Powered rocking chair

摘要

This application is related to an apparatus and method for improving venous blood flow in mobility-impaired patients. In one aspect, the apparatus is a motorized or powered rocking chair with a footplate. The rocking chair and footplate rotate through physiologically relevant ranges of motion either at the same frequency or at different frequencies in order to mechanically induce a calf muscle pump action in the dependent legs of a mobility-impaired patient. Artificially inducing the calf muscle pump action in such patients acts to boost the action of the heart and lessen blood pooling in the lower extremities of the legs.

主权项

1. A method for reducing the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis, comprising:
positioning a mobility-impaired patient in a rocking chair, wherein the rocking chair comprises:
a rocking chair frame operably connected to a first linkage;a footrest frame operably connected to a second linkage;a motor having a disk, wherein each of the first linkage and the second linkage are each coupled to the disk and wherein the motor is operable to rotate the disk at a selected rocking frequency back and forth along a selected rocking arc length thereby causing the rocking chair to rock the patient and causing the footrest frame to rotate relative to the rocking chair frame; rocking the patient in the rocking chair frame along the selected rocking arc length and at a selected rocking amplitude and the selected rocking frequency; and causing the patient's feet positioned in the footrest frame to undergo cyclic plantarflexion and dorsiflexion along a predetermined selected range of angles and at a selected flexion frequency.