Inclined Exercise Device for Lumbar Flexion and Distraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for treating lower back pain fail to provide comprehensive dynamic movement, particularly in home use settings, as they often lack simultaneous flexion and distraction of the lumbar vertebrae, which are essential for therapeutic relief and healing.
Innovation Solution
A portable exercise device that combines flexion and distraction of the lumbar vertebrae through a mechanism where the user's knees are raised, causing the hips and pelvis to lift, with a pivoting arm and link system that minimizes user effort, allowing for controlled dynamic movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If prior art devices lift hips and pelvis vertically, then gravitational forces are relieved, but simultaneous flexion and distraction of lumbar vertebrae is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from static vertical lifting to dynamic combined motion. The carriage moves along an inclined plane at a specific angle (30-45 degrees), creating simultaneous flexion and distraction movements that dynamically address multiple therapeutic needs in one coordinated action rather than separate static movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges two previously separate therapeutic functions (flexion and distraction) into a single integrated movement. By positioning the carriage on an inclined plane and lifting along that incline, both flexion and distraction occur concurrently, combining multiple therapeutic benefits into one unified action.
2Reliability
If devices are designed for clinical use only, then comprehensive therapeutic movement is provided, but home use adaptability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed for patient self-administration at home without requiring clinical personnel. The patient independently positions themselves, adjusts the carriage to appropriate heights, and performs the therapeutic exercise autonomously, making complex therapeutic movement accessible in home settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The device breaks down the complex therapeutic movement into manageable components: the patient lies supine, knees are positioned on the carriage, and the carriage is lifted along the inclined plane. This segmentation makes the therapy accessible and performable at home rather than requiring complex clinical equipment.
3Reliability
If user effort is increased to achieve flexion and distraction, then therapeutic movement is achieved, but user comfort and compliance decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined plane is positioned at a specific angle (30-45 degrees) that utilizes gravity and body weight mechanics to reduce the effort required. The angle optimizes the mechanical advantage, allowing the user's own body weight to assist in achieving the therapeutic movement rather than requiring excessive external force or effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The device creates a mechanically optimized position where the user's body alignment with the inclined plane at 30-45 degrees minimizes the work required to achieve both flexion and distraction. This equipotential positioning reduces energy expenditure while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
An exercise device for lifting up the lower back by raising a user's knees upward from a resting position. An elongated fixed strut extends upward from the base, and a carriage is placed on the elongated fixed strut, capable of moving on the elongated fixed strut between a lower position and an upper position relative to the elongated fixed strut. Knee supports are attached to the carriage, allowing a user to place their knees on the knee supports. As the carriage moves upward on the elongated fixed strut, the user's knees are lifted upward, thereby causing the hips and pelvis to rise, producing a flexion of the lower back. The upward movement of the hips and pelvis produces the distraction of the lumbar spinal segments.