RU2420254C2 - Support for feet for prevention of venous circulation disorders and varicose veins in shins - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to medical equipment, namely to devices for prevention of venous circulation disorders and varicose veins in shins. Device represents support for feet, consisting of rest (rests), allowing feet to make preventive movements. Support is provided with elements of sound and light indication or computer interface, as well as sensors, which make it possible to control amplitude, frequency and number of user's feet movements, and control device, able to compare amplitude, frequency and number of feet movements, made by user during specified time intervals, with preliminarily set values of said parametres, at which blood congestion and thrombus formation in veins of legs do not occur. If parametres deviate from the specified ones, control device switches on sound and light indication, reminding user about necessity to resume preventive exercises, or transmits information via interface.

EFFECT: application of the invention will make it possible to increase device preventive efficiency due to constant support of normal muscular activity of legs directly in process of working or resting in sitting position.

2 dwg

Description

1. The technical field to which the invention relates.

The invention relates to the field of medicine and hygiene.

2. The level of technology

It is known that prolonged work in the sitting position leads to increased fatigue of the legs. To reduce fatigue when working at tables, work tables have long been equipped with footrests in the form of special benches or crossbars installed between the legs or side racks of the table. This made it possible to periodically change the position of the legs, installing and removing them from the stands.

The computerization of society has dramatically increased the percentage of the world's population that spends sitting at the table most of the time of the day, not only in the process of performing work, but also on vacation - at computer games or on the Internet. The problem of physical inactivity associated with a sedentary lifestyle has sharply exacerbated. It has been established that prolonged sitting work contributes to the occurrence of venous circulation in the legs, which can lead first to chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins, and then (to very dangerous) deep leg vein thrombophlebitis.

These facts served as an impetus for the development of a variety of supports, trainers and massagers for the legs, which would help reduce fatigue, enhance muscle activity in the legs, train the legs, and perform therapeutic and preventive exercises. Foot rests and specialized foot trainers are specifically described in the following patents and patent applications:

- application RU No. 99103559/12 dated 03.02.1999, class. IPC A63B 23/04;

- US patent No. 7081099 from 07.25.2006, class. IPC A61H 15/00;

- US patent No. 7239839 of 11/13/2007, class. IPC A47C 7/50.

Among the analogues closest to the invention is the device described in paragraph 1 of the formula of patent application No. 2005141536/12 of 2004.06.04 (class IPC A63B 22/04). The device is a foot platform, which can be tilted to both sides transversely to the longitudinal axis of the platform, and the degree of inclination of the platform can be adjusted using a variety of adjusting devices. This device allows you to perform simple, but quite effective from the point of view of preventing chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins of movement of the feet of the feet, which consists in flexion and extension of the feet with a wide amplitude.

The described device has a drawback that limits its effectiveness as a means of prevention, as it is designed to be purposefully used during specially allotted time sessions (for example, during fitness classes), and not directly during the execution of work in a sitting position. Of course, people who have a very strong motivation for the prevention of venous diseases will try and will be able to regularly use such a device in the process of performing work in a sitting position, however, for all others this is not realistic, since work or other activities will have effects that greatly distract from performing preventive exercises.

3. Disclosure of invention

The purpose of the invention

- expanding the conditions under which it is possible to effectively use the device as a means of preventing diseases of leg veins;

- improving the preventive effectiveness of the device by constantly maintaining normal muscle activity of the legs directly in the process of performing sedentary work or resting in a sitting position.

Achieving the goal is provided by creating the possibility of effective use of the device directly during work or other activities in a sitting position, to which a person pays great attention. For this, the device is equipped with sensors that allow you to control the muscle activity of the legs, as well as control and indication devices. As sensors of the muscle activity of the legs, sensors can be used to determine:

- the amplitude of the movements of the feet of the user;

- frequency of movement of the feet of the user;

- the number of movements of the feet of the user during predetermined time intervals.

As a control device, an electronic circuit can be used, for example, a programmable microcontroller, which is able to determine the correspondence of the amplitude, frequency and number of foot movements performed by a person during predetermined time intervals to predetermined parameters at which blood stagnation and blood clots do not occur leg veins. If the monitored parameters do not correspond to the values set in advance by the work program, the microcontroller will ensure the inclusion of sound, light (other) indication, reminding the user of the need to resume preventive muscle activity.

Thus, the distraction of the user's attention to control and ensuring the necessary periodicity of the implementation of preventive exercises, as well as to control the number of preventive exercises performed by it, is eliminated.

4. Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows one of the many options for the design of the device, and figure 2 is one of the variants of the electrical functional diagram of the device.

5. The implementation of the invention

Figure 1 presents an embodiment of the design of the device. Structurally, the stand consists of two platforms 1 (used for each leg separately) mounted on an axis 5, swinging around which the platforms can tilt back and forth to the base 4. At the rear edges of the platforms and the base, movable 2 and fixed 3 elements of position sensors are installed rear edges of the platform. At the leading edges of the platforms and the base, movable 7 and fixed 6 elements of position sensors of the leading edges of the platforms are also installed. The use of separate platforms for each leg provides greater freedom of movement of the feet than when using one platform, although it is possible to use one platform common to both legs - this will reduce the required number of sensors and cheapen the design of the stand.

Other options are possible:

a / design of the support (s) for the legs;

b / principles of action, designs and placement of sensors, providing the definition of parameters (amplitude, frequency and quantity) of stop movements.

Figure 2 shows a diagram of an electric functional footrest. The circuit includes four (or two) platform position sensors 1, a programmable microcontroller 2, light 4 and sound 5 indicators, a work program switch 6, and a computer interface 3, which allows you to connect the stand to a personal computer (other equipment). The position sensors of the platforms give the microcontroller information about the amplitude, frequency and number of foot movements made by the user for a certain time. If these parameters do not meet the requirements of the work program selected by the user, the controller turns on the sound and (or) light indication, reminding the user of the need to resume preventive muscle activity. The presence of a computer interface allows you to display both reminder signals and quantitative information on the parameters of the movements of the feet on the monitor screen and the sound system of the computer. In addition, if necessary, for example, during prolonged use of the computer by children, the controller may interrupt the computer program or even turn off the computer.

Other options for connecting and working together elements of the stand scheme are possible. In addition, using the computer interface, the stand can be connected not only to a computer, but also to other equipment: televisions, modems, actuators, etc.

Claims (1)

A footrest for the prevention of venous circulation disorders and varicose veins in the legs, which is a support (s) for the legs, allowing (allowing) the feet to perform preventive movements, characterized in that the stand is equipped with sound and light indication elements or a computer interface, and also sensors that allow you to control the amplitude, frequency and number of movements of the feet of the user, and a control device that can compare the amplitude, frequency and number of movements the feet of the legs performed by a person during certain time intervals, with predetermined values of these parameters, at which blood stasis and blood clots do not form in the veins of the legs and, when the parameters deviate from the set ones, turn on the sound and light indication, reminding the user of the need to resume preventive exercises, or transmit information through an interface.

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