Technical Field The invention relates to medical hygiene as well as to the area of sports in general and more particularly to a table for backbone setting employed for physiotherapy, physiotherapeuticai, recreational or conditional training of spinaL column and relevant muscles.

According to the International patent classification (MKP)5 the mark is:

A 6111 1/00; A 61H 1/02; A 63B 23/00; A 63B 23/02 and A 63B 23/04.

Technical problem The invention solves the problem of device construction in the form of a table for backbone setting, of simple design, simple and effective, to use, with absolute self-control by user/patient in physiotherapy, physiotherapeuticai selective or conditional training of spine and relevant muscles. It is suited for both medical praotine and home use.

Background Art

A few simple devices are known for spine stretching. They operate in the following manner: patient's head is adequately tied down to an axially mobile part, and patient's legs are fastened to the other, opposite side, fixed part. By manual or hand controlled tilting of the said axially mobile part a gradual stretching, i.e. extension of the patient's spinal column is carried out, whereas the patient is

horizontally lying down on the table. With adequate weights, which have a certain amount of power, it is possible to maintain stretching of patient's spine for a desired period of time.

Disadvantages of such devices are that their employment is limited to the treatment of a smaU number of maladies and spine deformities.

A more universal device in this technology has been described in a non-patent literature as "TESI" stretching system, made by "TESI" firm in Germany. The device is designed as a table comprising a pedestal base and control unit. On one end there is a mobile tying element with straps for the patient's head, whereas on the opposite side there are devices for axial movement of the aforementioned tying element. Under the table there are heating elements, a vibratory device, and elements with axle and radially mobile wheels under the patient's spinal column.

Disadvantages of this device are basically the same as in the one described before, and refer to the limited effect on the patient's spinal column and relevant muscles, where the patient always remains in one - axial position.

In the US patent document No. 1,936.363 a combined table for the adjustable stretching of spinal column is described. This table comprises a pedestal base with a section for patient's head and the opposite section for legs. Between these two ends the table is divided into a number of dented sections relevant to the head or

legs area. The section for head is axially mobile by appropriate mechanism. Intersectional areas provided for making pressure on vertebra of patient's spinal column are also mobile. The section for Legs consists of both fixed and mobile pillows with straps for legs. In this invention, the table operates in the following manner: at the time of simultaneous opposite-direction axial movement of sections for the head and legs, there is a combined movement of intersections pressing the patient's spinal column vertebra, thus massaging the vertebra,

Disadvantages of this device are similar to the two described above, since during the treatment the patient is always placed in a horizontal position, with minimum pressure on the vertebra of patient's spinal column. Furthermore, the above described device is designed with extremely complicated mechanical part, i.e. motor mechanism.

In one partly relevant US patent document No. Li,984.238 an adjustable tractive device for patient's head and dependent muscles is described. The device comprises a chair on which pivotally secured lower end of vertical column is connected with the upper part by a dented branch at the top, and on one of its ends, over elastic girder, a strapping device for patient's head is secured. With the other end of the said branch an elastic element is connected to the opposite side of the device column. The device operates in the following manner: while the patient's head is tied by strapping device to the device branch, the patient slowly tilts

forward from horizontal position. The recessed branch pulls the part with strapped patient's head, stretching thus the elastic girder on one side and elastic element tightened at the other side of the aforementioned branch.

Disadλ'antages of this device refer to the limited stretching of only cervicaJ vertebra of the upper part of spinal column and relevant museLes, producing a reduced physiotherapeuticai effect in relation to the patient's spinal column as a whole.

Another partly relevant device for backbone setting is described in a US patent document No. 4,250.847. The described therapeutical stretching device for patient's neclϊ comprises a saddle to be placed on patient's shoulders, with two attached vertical pneumatic cylinders. The free ends of connecting rods of these cylinders are joined together by a lever in the center of which is freely hanging another transversal hangerlike lever with hooks on the sides for strapping device for the patient's head. At the lower part of pneumatic cyLinders an additional rectangular frame construction is attached, in the center of which, at the adjustment bolt, there is an adjustable neck guard. Pneumatic cylinders are attached by elastic tube .lines to the central baloon-hand pump with adjustable ventiie, for controlled air pumping. The device operates in the following manner: after the patient's head is strapped, there comes a controlled manual pumping of air into pneumatic cylinders, whose cramps are moving the connecting rods and strapping levers thus stretching the cervical vertebra of the upper part of patient's spinal column and relevant muscles. This stretching is combined with

a simultaneous radial pressure of adjustable neck guard on the patient's neck, by controlled roiling of supporting bolt.

Disadvantages of this device are practically the same as in the previous case, since only the cervical vertebra of the upper part of patient's spinal column and muscles are stretched. Also, the effect of this treatment is very limited.

In the EP patent application No. 93117341,3 submitted on the basis of YU patent application P-937/92 by the same applicant as in this application, a device is described for treatment, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, recreation and conditional training of spine and other parts of human body. This device comprises a base with seat for the pntienl , with an arched tube s<- ^* 1. behind the seat. The recessed arched tube is connected to a turning mechanism powered by an eLectric motor, i.e. aJ tentatively by foot pedals. On the upper part of the arched tube, moving helicoidally, there are sliding parts with straps for strapping patient's torso to the pipe (with his back). At the same time, the device has a mechanism for controlled patient's spine stretching. It can be moved either manually or by an electric motor, and on the arched tube there is a vibratory device for additional massage.

This device is suitable for an overall treatment of spinal column and relevant muscles, and it has a wide spectrum of physiotherapeu¬ ticai effects in a large number of patients. However, a disadvantage is that the patient has to be in a seated or half-seated position, which may not be convenient for all kinds of

physiotherapeutical, recreational and conditional treatments of spinal column and relevant muscles in all patients.

Object of the invention

During everyday activities of human body which include standing, sitting, moving, due to their monotony and duration a number of various maladies can occur, especially deformities of spinal column, relevant neck muscles, or abdomenal, hands, and legs muscles. The maladies first manifest themselves in the form of fatigue, when body tries to relax. They further progress by endangering spinal functions, surrounding and relevant muscles, when it is necessary to undertake treatment in order for body to assume its ussual functions. As a rule, the treatment is administered by chemical and physical therapies in the domain of contemporary medicine. Therefore, appropriate physiotherapies are needed, as well as physiotherapeu¬ ticai, recreational and conditional exercises of the ill-affected body parts such as: spinal column, neck and relevant abdomenal, hands, and 1egs muscles, etc.

In reference to all of the above, the object of this invention is to suggest a solution by constructing a device in the form of a table for backbone setting, which would eliminate imperfections of the above described known devices, and which could be effectively used with full self-control by the patient/user in physiotherapy, physiotherapeuticai, recreational or conditional exercise of spinal column, surrounding and relevant muscles.

The defined object has been reached by designing a table for backbone setting, comprising a bed-chair embodying a part for the back and a part for legs, each respectively pivoted onto the base, whereas the back and foot panels are also pivotally secured to the electric motor mechanism, by which a vertical lifting and lowering of the connective pivot is enabled, and the table starts to fracture, whiLe the table segments are moving round the supporting pivots. In this way, the angle of 180 degrees, which in a horizontal position of the table covers the segments for legs and the back, can increase or decrease depending on the direction of movement of the pivot linkage. The patient/user is in a lying position, with his hands Leaning on hand supporters fastened to the immobile back panel of the table, and is strapped to the mobile foot panel by adequate strapping eLements. The said foot panel is loaded by a weight or a tension spring which can regulate the strength moving the foot panel and is axially mobile on the supporting frame when the frame moves away from the back panel, which causes stretching of the spinal column of the patient/user. The effect of extension is enhanced by addition of an eccentric rope sheave with an electric motor of variable rotation to the power train of the foot panel, creating an impulsive extension. In order to further increase these effects, under the table, i.e. under the patient's/user's spinal tap, a vibratory device has been icluded for additional massage.

The therapeutical and recreational effect of the above said device is the result of a circumferential motion of patient's vertebral. It simultaneously improves vacuolarization of all spine structures,

O 97/39783 /YU97/00002

- 8 - suoh as spinal cord and its roots. As an overall effect unloading of burden of natural inter-vertebral areas, joints and their cartridges occurs, which is a salutary remedy to the sensitive nerves filling the mentioned structures. The final result is alleviation or complete disappearence of pain.

The application of the above described device according to the invention, with oscillating motion of the spinal column vertebra, periodical-vibratory stretching of the spine, body muscles and massage of the spinal column and relevant muscles of patient's/ user's abdomenal part, results in improved and renewed strength, as well as in increased mass of hypertrophic muscles. This can be achieved hy either active or passive procedure.

In this way, the device made according to the invention, if appropriately used (correct methods and procedures) is suitable for treatment of degenerative maladies of the whole spinal column, especially in treatment of juvenile deformities such as skulliosis and hyperkifosis, also in chronic painful conditions in the lymbo- sacral area junctions.

Description of draft drawings

The various features of the invention are thoroughly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 - is a side sectional view of the table for backbone setting, in absolutely horizontal position;

Figure 2 - is a detail view in elevation of the table from Fig. 1,

in the first working position;

Figure 3 - is a detai L view in elevation of the table from Fig. 1, in the second working position;

Figure 4 - is a side view of the immobile frame design; Figure 5 - is the view of frame from Fig. 4, taken from above; Figure 6 - is the view of construction of pedestal base taken from above; and Figure 7 - is face side view of the pedestal base from Fig. 6.

Detailed description of the invention Drawings show a table for backbone setting according to the invention comprising a base 25 with pivots 37,38 which have pivotal¬ ly secured supporters 35,36 set in one level, whereas vertical supporter 34 is set in the second vertical level and is fixed to the base 25. On the upper part of vertical supporter 34, at pivots 30,31 secured is the back panel 5 of the tabLe for backbone setting, whereas in pivots 32,33 on the upper part of supporter 35,36 there is a pivotally secured immobile frame 20 on which is set a mobile foot panel 1. The back panel 5 is connected with part 28 by means of pivot 27, whose other part 29 is connected with immobile frame 20. Pivotal parts 28 and 29 are intersecured in pivot 27 which is simultaneously connected to the upper part of threaded spindle 26 which is connected, by means of worm conveyor with electic motor mechanism 23 for vertical mobility, with bush 26a which is in pivot 24 pivotal ly set on the base 25.

The back panel 5, pivoted at pivots 30,31, is swivelled under the

influence of part 28 at pivot 27. On its upper part there is a mattress 6 anatomically designed which, under the back of patient/user, has a special cushion pad 11 whose upper area holds increased friction coefficient. Under the hands position of extended arms, on mattress 6, there are supporters 9 and 10 with controls, secured on both sides of the back panel 5. On the lower part of the said back panel 5, at connecting pivot 27 there is an electic motor 40 vibromasseur, and on the opposite side of the said panel 5 there is a control panel 21 of the device, power connected to the adequate power box 22.

The mobile foot panel 1, as in Fig. 4 and 5, is set with its wheels 16,17,18,19 within the immobile frame 20. On the said panel 1, on its upper side, there is a mattress 7 anatomically designed, with a belt 8 for strapping the abdomenal part of patient/user. For adjustibie strapping of legs, on the mobile foot panel 1 simultaneously is set an upholstered barrel 42 on vertical glide 43 with a bolt, which is further vertically-sliding set on guide slides 44 secured at the horizontal slide 45 with bolt, sliding at bolt 46 which is secured to the mobile foot panel 1 by means of connecting part 18. At the same time, on the said foot panel 1, on its lower part, by means of connecting pivot la secured is support 15 of rope connected to the end of rope 12, which is then thrown over eccentric rope sheave 14 on the electric motor shaft 39 secured at pivot 20a of the immobile frame 20. This rope 12 is then deflected in the opposite direction where it is thrown over rope sheave 13 secured on the immobile frame 20 and to its end is hooked a freely hanging

weight 3 of certain mass.

For safe operation, the largest part of the said device is set within a protective jacket housing 41 which is made in the form of an elastic bellows.

At one end of immobile frame 20 there is a pivotal mechanism 4 secured to the end of the mobile panel 1, which hither has a handle for moving of panel 1 at the time of rope 12 tightening, when elevating the weight 3 into upper position, as in Fig. 1

The table for backbone setting, according to the invetion, operates in the following manner: the mobile panel 1 on the immobile frame 20 set then in horizontal position, from this zero-position marked in Fig. 2 and 3 with D, is manually tilted into position A as in Fig. 1. Accordingly, lifting of weight 3 is employed when at the end of movement of the mobile panel 1 a pivotal mechanism 4 is locked. Now, the patient/user is laid down on the table in horizontal position lying on the mattress 6 with cushion pad 11 of the immobile back panel 5 and on the mattress 7 of the mobile foot panel 1 where the patient is strapped by a belt 8 on the hip and/or by upholstered barrel 42 over feet, holding by both hands supporters 9 and 10.

Dy unlocking of pivotal mechanism 4, weight 3 by means of rope 12 and rope sheave 13 and 14, as well as rope supporter 15 tilting of foot panel ^" 1 is carried out on wheels 16,17,18,19 within the immobile frame 20 from position A to position B. The patient's/ user's spine is then stretched and the effect is enhanced by switching on the electric motor 23 of moving mechanism which by

means of threaded spindle 26 moves the pivot 27 up-down which then by means of its respective parts 28 and 29 refrects the table with back panel 5 and foot panel 1 with frame 20, rotating them round pivots 30,31 i.e. 32,33. At the same time, there occurs retraction and extraction of threaded spindle 26 from its bush 26a by means of electric motor 23 mechanism for vertical movement, which at the final spin 26 positions changes the direction of rotation. For achieving vibratory extension, regardless of the said activities, electric motor 39 of changeable number of rotations is switched on, with eccentric rope sheave 14 and rope 12 thrown over. The said vibrations, at the time of rope sheave 14 rotation are transmitted over the tightened rope 12 by weight 3 to the mobile foot panel 1 causing vibratory extension of the spine.

Direct massage of patient's/user's back is carried out separately from other activities, by switching on the electric motor 40 vibromasseur which transmits its vibrations to the back panel 5 of the table for backbone setting.

The programming of al 1 the said activities on the table for backbone setting is accomplished by the control panel 21 connected to the power box, and some controls are set on the supports 9 and 10 for patients/users hands, enabling them complete self-control for performing certain activities.

It is apparent that the preferred described form of this invention is not limited in any way, and that various changes and modifications may be made therein.