Apparatus and method for massaging the back utilizing pneumatic cushions

Claim 1

A pad having a longitudinal centerline and formed with a plurality of inflatable and deflatable adjacent chambers extending transverse to the pad centerline for treatment of the back of a patient placed thereon in a supine position, comprising: (A) a lower section comprising a plurality of chambers including: (1) a first elongated chamber having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area for the length thereof, (2) a second elongated chamber adjacent the first elongated chamber and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area for the length thereof; and (B) an upper section comprising a plurality of chambers including: (1) first, second and third adjacent chambers, each having: (a) first and second spaced outer portions each having a first substantially uniform transverse cross-sectional area for a major portion of the length thereof, (b) an intermediate portion having a passage with a second transverse cross-sectional area smaller than the first transverse cross sectional area of the first and second spaced outer portions, communicating therewith, and forming between the first and second outer portions a void about the intermediate portion.

Claim 28

A method of treating a patient's back having a spinal column, including a sacrum, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical vertebrae portions, and musculature and soft tissue adjacent thereto and across the back adjacent said portions by means of apparatus comprising a pad, a pneumatic system, and a control system, comprising the steps of: (A) placing on a treatment table a pad having a longitudinal centerline and formed with a plurality of inflatable and deflatable adjacent chambers extending transverse to the pad's centerline comprising: (1) a lower section comprising a plurality of adjacent chambers including: (a) a first elongated chamber having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area for about the length thereof; (b) a second elongated chamber having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area for about the length thereof; (2) an upper section comprising a plurality of adjacent chambers including: (a) first, second, and third adjacent chambers each having: (i) first and second spaced outer portions each having a first substantially uniform transverse cross-sectional area for about the length thereof, and (ii) an intermediate portion having a passage with a second transverse cross-sectional area smaller than the first transverse cross-sectional area of the first and second spaced outer portions, communicating therewith, and forming between the first and second outer portions a void about the intermediate portion; (B) placing the patient in a supine position with the patient's back in contact with the pad and positioned with: (1) the patient's spine extending along the pad longitudinal centerline, (2) the lumbar portion of the back above about the lower section first and second elongated chambers, and; (3) the thoracic portion of the back above about the upper section first, second and third chambers, with the thoracic vertebrae portion of the spine about the intermediate portion of each first, second and third chamber and the first and second outer portions of each chamber spaced rom the thoracic vertebrae portion of the spine; (C) selecting the desired pressure of inflation for the pad chambers; (D) selecting in the control system the parameters of operation for the chambers including: (1) the number of chambers between one and three to be sequentially inflated during a cycle of operation of the pad; (2) the time period each chamber is to be inflated and then deflated, and (3) the total operating time for the number of cycles of sequential inflation of the pad chambers; (E) starting operation of the control system and pneumatic system to sequentially: (1) inflate the pad lower section first chamber to cause expansion thereof, exert upward pressure across the lumbar portion of the back, raise the lumbar portion thereof above the first chamber, and cause deflation thereof; (2) inflate the pad lower section second chamber to cause expansion thereof, exert upward pressure across the lumbar portion of the back, raise the lumbar portion thereof above the second chamber, and cause deflation thereof; (3) inflate the pad upper section first chamber to cause expansion of the first and second outer portions thereof, exert upward pressure on the thoracic portion of the back spaced from the thoracic vertebrae of the spine, raise the thoracic portion of the back above the upper section first chamber, and cause deflation thereof; (4) inflate the pad upper section second chamber to cause expansion of the first and second outer portions thereof, exert upward pressure on the thoracic portion of the back spaced from the thoracic vertebrae of the spine, raise the thoracic portion of the back above the upper section of the second chamber, and cause deflation thereof; (5) inflate the pad upper section third chamber to cause expansion of the first and second outer portions thereof, exert upward pressure on the thoracic portions of the back spaced from the thoracic vertebrae of the spine, raise the thoracic portion of the back above the upper section third chamber, and cause deflation thereof; whereby the sequential inflation and deflation of the pad chambers from the pad bottom to top exerts localized upward pressure across the back to mobilize the patient's spine and massage, stretch and relax the musculature and soft tissue of the back above the chambers of the pad.

Claim 29

A method of treating a patient's back having a spinal column, including a sacrum, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical vertebrae portions, and musculature and soft tissue adjacent thereto and across the back adjacent said portions by means of apparatus comprising a pad, a pneumatic system, and a control system, comprising the steps of: (A) placing on a treatment table a pad having a longitudinal centerline and formed with a plurality of inflatable and deflatable adjacent chambers extending transverse to the pad's centerline comprising: (1) a lower section comprising a plurality of adjacent chambers including: (a) a first elongated chamber having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area for about the length thereof; (b) a second elongated chamber having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area for about the length thereof; (2) an upper section comprising a plurality of adjacent chambers including: (a) first, second, and third adjacent chambers each having: (i) first and second spaced outer portions each having a first substantially uniform transverse cross-sectional area for about the length thereof, and (ii) an intermediate portion having a passage with a second transverse cross-sectional area smaller than the first transverse cross-sectional area of the first and second spaced outer portions, communicating therewith, and forming between the first and second outer portions a void about the intermediate portion; (B) placing the patient in a supine position with the patient's back in contact with the pad and positioned with: (1) the patient's spine extending along the pad longitudinal centerline, (2) the lumbar portion of the back above about the lower section first and second elongated chambers, and; (3) the thoracic portion of the back above about the upper section first, second and third chambers, with the thoracic vertebrae portion of the spine about the intermediate portion of each first, second and third chamber and the first and second outer portions of each chamber spaced rom the thoracic vertebrae portion of the spine; (C) selecting the desired pressure of inflation for the pad chambers; (D) selecting in the control system the parameters of operation for the chambers including: (1) the number of chambers between one and three to be sequentially inflated during a cycle of operation of the pad; (2) the time period each chamber is to be inflated and then deflated, and (3) the total operating time for the number of cycles of sequential inflation of the pad chambers; (E) starting operation of the control system and pneumatic system to sequentially: (1) inflate the pad lower section first chamber to cause expansion thereof, exert upward pressure across the lumbar portion of the back, raise the lumbar portion thereof above the first chamber, and cause deflation thereof; (2) inflate the pad lower section second chamber to cause expansion thereof, exert upward pressure across the lumbar portion of the back, raise the lumbar portion thereof above the second chamber, and cause deflation thereof; (3) inflate the pad upper section first chamber to cause expansion of the first and second outer portions thereof, exert upward pressure on the thoracic portion of the back spaced from the thoracic vertebrae of the spine, raise the thoracic portion of the back above the upper section first chamber, and cause deflation thereof; (4) inflate the pad upper section second chamber to cause expansion of the first and second outer portions thereof, exert upward pressure on the thoracic portion of the back spaced from the thoracic vertebrae of the spine, raise the thoracic portion of the back above the upper section of the second chamber, and cause deflation thereof; (5) inflate the pad upper section third chamber to cause expansion of the first and second outer portions thereof, exert upward pressure on the thoracic portions of the back spaced from the thoracic vertebrae of the spine, raise the thoracic portion of the back above the upper section third chamber, and cause deflation thereof; whereby the sequential inflation and deflation of the pad chambers from the pad bottom to top exerts localized upward pressure across the back to mobilize the patient's spine and massage, stretch and relax the musculature and soft tissue of the back above the chambers of the pad.