed outwardly, and a tapering slot, and a male tool, having a sloped bending-edge aligned with the slot in the female tool for pushing the bar stock into the slot and bending it. The second set of tools, has a female tool with a sloping surface for supporting the internal side of the bar stock with the cutting edge pointed inwardly, and a tapering slot, and a male tool, having a sloped bending-edge aligned with the slot in the female tool for pushing the bar stock into the slot, and bending it.

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Frank B Gray