Orthopaedic apparatus for immobilizing and stretching the cervical column

Claim 1

A CERVICAL BRACE FOR IMMOBILIZATION AND TRACTION OF THE CERVICAL RACHIS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A SEMIRIGID SHELL OF SYNTHETIC RESIN MATERIAL COMPRISING A MIDDLE PORTION, AN UPPER PORTION, AND A BOTTOM PORTION, SAID BOTTOM PORTION SHAPED TO ABUT THE SHOULDERS, THE UPPER PART OF THE CHEST AND THE UPPER PART OF THE BACK, SAID UPPER PORTION SHAPED TO FORM RESTS FOR THESUB-MANDIBULAR REGION IN FRONT AND FOR THE OCCIPITAL REGION IN THE BACK, AND SAID MIDDLE PORTION SHAPED TO SURROUND THE NECK; AN INFLATABLE TUBE SECURED TO AND EXTENDING ALONG SAID BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID SHELL, AND CONFINED BETWEEN SAID ABUTTING BODY PARTS AND SAID SHELL AND ADAPTED TO PARTIALLY PROJECT DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM THE LATTER WHEN INFLATED, SAID INFLATABLE TUBE COMPRISING TWO INDEPENDENT SEMI-CIRCULAR SECTIONS EACH ARRANGED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A LONGITUDINAL MIDDLE PLANE OF SYMMETRY THROUGH SAID SHELL; A LONGITUDINAL SLOT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SHELL ALONG SAID LONGITUDINAL MIDDLE PLANE AND PROVIDED WITH CLOSURE MEANS THEREALONG, WHEREBY SAID BRACE MAY BE APPLIED TO AND REVOVED FROM A PATIENT; AN INFLATING APPLIANCE FOR INFLATING SAID TUBE COMPRISING A PUMP, A PRESSURE GAUGE AND A VALVE UNIT OF THE SPHYGOMANOMETRIC TYPE; AND A CONDUIT CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID INFLATABLE SECTIONS AND SAID INFLATING APPLIANCE, EACH OF SAID CONDUITS HAVING A VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLUID FLOW THERETHROUGH WHEREBY SAID INFLATABLE SECTIONS MAY BE INDEPENDETLY INFLATED TO CONTROL THE LATERAL INCLINATION OF THE SKULL.