Brian Preston Hart

US Patent:

57229414, Mar 3, 1998

Filed:

Feb 20, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/603978

Inventors:

Brian K. Hart - Kalamazoo MI

International Classification:

A61F 500

US Classification:

602 32

Abstract:

A pneumatic ambulatory traction device comprises modular components that can be readily stowed at a facility or in a vehicle with minimum as-stowed space requirements and that can be readily and quickly assembled into a compact traction device usable at a facility, in a vehicle, at an accident site and the like to provide pneumatic traction force to a patient's body in a manner that can be controlled and varied as may be needed. The traction device comprises an elongated tubular housing connectable to a support, which may include an operating table or bed or a stretcher in a vehicle or at an accident site. A pneumatic cylinder is disposed in the housing and a piston is received in the cylinder and includes a piston rod movable in response to cylinder pressure to apply a traction force correlated to the cylinder pressure via a flexible cable connected to the piston rod and to a patient's body. A self-relieving pressure regulator is disposed on an exterior of the tubular housing and is communicated to the cylinder. The regulator includes a pressure control adjustment knob that is manually adjusted to provide a set cylinder pressure which will not be exceeded by virtue of the self-relieving pressure feature of the regulator.