Portable system for assisting body movement

摘要

The present invention provides a differential pressure body suit with external support against body suit migration. In its preferred embodiment, such body suit may comprise a close-fitting, multi-layered suit sealed against a mammal's skin to contain the differential pressure, or a looser-fitting suit that bends at the mammal's joints with minimal force. External support means include either fixed or movable mechanical supports attached to the body suit, extraordinary air pressure levels for making the body suit rigid, or exoskeletons attached to the body suit. A cyclic control system can turn the differential pressure condition within the body suit on and off on a selective basis to accommodate the movement of the legs of the mammal. The pressurization reduces the weight of the body to greater or lesser extents, and offloads the weight to the ground through the external support means.

主权项

1. A system for assisting the motion of or supporting a body of a mammal having a body weight during a treatment procedure, such system comprising:
(a) a pressure-tight suit made from flexible fabric adapted to being worn over all or a portion of one or more of the mammal's body parts consisting of the torso, leg, or arm, the pressure-tight suit having at least one opening adapted to be positioned around the mammal's torso, leg, neck, or arm for accommodation by the pressure-tight suit of the covered body parts; (b) each opening of the pressure-tight suit having connected adjacent thereto a pressure-tight seal for operative engagement of the body part surface of the mammal; (c) inlet means in the suit for introduction of at least one source of positive pressure to an interior of the suit between the mammal body parts and the suit to create a differential pressure condition therein between the positive pressure condition inside the suit, and a pressure condition existing outside the suit; (d) rigid support means incorporated into the suit for accommodating the movements of the mammal's body, while counteracting a downwards force applied to the suit when it is placed under the differential pressure condition; (e) whereby the differential pressure condition exerts an upwards force upon the body to offload a portion of the weight of the body to the support means.