Apparatus for monitoring the motion components of the spine

Claim 1

An apparatus adapted to be mounted on the back of a patient for monitoring the motion components of the spine during movement of the patient, and comprising an elongate exoskeleton comprising a plurality of generally flat elements disposed in a longitudinally spaced apart arrangement, a spacer means disposed between each adjacent pair of elements for maintaining the separation thereof and with said spacer means being longitudinally aligned and defining a central longitudinal axis, and a plurality of openings extending longitudinally through each of said elements, with each of said openings of each element being spaced from said central longitudinal axis and being longitudinally aligned with a corresponding opening of the remaining elements, support means adapted for supporting said exoskeleton on the back of a patient and so that the exoskeleton can be generally aligned along the spine, said support means comprising a top plate, strap means for releasably securing said top plate on the upper back of the patient, a base plate, belt means for releasably securing said base plate on the lower back of the patient, wire means for extending longitudinally through each of the aligned openings of said elements, with each of said wire means being resiliently extensible in length, and with the opposite ends of each wire means being respectively attached to said top plate and said base plate, and such that flexing movement of the exoskeleton caused by the movement of the patient causes each of said wire means to selectively change in length, and movement signaling means mounted to said support means for detecting longitudinal movement of each of said wire means caused by changes in length thereof, and for providing an output signal representative of such movement.

Claim 2

An apparatus adapted to be mounted on the back of a patient for monitoring the motion components of the spine during movement of the patient, and comprising an elongate exoskeleton comprising a plurality of generally flat elements disposed in a longitudinally spaced apart arrangement, a spacer means disposed between each adjacent pair of elements for maintaining the separation thereof and with said spacer means being longitudinally aligned and defining a central longitudinal axis, and a plurality of openings extending longitudinally through each of said elements, with each of said openings of each element being spaced from said central longitudinal axis and being longitudinally aligned with a corresponding opening of the remaining elements, support means adapted for supporting said exoskeleton on the back of a patient and so that the exoskeleton can be generally aligned along the spine, said support means comprising a top plate, strap means for releasably securing said top plate on the upper back of the patient, a base plate, belt means for releasably securing said base plate on the lower back of the patient, wire means for extending longitudinally through each of the aligned openings of said elements, with each of said wire means being resiliently extensible in length, and with the opposite ends of each wire means being respectively attached to said top plate and said base plate, and such that flexing movement of the exoskeleton caused by the movement of the patient causes each of said wire means to selectively change in length, and movement signaling means mounted to said support means for detecting longitudinal movement of each of said wire means caused by changes in length thereof, and for providing an output signal representative of such movement.

Claim 9

An apparatus adapted to be mounted on the back of a patient for monitoring the motion components of the spine during movement of the patient, and comprising an elongate exoskeleton comprising plurality of generally flat elements disposed in a longitudinally spaced apart arrangement, a bore extending through each of said elements, with said bore of each element being aligned with the bores of the other elements to define a central longitudinal axis, a tubular spacer disposed between each adjacent pair of elements for maintaining the separation thereof and with said spacers being coaxially aligned with said central longitudinal axis, first and second openings extending longitudinally through each of said elements on respective opposite lateral sides of said central axis, and a third opening extending longitudinally through each of said elements and disposed above said central axis and equally spaced from said first and second openings, and such that said first, second, and third openings of each of said elements are disposed in a triangular arrangement and are longitudinally aligned with the corresponding openings of the remaining elements, support means adapted for supporting said exoskeleton on the back of a patient and so that the exoskeleton can be generally aligned along the spine, said support means comprising a top plate, strap means for releasably securing said top plate on the upper back of the patient, a base plate, and belt means for releasably securing said base plate on the lower back of the patient, cables means disposed coaxially along said central axis and through each of said central bores of said elements for responding to relative rotation between said top plate and said base plate, with one end of said cable means being fixedly mounted to one of said top plate and base plate and rotatably mounted to the other of said top plate and base plate, wire means for extending longitudinally through each of the aligned first, second, and third openings of said elements, with each of said wire means being resiliently extensible in length, and with the opposite ends of each wire means being respectively attached to said top plate and said base plate, and such that flexing movement of the exoskeleton caused by the movement of the patient causes each of said wire means to selectively change in length, movement signaling means mounted to said support means for detecting longitudinal movement of each of said wire means caused by changes in length thereof, and for providing an output signal representative of such movement, and rotation signaling means mounted to said support means for detecting rotation of said cable means in either direction and providing an output signal representative of such rotational movement.

Claim 10

An apparatus adapted to be mounted on the back of a patient for monitoring the motion components of the spine during movement of the patient, and comprising an elongate exoskeleton comprising plurality of generally flat elements disposed in a longitudinally spaced apart arrangement, a bore extending through each of said elements, with said bore of each element being aligned with the bores of the other elements to define a central longitudinal axis, a tubular spacer disposed between each adjacent pair of elements for maintaining the separation thereof and with said spacers being coaxially aligned with said central longitudinal axis, first and second openings extending longitudinally through each of said elements on respective opposite lateral sides of said central axis, and a third opening extending longitudinally through each of said elements and disposed above said central axis and equally spaced from said first and second openings, and such that said first, second, and third openings of each of said elements are disposed in a triangular arrangement and are longitudinally aligned with the corresponding openings of the remaining elements, support means adapted for supporting said exoskeleton on the back of a patient and so that the exoskeleton can be generally aligned along the spine, said support means comprising a top plate, strap means for releasably securing said top plate on the upper back of the patient, a base plate, and belt means for releasably securing said base plate on the lower back of the patient, cables means disposed coaxially along said central axis and through each of said central bores of said elements for responding to relative rotation between said top plate and said base plate, with one end of said cable means being fixedly mounted to one of said top plate and base plate and rotatably mounted to the other of said top plate and base plate, wire means for extending longitudinally through each of the aligned first, second, and third openings of said elements, with each of said wire means being resiliently extensible in length, and with the opposite ends of each wire means being respectively attached to said top plate and said base plate, and such that flexing movement of the exoskeleton caused by the movement of the patient causes each of said wire means to selectively change in length, movement signaling means mounted to said support means for detecting longitudinal movement of each of said wire means caused by changes in length thereof, and for providing an output signal representative of such movement, and rotation signaling means mounted to said support means for detecting rotation of said cable means in either direction and providing an output signal representative of such rotational movement.

Claim 14

An apparatus adapted to be mounted on the back of a patient for monitoring the motion components of the spine during movement of the patient, and comprising an elongate exoskeleton comprising plurality of elements disposed in a longitudinally spaced apart arrangement, a bore extending through each of said elements, with said bore of each element being aligned with the bores of the other elements to define a central longitudinal axis, a tubular spacer disposed between each adjacent pair of elements for maintaining the separation thereof and with said spacers being coaxially aligned with said central longitudinal axis, first and second openings extending longitudinally through each of said elements on respective opposite lateral sides of said central axis, and a third opening extending longitudinally through each of said elements and disposed above said central axis and equally spaced from said first and second openings, and such that said first, second, and third openings of each of said elements are disposed in a triangular arrangement and are longitudinally aligned with the corresponding openings of the remaining elements, cable means disposed coaxially along said central axis and through each of said central bores of said elements for responding to rotation of said exoskeleton about said central axis, rotation signaling means mounted to said exoskeleton for detecting rotation of said cable means in either direction and providing an output signal representative of such rotational movement, wire means extending longitudinally through each of the aligned first, second, and third openings of said elements for responding to flexing movement of the exoskeleton by longitudinal movement of said wire means with respect to said elements, and movement signaling means mounted to said exoskeleton for detecting such longitudinal movement of each of said wire means and for providing an output signal representative of such movement.

Claim 15

An apparatus adapted to be mounted on the back of a patient for monitoring the motion components of the spine during movement of the patient, and comprising an elongate exoskeleton comprising plurality of elements disposed in a longitudinally spaced apart arrangement, a bore extending through each of said elements, with said bore of each element being aligned with the bores of the other elements to define a central longitudinal axis, a tubular spacer disposed between each adjacent pair of elements for maintaining the separation thereof and with said spacers being coaxially aligned with said central longitudinal axis, first and second openings extending longitudinally through each of said elements on respective opposite lateral sides of said central axis, and a third opening extending longitudinally through each of said elements and disposed above said central axis and equally spaced from said first and second openings, and such that said first, second, and third openings of each of said elements are disposed in a triangular arrangement and are longitudinally aligned with the corresponding openings of the remaining elements, cable means disposed coaxially along said central axis and through each of said central bores of said elements for responding to rotation of said exoskeleton about said central axis, rotation signaling means mounted to said exoskeleton for detecting rotation of said cable means in either direction and providing an output signal representative of such rotational movement, wire means extending longitudinally through each of the aligned first, second, and third openings of said elements for responding to flexing movement of the exoskeleton by longitudinal movement of said wire means with respect to said elements, and movement signaling means mounted to said exoskeleton for detecting such longitudinal movement of each of said wire means and for providing an output signal representative of such movement.