Revolutionizing Musculoskeletal Support and Training for Performance and Recovery

Introduction

Musculoskeletal injuries and conditions are some of the most common issues faced by individuals across all age groups, from athletes to the elderly. Whether recovering from surgery, dealing with chronic joint or muscle pain, or training to enhance physical performance, people are constantly searching for ways to improve their musculoskeletal health and function. Our patented human musculoskeletal support and training system offers an innovative, adaptable solution designed to accelerate recovery, boost performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Limitations of Existing Support and Training Devices

Traditional support systems and training devices often focus on individual body parts, such as braces or wraps for knees, elbows, or wrists, while neglecting the overall functioning of the musculoskeletal system. This piecemeal approach may help address localized issues, but it does not address the full-body coordination and muscle engagement necessary for long-term improvement. Moreover, many existing systems lack flexibility in adjusting to the unique needs of each individual, whether they’re recovering from injury or pushing themselves to new levels of athletic performance.

The modern healthcare, fitness, and rehabilitation sectors demand devices that go beyond basic support—ones that can actively assist with strengthening muscles, improving mobility, and reducing pain, while being adaptable to diverse user needs.

A Comprehensive System for Musculoskeletal Health

Our patented system addresses these gaps by providing a comprehensive, adaptable solution for musculoskeletal support and training. This system combines advanced materials, ergonomic design, and biomechanical principles to offer dynamic support while training the body’s muscles to function more efficiently. It offers customizable support levels, making it suitable for a wide range of users, from those recovering from injuries to professional athletes seeking peak performance.

The system enhances both strength and flexibility by encouraging proper body alignment and movement patterns during physical activity. By providing continuous support without restricting movement, it allows for natural muscle engagement and optimal training conditions. This is especially beneficial for those undergoing physical therapy or rehabilitation, as it accelerates recovery while reducing the risk of re-injury.

Key Benefits

Adaptive Support: The system is designed to adjust to individual needs, offering the right level of support based on the user’s activity or recovery phase.
Enhanced Muscle Training: It facilitates proper muscle engagement, helping users strengthen key areas while reducing the risk of injury.
Rehabilitation and Performance: This system is ideal for rehabilitation post-injury and can be adapted for performance training in athletic settings.
Comfort and Flexibility: The ergonomic design allows users to perform physical activities without feeling restricted, encouraging better movement patterns.

A Must-Have for Recovery and Peak Performance

Licensing this musculoskeletal support and training system provides an opportunity to introduce a cutting-edge solution in healthcare, sports medicine, and fitness markets. With its ability to support recovery, enhance training, and improve overall musculoskeletal health, this technology offers a comprehensive, adaptable tool for individuals and professionals looking to optimize physical function.

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Abstract
Claims

A Trunk Support Trainer (TruST) is a dynamic device that trains subjects to improve strength and coordination of the upper body, while seated, and facilitates the trunk to safely move beyond the region of stability. In embodiments, the device creates an ‘assist-as-needed’ force field to support postures beyond stable sitting positions.

What is claimed is:

1. A training/diagnostic machine, comprising

a fixed frame with servo-motor driven winches controlled by a controller, the winches having respective cables;

the frame surrounding a seating platform shaped and sized to accommodate the seat of a subject while in a seated position;

a body interface connected to the cables of the winches, the body interface being shaped and sized to engages the trunk of a subject seated in said seating platform such that the winches can apply forces to the trunk;

the controller being programmed to apply forces to the body interface to implement a therapeutic training program.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the body interface includes a donut-shaped harness that wraps around the trunk of a subject above the waist.

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to generate a force tunnel.

4. The machine of claim 1, wherein the cables have serially-connected force sensors and the forces are responsive to forces output by the force sensors.

5. The machine of claim 1, further comprising a virtual reality headset connected to the controller.

6. The machine of claim 5, wherein the controller is programmed to generate a virtual game that calls for a subject engaged in the body interface to interact with a virtual environment to cause the subject to lean in multiple directions in a seated position.

7. The machine of claim 5, wherein the controller is programmed to generate a virtual game that calls for a subject engaged in the body interface to interact with a virtual environment to cause the subject to reach for virtual objects with an extended arm from a seated position.

8. The machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to generate resistive forces in a first predefined range of motion of a subject and assistive forces in a second predefined range of motion of a subject.

9. The machine of claim 8, wherein the controller implements a virtual reality game in which the subject controls an object by motions of a hand with an unsupported arm.

10. The machine of claim 1, wherein the machine is used for both detecting postural or stability-maintaining competence and rehabilitation.

11. A training machine, comprising

a fixed frame with servo-motor driven winches controlled by a controller, the winches having respective cables;

a seating platform affixed to the frame, the seating platform being shaped and sized to accommodate the seat and feet of a subject while in a seated position;

the controller being programmed to apply forces to the body interface to implement a therapeutic training program.

12. The machine of claim 11, wherein the body interface includes a donut-shaped harness that wraps around the trunk of a subject above the waist.

13. The machine of claim 11, wherein the controller is programmed to generate a force tunnel.

14. The machine of claim 11, wherein the cables have serially-connected force sensors and the forces are responsive to forces output by the force sensors.

15. The machine of claim 11, further comprising a virtual reality headset connected to the controller.

16. The machine of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to generate a virtual game that calls for a subject engaged in the body interface to interact with a virtual environment to cause the subject to lean in multiple directions in a seated position.

17. The machine of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to generate a virtual game that calls for a subject engaged in the body interface to interact with a virtual environment to cause the subject to reach for virtual objects with an extended arm from a seated position.

18. A method for improving stabilization competence of a human subject, comprising:

seating the subject on a platform fixed in a frame having actuators;

connecting the actuators to the subject to apply pull and/or pushing forces to the subject;

using a posture detector including one of motion capture, accelerometers, optical image processing with machine classification of resulting processed images, and mechanical encoders, detecting that the subject is in a predefined postural position region, the region corresponding to one where the subject has been determined to have difficulty or inability to position or support his trunk and generating a signal indicating that the subject is in the predefined postural region; and

responsively to the signal, providing an increased level of support or assistance to facilitate movement or position control of the subject.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the actuators include tension actuators.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the actuators include linear actuators.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the posture detector includes cameras at multiple locations, the controller processing images of the subject, or objects attached to the subject, to detect the subject position.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the posture detector detects positions of markers.

23. A method of improving stabilization competence of a human subject, comprising:

positioning a support brace at a first predefined height above the hips on the trunk of a subject and providing dynamic assistance to the subject as he bends in various directions while recording a first boundary of a region of the subject’s ability to control of the center of mass of the subject by detecting postural collapse;

positioning the support brace at a second predefined height above the hips on the trunk of a subject and providing dynamic assistance to the subject as he bends in various directions while recording a second boundary of a region of the subject’s ability to control of the center of mass of the subject by detecting postural collapse;

identifying a position for the support brace for training the patient responsively to the first and second boundaries.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising defining a first force field, using a controller, and applying the force field to actuators to provide assist-as-needed support while the subject moves through a prescribed series of positions to implement a training regimen.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising, reassessing the boundary region after implementing said training regimen and defining a second force field, using the controller, and applying the force field to actuators to provide assist-as-needed support while the subject moves through a prescribed series of positions to implement a training regimen.

26. Apparatus for rehabilitation, comprising:

a controller connected to motorized actuators that are in turn connected to a brace attachable to a subject to provide posture support;

the controller generating a virtual reality representation of a challenge task that is performed by moving the brace in a manner that occurs when a subject wears the brace and changes his posture;

the controller providing assist-as-needed forces through the actuators to the brace according to prescribed boundary region for one or more predefined subjects.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a seat adapted for a subject to sit upon.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the seat has force sensors and the controller is able to detect loss of posture control of a subject seated thereon while the subject performs virtual reality tasks.

Title

Human musculoskeletal support and training system methods and devices

Inventor(s)

Sunil K. Agrawal, Moiz KHAN

Assignee(s)

Columbia University in the City of New York

Patent #

10639510

Patent Date

May 5, 2020