MASSAGE APPARATUS COMPRISING A STACK OF INFLATABLE AND DEFLATABLE CELLS INCLINED AND OVERLAPPING ONE ANOTHER

Abstract

A pressotherapy apparatus including a device for forming a treatment enclosure to be placed around a section of the body. The device has inflatable and deflatable cells having an upper membrane and a lower membrane which are connected together. The cells are supported by an external wall opposite a body surface of the device. The cells are disposed in a stack between two end cells. The cells between the end cells are stacked by overlapping in a position inclined between a high-end near to the external wall and a low end near to the body surface. The cells of the stack have an active portion of the upper membrane extending from the low end not covered by the lower membrane of an adjacent cell above.

Claims

1. A pressotherapy apparatus comprising: a device for forming a treatment enclosure to be placed around a section of the body, with the device comprising inflatable/deflatable cells having an upper membrane and a lower membrane which are connected together, the cells being supported by an external wall opposite a body surface of the device, wherein the cells are disposed in a stack between two end cells, the cells between the end cells being stacked by overlapping in a position inclined between a high end in the vicinity of the external wall and a low end in the vicinity of the body surface, the cells of the stack having an active portion of the upper membrane extending from the low end not covered by the lower membrane of an adjacent cell above, and wherein adjacent cells in the stack overlap by ⅔ to 9/10 in a height of each cell.

2. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cells are of a substantially flat shape in a deflated state.

3. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cells have a cross-section that is identical between them.

4. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cells include a chamber made of a sealed deformable material able to resist a pressure of at least 500 mmHg/cm2.

5. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the chambers are coated, on a side of the body surface, with an internal wall connected to the external wall in order to form a pocket inside of which the chambers are arranged, with the internal wall being able to act as a pressure distributor.

6. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cells are made integral two-by-two.

7. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cells are integral with the external wall, the external wall being flexible and inextensible.

8. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cells are connected individually or in series to a pressure transmission circuit.

9. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuit extends from an entry cell to a terminal cell, and includes a load loss between the entry cell and the terminal cell.

10. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each cell except for the terminal cell is connected to a following cell in the stack, by going from the entry cell to the terminal cell, via an intermediary load loss cell.

11. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each cell is individually supplied by a device with increasing load loss from the entry cell to the terminal cell.

12. Pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device has a flat shape and is configured to be wound in order to form a sleeve around a portion of the body, with the device comprising an adjustment for maintaining in the form of a sleeve.

13. The pressotherapy apparatus according to claim 8, comprising means for closing the pressure transmission circuit, allowing for a sequential rise in pressure of the circuit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0097] Other characteristics and inventions shall appear more clearly when reading the following preferred embodiment of the invention, provided as a simple non-limited example for the purposes of illustration, and of the annexed drawings among which:

[0098] FIGS. 1 and 2 are partial cross-section views of a pressotherapy device according to the invention, viewed respectively in deflated state and in inflated state;

[0099] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical cross-section representation of a load loss cell intended to be provided on a pressotherapy device according to the invention;

[0100] FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of a device according to the invention, in its wound configuration in order to form a treatment enclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0101] In reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pressotherapy apparatus according to the invention comprises a device 1 for forming a treatment enclosure such as shall be described in what follows, to be placed around a section of the body, with the device 1 comprising: [0102] a plurality of inflatable/deflatable cells 2, each having an upper membrane 20 and a lower membrane 21 which are connected together in order to form a chamber able to be inflated; [0103] a flexible and inextensible external wall 3, carrying the inflatable and deflatable cells, and intended to occupy a position opposite the side of the device forming the body surface 4 able to be brought into contact with a portion of the body to be treated; [0104] a compressor 6, coupled to the device in such a way as to be able to inflate the inflatable and deflatable cells of the latter (a pressure gauge 60 making it possible to check the pressure transmitted to the device).

[0105] According to the principle of the invention, the cells 2 are disposed in a stack between two end cells 25, 26, with the cells being stacked by being overlapped being inclined between a high end 201 in the vicinity of the external wall 3 and a low end 202 in the vicinity of the body surface.

[0106] Furthermore, the cells of the stack have an active portion 200 of the upper membrane not covered by the lower membrane of the adjacent cell, with this active portion 200 extending from the low end 202, i.e. starting from the vicinity of the body surface.

[0107] Note that the stack of cells is carried out in such a way that, on each autonomous circular skin contact, there is according to the invention three cells stacked on one another. In other terms, with an overlapping by a third of two adjacent cells, it is obtained, on each height of 9 cm over which a cell extends obliquely, three consecutive zones of compression of 3 cm in height, each one for an active portion of a cell (this aspect is not to scale in the FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0108] Inflatable and deflatable cells of a pressotherapy device stacked in compliance with the principle of the invention will behave in the following way.

[0109] When the compressor is operating and is pressurising the inflatable and deflatable cells, each cell between the end cells 25, 26 is pressed on its upper membrane 20 and on its lower membrane 21 by the adjacent cells between which the corresponding cell is taken in sandwich. This results in that, in the lower portion of these cells, i.e. in the vicinity of the body surface, only the portion of the cell extending over the length of the active portion 200 of the uncovered upper membrane can be deformed during the pressurising of the cell, tending to inflate the latter.

[0110] The inflation of this part of the cell is shown in FIG. 2.

[0111] Such as is shown in FIG. 2, the inflating of the cells between the end cells 25, 26 results in a deformation of the cell in its lower portion, in the vicinity therefore of its low end, which generates the displacement of the uncovered upper membrane towards the body surface such as symbolised by the arrow F.

[0112] In other terms, the cell is inflated in the only free portion between the upper membrane of the cell in the deflated state, the body surface and the adjacent cell placed above.

[0113] Such as shown in FIG. 2, all of the active portions 200 of the uncovered membranes of the cells will behave identically. Consequently, the uncovered active portions 200 of the upper membranes will be displaced in such a way as to come into alignment with one another, in such a way as to form a continuous or practically continuous pressure surface or on the body surface of the device.

[0114] In addition, according to the invention, the stacked cells overlap by two-thirds of the upper membrane of each cell, with this overlapping able however to reach up to 9/10.

[0115] The extent of the overlapping contributes to obtaining a flat or practically flat active portion 200 against the body surface and to approach a linear gradient on each autonomous circular skin contact.

[0116] In addition, the assurance of achieving this result is increased by implementing cells 2 with a substantially flat shape in the deflated state.

[0117] In other terms, as shown by the cross-section of the cells 2 shown in FIG. 1, in deflated state, the cells have an upper membrane and a lower membrane parallel between them and, extending substantially straight between the high end and the low end of the corresponding cell, and being in the vicinity of one another in deflated state.

[0118] This results in that the active portion 200 of the uncovered upper membrane is itself relatively flat, or at the very least straight, and retains over its low distance due to the overlapping, this straight profile once the cell is inflated.

[0119] In addition, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the cells all have the same cross-section.

[0120] According to a preferred embodiment, the cells 2 are carried out in the following way: [0121] they include a chamber 22 made of a sealed deformable material, such as neoprene or polyurethane, able to resist a pressure of at least 500 mmHg/cm2; [0122] each chamber 22 is covered with a fabric lining 23; [0123] the cells are made integral two-by-two, in a zone 24 comprised in the first third of their height starting from the external wall 3; [0124] the high end of each cell is attached on the external wall 3 on the level of the entry/exit of air of the air circulation circuit; [0125] the cells are covered, on the side of the body surface 4 with an internal wall 40 connected to the external wall in order to form a pocket inside of which the cells are arranged.

[0126] The internal wall 40 constitutes an intermediate element between the treatment enclosure and the skin surface. It can be derived from silicone (or be made of silicone), of a thickness of from 3 to 5 mm and wound on the member. Such an intermediate element makes it possible to homogenise the pressures applied and to play the role of a “pressure distributor” thanks to its conditions of elasticity making it possible to diffuse the pressure that it receives in one point over a more extended skin surface.

[0127] In other terms, the flexible and inextensible internal wall, acting as a “pressure distributor”, makes it possible to smooth out amongst them the juxtaposed pressures exerted by the active portions of the cells as such making it possible to optimise the capacity of the pressotherapy device, according to the invention, in reproducing the linear pressure gradient applied by mercury pressotherapy.

[0128] Moreover, note the fastening between them of the fabric linings 23 that surround the inflatable cells: resistance seams and with diagonals of the surfaces with respect to the fabric linings sheathing the inflatable cells (or any other solid means of fastening, for example via welds), on the upper ⅔ of their anterior wall and the lower ⅔ of their posterior wall, as well as the same type of fastening of these fabric linings on the external wall of the treatment enclosure on the upper ⅓ of the posterior face of each one of them and on the totality of the posterior wall of the lowest pocket.

[0129] According to an advantageous optimal characteristic, the internal wall integrates means of heating.

[0130] According to another characteristic of the invention, the cells are connected in series by a pressure transmission circuit 5, with the circuit extending from the entry cell 25 to the terminal cell 26.

[0131] Advantageously, this circuit includes load loss means between the entry cell 25 and the terminal cell 26.

[0132] Such as shown in FIG. 1, each cell except for the terminal cell is connected to the following cell (moving from the entry cell towards the terminal cell) by an intermediary load loss cell 50.

[0133] In reference to FIG. 3, the load loss cells 50 include: [0134] a hollow body 500 communicating with an inlet duct 501 and with an outlet duct 502; [0135] a valve 503, provided with an orifice 504 that is smaller than the orifice 502, with the valve 503 being deformable between a position of reducing the passage (load loss) of the cell (when the air circulates from inlet duct to the outlet duct), and a free circulation position when the air circulates from the inlet duct to the outlet duct.

[0136] Such a load loss cell provided with this valve is therefore bidirectional, between free circulation in one direction and load loss in the other direction.

[0137] As such, by going from the outlet ducts to the inlet ducts and by the controlled closing of the circuit after the entry cell (this by using a suitable means that authorise the closing of the circuit), a rapid inflating of the cells at low pressure is carried out, with this pressure being balanced between all of the cells.

[0138] If the circulation in the circuit is reversed, the pressure gradient is installed, due to the load loss from one cell to another, from the entry cell to the terminal cell.

[0139] In addition, upon control, when the circuit operating in the direction of establishing the gradient, is closed beyond the terminal cell or at any other level, the rise in pressure upstream of the closing in order to simulate a powerful massage can be continued, such as the one that would be exerted by several physiotherapists simultaneously.

[0140] By opening the circuit again, the pressure gradient is reinstalled again, following which it is again possible to simulate a powerful massage by closing the circuit such as described hereinabove, then opening the circuit, and so on.

[0141] The opening of the circuit upstream of the entry cell causes the pressure to drop, which can be accelerated by a depressurising which deflates the cells.

[0142] With a device such as described hereinabove, it is possible to apply pressures that are relatively high, of about 500 mmHg/cm2 in the field of well-being and of about 800 mmHg/cm2 in the medical field.

[0143] Note that the loss of load preferentially integrated into the operation of the device can be obtained according to other embodiments that can be considered. For example, each cell is individually supplied by a device with increasing load loss from the entry cell to the terminal cell.

[0144] In addition, a pressotherapy apparatus according to the invention makes it possible, under control, to increase, substantially or not, the maximum pressure of the bottom portion with ascending progression along the part of the body covered by the pressotherapy device, towards its top portion, in order to simulate a genuine manual massage equivalent to the action of three or four masseur-physiotherapists acting together on the same patient.

[0145] According to another example, the pressotherapy apparatus according to the invention makes it possible, under control, to apply a predefined pressure sequentially or not, over a precise section of the body. In other terms, the pressotherapy apparatus according to the invention makes it possible to sectorise the application of a pressure on a portion of the body, and, in particular, to target the ankle-foot, the calf, the knee or the thigh.

[0146] Furthermore, as in the case with mercury pressotherapy, the high pressures are reflected from the body surface to the subcutaneous cellulitic tissues, deep tendino-articular and muscle tissues, carrying out evacuating massages thanks to the high pressures and to the pressure gradients.

[0147] According to another characteristic of the invention shown in FIG. 4, the device has a flat shape and is intended to be wound in order to form a sleeve around a portion of the body. In addition, the device comprises adjustable means 7 for maintaining the device in the form of a sleeve, with these means able to take the particular shape of self-attaching strips or zippers.

[0148] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more examples, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the disclosure and/or the appended claims.