초록

The legs of a bedridden patient can be exercised by attaching a shoe-attachable unit to each shoe of the patient and rotating and maneuvering the legs of the patient via the shoe-attachable units.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A device for performing foot leg therapy comprising:a) a base unit that is adapted to be secured to a shoe of a patient for use, said base unit including(1) a heel section which includes a base plate which has a first surface that is a top surface when said base unit is secured to a shoe and whic

1. A device for performing foot leg therapy comprising:a) a base unit that is adapted to be secured to a shoe of a patient for use, said base unit including(1) a heel section which includes a base plate which has a first surface that is a top surface when said base unit is secured to a shoe and which is adapted to abut a sole of a shoe of a patient adjacent to the heel of the shoe when said base unit is secured to the shoe of the patient, a second surface which is a bottom surface when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a first end which is a forward end when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a second end which is a rear end when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a longitudinal axis which extends between the first end of the base plate and the second end of the base plate, a heel ridge which is secured to the second end of the base plate and which is oriented at a right angle to the first surface of the base plate and which is adapted to engage the heel of the shoe of the patient when said base unit is secured to the shoe of the patient, the heel ridge being arcuate, the heel section further including a first side, a second side and a transverse axis extending between the first side of the heel section and the second side of the heel section;(2) a forward section which includes a base plate which has a first surface that is a top surface when said base unit is secured to a shoe and which is adapted to abut a sole of a shoe adjacent to a toe of the shoe of a patient when said base unit is secured to the shoe of the patient, a second surface which is a bottom surface when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a first end which is a forward end when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a second end which is a rear end when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a longitudinal axis which extends between the first end of the base plate of the forward section and the second end of the base plate of the forward section and which is co-linear with the longitudinal axis of the heel section of said base unit, the forward section further including a first side, a second side and a transverse axis extending between the first side of the forward section and the second side of the forward section;b) a size-adjusting unit movably connecting the forward section to the heel section and which includes(1) two rods, each rod including a first end movably attached to the second surface of the forward section and a second end movably attached to the second surface of the heel section, each rod having a longitudinal axis which extends between the first end of each rod and the second end of each rod and which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the forward section, the two rods being spaced apart from each other in the direction of the transverse axis of the heel section, and(2) a bracket unit which includes(A) an externally threaded bolt mounted in the forward section and extending from the second surface of the forward section,(B) a wing nut having a threaded section that is adapted to threadably engage the threaded bolt,(C) a bracket element which includes a central hole adapted to accommodate the threaded bolt, and two channels, with each channel being sized to snugly accommodate one of the two rods of said size-adjusting unit,c) an adjustable handle unit which includes(1) a first L-shaped section having a first portion with a proximal end thereof fixedly mounted on the second surface of the forward section and a second portion which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the forward section toward the second end of the forward section, the second portion of the first L-shaped section having a distal end which is spaced apart from the second end of the forward section and which is also spaced apart from the second surface of the forward section, the second portion of the first L-shaped section having a screw thread defined thereon adjacent to the distal end of the second portion of the first L-shaped section,(2) a second L-shaped section having a first portion with a proximal end thereof fixedly mounted on the second surface of the heel section and a second portion which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the heel section toward the first end of the heel section, the second portion of the second L-shaped section having a distal end which is spaced apart from the first end of the heel section and which is also spaced apart from the second surface of the heel section, the second portion of the second L-shaped section having a screw thread defined thereon adjacent to the distal end of the second portion of the second L-shaped section, and(3) a double threaded nut which has a first threaded portion that is adapted to threadably engage the screw thread defined on the second portion of the first L-shaped section, and a second threaded portion that is adapted to threadably engage the screw thread defined on the second portion of the second L-shaped section, andd) a strap unit which includes(1) a first strap which includes a proximal end fixedly attached to the heel section adjacent to the first side of the heel section and adjacent to the first end of the heel section, the first strap including a distal end and hook-and-loop fastener material thereon,(2) a second strap which includes a proximal end fixedly attached to the heel section adjacent to the second side of the heel section and adjacent to the first end of the heel section, the second strap including a distal end and hook-and-loop fastener material thereon,(3) a third strap which includes a proximal end fixedly attached to the forward section adjacent to the first side of the forward section and adjacent to the first end of the forward section, the third strap including a distal end and hook-and-loop fastener material thereon, and(4) a fourth strap which includes a proximal end fixedly attached to the forward section adjacent to the second side of the forward section and adjacent to the first end of the forward section, the fourth strap including a distal end and hook-and-loop fastener material thereon.2. A method for performing leg therapy comprising:a) providing a first device for performing leg therapy which includes a base unit that is adapted to be secured to a shoe of a patient for use, said base unit including(1) a heel section includes a base plate which has a first surface that is a top surface when said base unit is secured to a shoe and which is adapted to abut a sole of a shoe of a patient adjacent to the heel of the shoe when said base unit is secured to the shoe of the patient, a second surface which is a bottom surface when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a first end which is a forward end when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a second end which is a rear end when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a longitudinal axis which extends between the first end of the base plate and the second end of the base plate, a heel ridge which is secured to the second end of the base plate and which is oriented at a right angle to the first surface of the base plate and which is adapted to engage the heel of the shoe of the patient when said base unit is secured to the shoe of the patient, the heel ridge being arcuate, the heel section further including a first side, a second side and a transverse axis extending between the first side of the heel section and the second side of the heel section;(2) a forward section which includes a base plate which has a first surface that is a top surface when said base unit is secured to a shoe and which is adapted to abut a sole of a shoe adjacent to a toe of the shoe of a patient when said base unit is secured to the shoe of the patient, a second surface which is a bottom surface when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a first end which is a forward end when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a second end which is a rear end when said base unit is secured to a shoe, a longitudinal axis which extends between the first end of the base plate of the forward section and the second end of the base plate of the forward section and which is co-linear with the longitudinal axis of the heel section of said base unit, the forward section further including a first side, a second side and a transverse axis extending between the first side of the forward section and the second side of the forward section; a size adjusting unit movably connecting the forward section to the heel section and which includes;(3) two rods, each rod including a first end movably attached to the second surface of the forward section and a second end movably attached to the second surface of the heel section, each rod having a longitudinal axis which extends between the first end of each rod and the second end of each rod and which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the forward section, the two rods being spaced apart from each other in the direction of the transverse axis of the heel section; and(4) a bracket unit which includes;(A) an externally threaded bolt mounted in the forward section and extending from the second surface of the forward section,(B) a wing nut having a threaded section that is adapted to threadably engage the threaded bolt,(C) a bracket element which includes a central hole adapted to accommodate the threaded bolt, and two channels, with each channel being sized to snugly accommodate one of the two rods of said size adjusting unit; an adjustable handle unit which includes,(1) a first L-shaped section having a first portion with a proximal end thereof fixedly mounted on the second surface of the forward section and a second portion which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the forward section toward the second end of the forward section, the second portion of the first L-shaped section having a distal end which is spaced apart from the second end of the forward section and which is also spaced apart from the second surface of the forward section, the second portion of the first L-shaped section having a screw thread defined thereon adjacent to the distal end of the second portion of the first L-shaped section,(2) a second L-shaped section having a first portion with a proximal end thereof fixedly mounted on the second surface of the heel section and a second portion which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the heel section toward the first end of the heel section, the second portion of the second L-shaped section having a distal end which is spaced apart from the first end of the heel section and which is also spaced apart from the second surface of the heel section, the second portion of the second L-shaped section having a screw thread defined thereon adjacent to the distal end of the second portion of the second L-shaped section, and(3) a double threaded nut which has a first threaded portion that is adapted to threadably engage the screw thread defined on the second portion of the first L-shaped section, and a second threaded portion that is adapted to threadably engage the screw thread defined on the second portion of the second L-shaped section; and a strap unit which includes,(1) a first strap which includes a proximal end fixedly attached to the heel section adjacent to the first side of the heel section and adjacent to the first end of the heel section, the first strap including a distal end and hook-and-loop fastener material thereon,(2) a second strap which includes a proximal end fixedly attached to the heel section adjacent to the second side of the heel section and adjacent to the first end of the heel section, the second strap including a distal end and hook-and-loop fastener material thereon,(3) a third strap which includes a proximal end fixedly attached to the forward section adjacent to the first side of the forward section and adjacent to the first end of the forward section, the third strap including a distal end and hook-and-loop fastener material thereon, and(4) a fourth strap which includes a proximal end fixedly attached to the forward section adjacent to the second side of the forward section and adjacent to the first end of the forward section, the fourth strap including a distal end and hook-and-loop fastener material thereon,b) fitting the first device onto a first shoe of the patient;c) securing the first device to the first shoe of the patient;d) grasping the adjustable handle unit of the first device;e) rotating and maneuvering the first device and the leg connected to the foot of the patient attached to the first shoe using the adjustable handle unit.3. The method as described in claim 2 further including providing a second device for performing foot and/or leg therapy; fitting the second device to a second shoe of the patient; securing the second device to the second shoe of the patient; grasping the adjustable handle unit of the second device while simultaneously grasping the adjustable handle unit of the first device; and rotating and maneuvering the second leg connected to the second foot of the patient using the second device while simultaneously rotating and maneuvering the first leg connected to the first foot of the patient using the first device.