Suspension and body attachment system and differential pressure suit for body weight support devices

摘要

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 structure includes 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, or a counter-force adjustment cable suspension system. 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. This differential pressure body suit provides a portable and convenient system for, e.g., rehabilitating a skeletal joint injury or training the mammal for injury prevention or athletic performance or fat burning. 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 lift-assisted mobility device for assisting the motion of or supporting a body of a mammal having a body weight moving between a seated position and a standing position, such device comprising:
(a) a pressure-tight suit adapted to being worn over at least one part of the mammal's body having at least one opening for inserting the body part into the suit; (b) means for providing a pressure-tight seal connected adjacent to the opening of the suit 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 or vacuum to an interior of the suit between the mammal body and the suit to create a differential pressure condition therein between the positive pressure or vacuum condition inside the suit, and a pressure condition existing outside the suit; (d) a lift-assistance device connected to the suit for counteracting a downwards force applied to the suit when it is placed under the differential pressure condition, comprising a constant-force adjustment system adapted to lift the suit vertically as the mammal rises from the seated position to the standing position; (e) whereby the differential pressure condition is adapted to exert an upwards force upon the body part to offload a desired portion of the weight of the body to the lift-assistance device, whereupon the mammal may stand easily with reduced effort, and move about with body weight support.