A method and apparatus provides a body worn apparatus having a plurality of activation elements arranged in at least one bundle, and a substrate supporting the plurality of activation elements. The method also places the body worn apparatus onto the body of a person, and activates the at least one bundle.

A reconfigurable water distribution system for a walk-in tub bathing installation including two or more types of discharge ports for discharging water. The system includes a single motorized pump having an input connected to a suction port of the bathing installation, and an output port delivering pressurized water. A pipe system selectively connects the pump to the two or more types of discharge ports to selectively direct the pressurized water to the different ones of the types of discharge ports. The system selectively enables the bathing installation to perform a plurality of different functions using a single pump.

A pneumatic massage system includes a source of pressurized air, a fluidic switching module in communication with the source of pressurized air, a first bladder in communication with the fluidic switching module, a second bladder in communication with the fluidic switching module, and a third bladder in communication with the fluidic switching module. The fluidic switching module is configured to direct air from the source of pressurized air to each of the first bladder, the second bladder, and the third bladder in a predefined sequence. The predefined sequence includes inflating the first bladder, inflating the second bladder while deflating the first bladder, and inflating the third bladder while deflating the second bladder.

A steam generator for a shower steam system includes a first chamber, a second chamber, and an intermediate heat transfer member. The first chamber is configured to receive water. The second chamber is configured to receive a flow of air. The intermediate heat transfer member fluidly separates the first chamber from the second chamber. The intermediate heat transfer member includes a heating element configured to generate heat energy. The intermediate heat transfer member is configured to transfer heat energy generated by the heating element to the first chamber to generate steam in the first chamber, and transfer heat energy generated by the heating element to the flow of air in the second chamber.

An outlet device with multilevel rotary massage water has a main body, an operating unit, a switching unit and a driver. The main body has a cavity for accommodating the driver and the cavity has inlets with at least two different directions; the water from the inlet flows into the cavity and rotates the driver; the driver rotates a massage driving outlet unit, and the direction of the flow of the massage driving outlet unit periodically changes with the rotation to form the massage water; the operating unit drives the switching unit to move so that at least two inlets are both open or one of the inlets is closed; then, the velocity of the flow in the cavity is changed, so that the rotational speed of the driver increases or decreases correspondingly and the switching frequency of the massage water also increases or decreases accordingly.

A back-therapy apparatus for vertebral massage comprises at least one first manipulating element (743) comprising a first engagement member (744) and at least one second manipulating element (743) comprising a second engagement member (744). The first and second engagement members (744) are arranged such that, in use, they are each situated on opposite sides of a patient's vertebral column. The first engagement member (744) is operable to contact and manipulate vertebral area between the spinous and transverse processes from one side of the vertebral column and the second engagement member (744) is operable to contact and manipulate the vertebral area between the spinous and transverse processes from the opposite side of the vertebral column. The first and second manipulating elements (743) are operable independently of each other to move the first and second engagement members (744) respectively into and out of contact with the vertebral area between the spinous and transverse processes thereby manipulating rotational movement of the vertebral column.

Semi-passive control system (10) comprises a pneumatic spring actuator (16), a pressure regulator (22) in communication with the pneumatic spring actuator (16), a hydraulic locking actuator (18), a hydraulic valve (20) in communication with actuator (18), a power source (14), a pulley wheel (42), and a cable (46) having a first end in contact with pulley wheel (42), first and second side portions (50, 56) extending from opposing sides of pulley wheel (42), and a second end adapted to connect to an orthosis device (76). At least one cable clamp (62) attaches to second side portion (56) of cable (46) and interconnects cable (46) to shafts (112b, 118b) of actuators (16, 18). A central control unit (12) includes a processor (13a) and a computer readable storage medium (13b) having program instructions stored thereon for execution by the central control unit to adjust stiffness, damping or stiffness and damping parameters.

A gait assistive device that may be used to improve a gait disability by replacing or compensating movement of joints of an ankle and a foot that occur during a gait or that may be used for a bottom structure of a gait robot is disclosed.

The present invention provides a gait assistive device including: a foot supporting part; a rear connecting part coupled to a heel portion of the foot supporting part; and a rearfoot plate coupled to the rear connecting part, wherein the rear connecting part may include a joint, and a shaft of the joint is installed on a line or rear line of a load line at heel strike during a gait cycle based on a direction of a gait.

A human exoskeleton includes a first skeletal structure with a first coupling unit for coupling to a first part of a human body, a second skeletal structure connected to the first skeletal structure in an articulated manner and including a second coupling unit for coupling to a second part of the human body. An adjustment unit acts between the first and second skeletal structures, and includes at least one adjustable flow rate hydraulic actuator unit and a hydraulic unit that acts thereon and which has two pump connections. The first pump connection is fluidly connected to a working chamber of the actuator unit via a pressure line. An outlet line has a flow throttle and a calming tank is downstream of the throttle. The first pump connection is fluidly connected to the second pump connection via the outlet line and the calming tank, the outlet line having a flow therethrough when pressure is applied to the working chamber.

A reconfigurable water distribution system for a walk-in tub bathing installation including two or more types of discharge ports for discharging water. The system includes a single motorized pump having an input connected to a suction port of the bathing installation, and an output port delivering pressurized water. A pipe system selectively connects the pump to the two or more types of discharge ports to selectively direct the pressurized water to the different ones of the types of discharge ports. The system selectively enables the bathing installation to perform a plurality of different functions using a single pump.