Differential Air Pressure Chamber Frame for Accessible Unweighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional treadmills and exercise equipment lack privacy and security features required by the medical industry, and existing differential air pressure (DAP) systems are limited in accessibility, sizing, and maintenance, failing to meet the needs of broader markets beyond physical therapists.
Innovation Solution
A differential air pressure system with a modular design, including a base, uprights, a bulkhead, and a chamber support frame, equipped with a differential air pressure chamber bag, a computer controller, and improved data collection and privacy features, allowing for adjustable user access and enhanced data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional treadmills and exercise equipment use analog interfaces and lack cloud connectivity, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is maintained, but privacy and security features required by the medical industry are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based intermediary system that mediates between the exercise equipment and medical professionals. The cloud platform securely stores, processes, and transmits patient data, allowing the equipment itself to remain relatively simple while gaining enhanced security and data management capabilities through the intermediary cloud layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system integrates multiple functions including exercise monitoring, data collection, cloud connectivity, privacy-protected communication, and medical professional access into a single unified platform. This multi-functional approach allows the system to meet medical industry standards without requiring separate specialized systems for each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If DAP systems are designed with fixed configurations for PT use, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but adaptability for broader markets is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustability in the DAP system, allowing the air pressure chamber to be configured for different body sizes and types. The system can dynamically adjust pressure levels, chamber dimensions, and support frame positions to accommodate various users, transforming a fixed system into an adaptive one that serves multiple market segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The support frame is divided into modular segments that can be independently adjusted and reconfigured. This segmentation allows the system to be customized for different applications whether for pediatric patients, adults, or specific therapeutic needs, enhancing versatility without requiring completely different systems for each use case.
3Ease of operation
If DAP systems use large continuous windows for therapist observation, then ease of operation for assessment is improved, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible transparent panels or films that provide sufficient visibility for gait observation while being easier to maintain and replace than large rigid windows. These flexible materials can be integrated into the chamber structure and offer adequate transparency for therapeutic assessment without the maintenance burdens of traditional large glass windows.
4Ease of manufacture
If DAP systems are designed as integrated units, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but ease of manufacture and maintenance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into modular components including the air pressure chamber, support frame, exercise device, and control systems. Each module can be manufactured independently with standard tolerances, then assembled together with appropriate alignment features. This modular approach maintains manufacturing precision through standardized interfaces while significantly easing both manufacturing and maintenance processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The support frame incorporates adjustable and movable components that allow for easy assembly and disassembly. Dynamic adjustment mechanisms enable the frame to be configured for different users and applications while maintaining precise positioning through mechanical or electronic adjustment systems that can be quickly reconfigured without requiring precision re-manufacturing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides improved user accessibility, ease of maintenance, and compliance with medical data privacy standards, enabling broader market applicability and enhanced data utilization for fitness, athletic, and medical uses.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible bag that applies air pressure to the lower portion of the user's body
Implementation Method 2
Differential Air Pressure (DAP) partial unweighting systems have typically been designed for Physical Therapists for direct use with their patients
Data Source
AI summary
The invention comprises a differential air pressure exercise system, comprising: a base; a pair of uprights on the base dividing the base into a front portion and a rear portion; a bulkhead extending between and vertically moveable relative to the uprights; a right arm and a left arm attached to the bulkhead extending from the bulkhead towards the base rear portion; a chamber support frame coupling element on the right arm and on the left arm; a hinge coupled to the bulkhead between the left and right arms; a chamber support frame extending between the left and right arms and coupled to the hinge to move between an engaged condition and a lowered condition.