This invention pertains to therapeutic or medical devices to improve healing, performance, or aesthetics by enhancing blood circulation to regions of the body. Blood circulation is enhanced using gravity by gradually raising and lowering the body member slowly and repeatedly from a level below the heart to a level above the heart.

An external structural brace apparatus for supporting a user in a semi standing position on a surface includes first and second support extension beams that to attach to the surface, also included is a channel having a base with first and second legs, wherein the first and second legs extend in the same direction from opposing sides of the base, the first leg is affixed to the first support structure and the second leg is affixed to the second support structure, the channel can be lockably positioned along the first and second beams. In addition, a saddle seat with a midpoint extension portion, the saddle is attached between the first and second legs and positioned such that the midpoint extension extends opposite of the base, wherein operationally the user partially rests their buttocks on the saddle and leans their back against the base to assume a semi supported standing posture.

In various embodiments, provided herein are systems, methods, processes, and devices for providing locomotive rehabilitation to a subject via one or more gait motions that substantially accurately mimic motions performed in healthy, natural gait cycles. The system may mimic natural gait motions via footplates and handles, and one or more linkage systems. In particular embodiments, the system may further include a motor unit and/or clutch for providing controlled forces assisting or resisting motions of a linkage system. Further, the system may include a tower for operating in a standing or seated position. In at least one embodiment, the system includes a body weight support system that provides offloading forces to a subject.

Presently provided is a method and system for providing whole body vibration therapy to a patient. The system has a table configured to hold a patient and a vibrational footplate extending outwardly from a foot of the table. The vibrational footplate is configured and disposed to vibrate and to provide whole body vibration to the patient upon the patient placing their feet thereon. An actuator is configured and disposed to adjust an inclination of the table to provide varying degrees of whole body vibration therapy to the patient. The method comprises providing whole body vibration sessions with varying degrees of whole body vibration therapy.

A soft-inflatable exosuit for knee rehabilitation is fabricated in two different beam-like structures (I and O cross-section actuators) and mechanically characterized for their torque performance in knee-extension assistance. The fabrication procedure of both types of actuators is presented as well as their integration into a light-weight, low-cost and body-conforming interface. To detect the activation duration of the device during the gait cycle, a soft-silicone insole with embedded force-sensitive resistors (FSRs) is used. In evaluation studies, the soft inflatable exosuit device is tested for its ability to reduce muscle activity during the swing phase of the knee. Using sEMG (surface electromyography) sensors, the rectus femoris muscle group of a healthy individual is recorded while walking on a treadmill at a constant speed, with and without the soft device.

An exoskeleton system is disclosed including a hip joint to provide anatomically emulating three degrees of freedom of movement of the hip joint at a hip location of a user, a knee joint to provide anatomically emulating forward and backward movement of the knee joint at a knee location of the user, an ankle joint to provide anatomically emulating forward and backward movement of the ankle joint at an ankle location of the user, a knee rocker arm as part of the knee joint to transfer a load to a ground surface when the knee rocker arm is in contact with the ground surface as manually powered by the user, and a ground rocker arm as part of the ankle joint to transfer the load to a ground surface when the ground rocker arm is in contact with the ground surface as manually powered by the user.

[Problem] To allow a travel base to be self-propelled in accordance with a pace of a gait trainee without manual operation of the travel base by the gait trainee in accordance with his/her pace, and to prevent the gait trainee from being pulled forward or rearward by the travel base even if the self-propelled speed of the travel base does not perfectly match the pace of the gait trainee.

[Solution] A lifting device is hung in a manner relatively displaceable in the front-and-rear direction within a predetermined range with respect to the travel base that can be self-propelled in the front-and-rear direction, and a control device is provided with respect to the travel base. The control device causes the travel base to be self-propelled forward when the gait trainee moves forward and thus the lifting device is relatively displaced forward with respect to the travel base within the predetermined range, and causes self-propelling of the travel base to stop when the travel base is self-propelled forward faster than the gait trainee moves and then the lifting device is relatively displaced rearward with respect to the travel base within the predetermined range, thereby causing the travel base to be self-propelled forward in accordance with a pace of the gait trainee.

A walking training apparatus 1 includes a leg robot 2 attached to a leg of a walking trainee, a motor 261 configured to rotationally drive a knee joint 22 of the leg robot 2, a control unit 332 configured to control the motor 261 so that the motor 261 rotationally drives the knee joint 22 in a leg-idling period in a gait motion of the walking trainee, a motor torque detection unit 262 configured to detect a motor torque, the motor torque being a torque generated by the motor 261, and a determination unit 333 configured to determine whether or not the walking trainee is in a spasticity state or a rigidity state by using a value of the motor torque detected in the leg-idling period by the motor torque detection unit 262.

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for unloading a user's body weight during a physical activity of said user (4), particularly for gait training of said user (4), comprising: a plurality of ropes (41, 42, 43, 44), wherein each rope (41, 42, 43, 44) extends from an associated drive unit (510, 520, 530, 540), is deflected by a passively displaceable deflection device, e.g. a device that is displaceable by means of the forces in the deflected ropes, and then runs to a first free end (41 a, 42a, 43a, 44a) of the respective rope (41, 42, 43, 44), and a node (60) being coupled to said first free ends (41 a, 42a, 43a, 44a) and being designed to be coupled to said user (4), wherein the drive units (510, 520, 530, 540) are designed to retract and release the respective rope (41, 42, 43, 44) so as to adjust a current rope force (FR) along the respective rope (41, 42, 43, 44), which current rope forces add up to a current resulting force (F) exerted on said user (4) via said node (60) in order to unload the user (4) upon said physical activity. Further, the invention relates to a method for controlling such a system.

Provided herein is a device comprising a cuirass, which includes a shell, at least one sensor, a pressure creation means for providing at least one of a negative pressure or a positive pressure within the shell, and a controller operably connected to the pressure creation means, wherein the controller is adapted to receive an input signal from the at least one sensor and adapted to provide an output signal to the pressure creation means, and wherein the pressure creation means is adapted to provide a greater or lesser amount of pressure within the shell in response to the output signal. Also provided are methods of use.