Soft Tissue Treatment Instrument

Abstract

A body engaging manipulation instrument for use by a practitioner on body parts of an individual being treated formed of body engaging sections connected to a central gripping panel. A centrally located, raised gripping member having an upper, dome shaped gripping area that extends outwardly from an upper surface of the gripping panel and a recessed gripping area having a shape complementary to the raised gripping area located on a lower surface of the gripping panel. The body engaging sections are connected to the gripping panel at an angle greater than 90 degrees and are formed with a shaped tissue engaging edge corresponding to the tissue structure of a person being treated.

Claims

1. A body engaging manipulation instrument for use by a practitioner for treatment of body parts of an individual comprising: a central gripping panel being generally planar in shape and oriented in a first plane and having a generally rectangular shape formed by opposite, elongated sides, an upper edge and a lower edge, said panel being further defined by said elongated sides being substantially greater in length than said upper edge and said lower edge; said gripping panel including an upper surface and a lower surface; a gripping member centrally located on said gripping panel; said gripping member extending approximately two thirds of the distance between the upper edge and the lower edge of said gripping panel; said gripping member oriented parallel to and spaced from said elongated sides of said gripping panel; said gripping member further defined as having a first gripping area in the form of an elongated dome shape extending upwardly from and located above said upper surface of said gripping panel; said gripping member having a second gripping area located at and recessed inwardly into said lower surface of said gripping panel; said body engaging manipulation instrument characterized by at least one tissue engaging member having an edge to engage the tissue being treated; said one tissue engaging member being longitudinally connected along an entire length of one elongated side edge of said gripping panel; and, said one tissue engaging member located in a second planar direction above said upper surface of said gripping panel and at an angle with respect to said first planar direction of said gripping panel.

2. The body engaging manipulation instrument of claim 1 wherein said gripping member is further defined as intersecting a horizontal plane relative to said upper surface of said gripping panel that passes through said at least one tissue engaging member.

3. The body engaging manipulation instrument of claim 1 further including a second tissue engaging member connected to .a second elongated side edge opposite said one elongated side edges of said gripping panel; said second tissue engaging member being planar in shape and angularly oriented in a third planar direction with respect to said first planar direction of said gripping panel.

4. The body engaging manipulation instrument of claim 1 wherein said first planar configuration of said gripping panel and said second planar configuration of at least one tissue engaging member are oriented at an angle of approximately 135 degrees.

5. The body engaging manipulation instrument of claim 1 wherein said edge of said at least one tissue engaging member is curved.

6. The body engaging manipulation instrument of claim 5 wherein said edge of said at least one tissue engaging member is concave.

7. The body engaging manipulation instrument of claim 5 wherein said edge of said at least one tissue engaging member is convex.

8. The body engaging manipulation instrument of claim 5 wherein said edge of said at least one tissue engaging member is formed of a plurality of parabolic humps.

9. A body engaging manipulation instrument for use by a practitioner for treatment of body parts of an individual comprising: a central gripping panel being generally planar in shape and oriented in a first planar direction and including an upper surface and a lower surface; the gripping panel further defined having a generally rectangular shape formed by opposite, elongated side edges of equal length, an upper edge and a lower edge of equal length, wherein the opposite elongated side edges are substantially greater in length than the length of the upper edge and the lower edge; a gripping member centrally located on said gripping panel; said gripping member extending approximately two thirds of the distance between the upper edge and the lower edge of said gripping panel; said gripping member oriented parallel to and spaced from said elongated sides of said gripping panel; said gripping member further defined as having a first gripping area in the form of an elongated dome shape extending upwardly from and located above said upper surface of said gripping panel; said gripping member having a second gripping area located at and recessed inwardly into said lower surface of said gripping panel; said body engaging manipulation instrument having tissue engaging members each including a treatment edge to engage the tissue being treated; said tissue engaging members being longitudinally connected along an entire length of said elongated side edges; said tissue engaging members located in another planar direction above said upper surface of said gripping panel and at an angle with respect to said first planar direction of said gripping panel.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a soft tissue mobilization instrument of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the instrument of FIG. 1.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the instrument of FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 4 is an end view of the instrument of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

[0025] FIG. 7 is an end view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 8 is an end view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the soft tissue mobilization instrument 100 is formed with dual flat, planar, soft tissue body engaging sections 102 and 104, oppositely disposed on a central gripping panel 106, for engaging and treating an area on the body of the person being treated that are designed for precise and even engagement of treatment pressure during treatment. The body engaging sections 102 and 104 are connected along their respective inner longitudinal edges 112 and 114 to the sides of the central gripping panel 106. The tissue engaging sections 102 and 104 are disposed at an angle with respect to the central gripping panel 106 at opposite sides thereof whereby when one of the body engaging sections 102 or 104 is used for a treatment, the gripping panel 106 facilitates gripping by the practitioner to locate one of the soft tissue body engaging sections 102 or 104 in a precise and comfortable position with the tissue being treated so the soft tissue mobilization movements can be easily performed with essentially no manipulation of the instrument 100 during the process.

[0032] The gripping panel 106 includes a gripping member 110 that has a first gripping area that is in the form of a raised, dome shape extending above an upper surface of the gripping panel 106 and centrally spaced from and parallel to the inner longitudinal sides 112 and 114 of the gripping panel 106. The raised gripping area of the gripping member 110 is in a horizontal plane that intersects with the soft tissue, body engaging sections 102 and 104 as seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings. This positions the raised area of the gripping member 110 on the same upper side of the gripping panel 106 as the body engaging sections 102 and 104. The gripping member 110 is approximately two thirds of the length of the gripping panel 106 providing sufficient area to enable the fingers of the user to obtain a solid grip of the instrument 100 at a location where lubricant is normally applied thereby eliminating the gripping problems of more conventional tools where the lubricant is applied on or adjacent the area that is gripped during use.

[0033] 0032 Depending upon the location, size and shape of the tissue area being treated, it is often preferable to grip and hold the instrument 100 with the fingers of the user engaging the bottom surface of the gripping panel 106. The gripping member 110 has a second recessed gripping area at the bottom surface of the gripping panel 106 that is a complementary in size and shape to the raised gripping area of the gripping member 110 on the upper surface 108 of the gripping panel 106. The recess 111 is sized to enable a user to position fingers into the recess 111 providing a secure grip on the instrument 100 during tissue treatment. It follows that the gripping member 110 has a dual function with working areas that can be readily gripped by the user on both the upper and lower surfaces of the gripping panel 106 enabling the instrument 100 to be used with the tissue engaging surfaces 102 and 104 to be angled toward and away from the tissue being treated.

[0034] The body engaging sections 102 and 104 are attached at an angle greater than 90 degrees, preferably at 135 and 150 degrees, see FIG. 4, although it will be appreciated the attaching angle for either of the body engaging sections 102 and 104 may be slightly altered while maintaining similar structural and working advantages.

[0035] The working, tissue engaging, outer peripheral edges 116 and 118 of the body engaging sections 102 and 104 may assume a variety of different shapes that engage the treatment areas of the body. For example, the section 102 is shown with an outer edge 116 that is curved in a slightly concave configuration. Section 104 has an outer edge 118 in a slightly convex configuration. Both shaped sections 102 and 104 may be used to engage the soft tissue of the person being treated.

[0036] The angle between the body engaging sections 102 and 104 of the instrument 100 and the central gripping panel 106 may be different while maintaining an efficient use of the instrument 100 depending upon the treatment to be done.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 7, an instrument 200 uses body engaging sections 202 and 204 both disposed at an angle of 150 degrees to a central gripping panel 206.

[0038] FIG. 8 discloses an instrument 300 having body engaging sections 302 and 304 both disposed at an angle of 135 degrees with respect to a central gripping panel 306.

[0039] Another embodiment of the instrument 400 is shown in FIG. 9. A first body engaging section 402 is formed of a plurality of tissue engaging, parabolic humps 416 that are angularly attached to a central gripping panel 406. In this embodiment the number of humps is two, as seen in the drawing. An opposite body engaging section 404, is also angularly attached to the central gripping panel 406 and includes a generally convex edge 418 for engaging the tissue of a person being treated.

[0040] Another embodiment of an instrument 500 is shown in FIG. 10. In this embodiment, a first body engaging section 502 is formed of three tissue engaging, parabolic humps 516 that are angularly attached to a central gripping panel 506. An opposite body engaging section 504, is also angularly attached to the central gripping panel 506 and includes a generally convex edge 518 for engaging the tissue of a person being treated.

[0041] Still another similar embodiment of an instrument 600 is shown in FIG. 11. A first body engaging section 602 is formed of a plurality of four tissue engaging, parabolic humps 616 that are angularly attached to a central gripping panel 606. An opposite body engaging section 604, is also angularly attached to the central gripping panel 606 and includes a generally convex edge 618 for engaging the tissue of a person being treated.

[0042] FIG. 12 shows an instrument 700 having a first body engaging section 702 with four multiple tissue engaging, parabolic humps 716 on one side of a gripping panel 706 and a second, opposite body engaging section 704 also having three multiple tissue engaging humps 718 on an opposite side of a central gripping panel 706.

[0043] The various instruments presented above are designed to provide maximum comfort and workability for the practitioner using them to treat individual needs of persons being treated. Preferably, the central gripping panel is approximately three times larger than the connected tissue engaging sections. This preferred ratio positions the instrument squarely in the palm of the user such that the working section opposite the section being used for treatment fits comfortable in the user's fingers without digging that could apply undue pressure to the user's hands during treatment.

[0044] Of course the overall size of any instrument can be varied to accommodate the hand size of the practitioner. A man with large hands will use an instrument of a larger size whereas a woman with small hands will use a significantly smaller instrument. Whatever the size of the instrument, the ratio between the gripping panel and working sections remains essentially the same for maximum workability and comfort.

[0045] It will be appreciated that other various modifications can be made and that the tissue engaging edges of the various working sections and the angles thereof are totally interchangeable in keeping within the scope of the invention as defined in the limitations of the following claims.