Abstract: An inflatable support device for supporting the lower back of a user especially when the user is sitting. The device includes an elongate flexible belt adapted for wrapping around the waist area of a wearer. An inflatable waist bladder is coupled to the belt such that the waist bladder is wrapped around the waist area of the wearer when the belt is wrapped around the waist area of the wearer. An elongate lower support bar downwardly depends from the belt. The lower support bar is designed for positioning adjacent the spine region of the lower back area of the wearer to provide support to the lower back area of the wearer. The lower support bar has opposite top and bottom ends, and a pair of side edges extending between the top and bottom ends of the lower support bar. The top end of the lower support bar is attached to the belt. A flexible flap is extended from the bottom end of the lower support bar. The flexible flap is designed for sitting on by the wearer.

Abstract: An exercise thigh weight system that includes a sturdy, semi-rigid, and adjustable waist belt, a right leg harness assembly, right leg harness assembly attaching apparatus, a left harness assembly, and left leg harness assembly attaching apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing facial support includes a head band, a head strap, a cheek support, a forehead strap and a nose band. The head band wraps around the top of the head and the chin. The cheek support is attached to the head band and provides support for the cheeks. The nose strap and the forehead band hold the apparatus in place on the user's face. The head strap is used to hold the apparatus on the face and to pull the cheek support into engagement with the cheeks. By applying support to the cheeks, sagging of the cheeks can be reduced or prevented.

Abstract: A device for repositioning an organ, such as the heart, during minimally invasive surgical procedures includes a pod having a plurality of inflatable/deflatable pillows on at least an upper surface thereof, each pillow forming a separately sealed chamber. Each chamber may include a separate lumen or supply line in direct communication therewith. Each lumen is in turn connected to a fluid source through either a manually or electrically actuatable valve. The valve associated with each supply line permits fluid to be selectively introduced into or withdrawn from any number of chambers by manipulating the valves to thereby selectively inflate or deflate the selected chambers. Preferably, a pressure sensor is used to monitor the pressure in one or more chambers and means are incorporated to selectively inflate or deflate the chambers in response to the detected pressure.

Abstract: An eyelid splint for immobilizing the upper lid of an eye in a closed position includes a substantially rigid member, an adhesive applied to the back of the substantially rigid member, and a peel-off backing covering the adhesive. The substantially rigid member, by definition, resists folding or severe bending when adhered to the upper lid. The substantially rigid member is provided with the general shape and size of an upper lid in a closed position, and includes a removal tab. According to a preferred embodiment, the substantially rigid member is made from a medical grade polyethylene, plastic, vinyl, or silastic material, preferably porous and having high oxygen permeability. The removal tab is preferably provided on the superior edge of the eyelid splint and is preferably includes no adhesive backing. The inferior edge of the eyelid splint is contoured to the general shape of the lower edge of the upper lid.

Abstract: An enhanced sling device is adapted to be worn on the torso, upper extremities, and shoulders of a wearer to thereby support, immobilize, and elevate either the right or left injured upper extremity or full shoulder of the wearer. The device features a panel of flexible material of one piece construction with smoothly contoured perimeter. The panel is flat, with a front surface and a back surface, but flexible enough to contour to the convex and concave surfaces of the upper extremities, shoulders, chest and back of the wearer. The flexible panel has a one piece "T" configuration with a horizontal segment and a vertical segment which is shorter in overall length than the length of the horizontal segment.

Abstract: A physical exercise device using a T-shaped bar, comprises: a vertical rod constituting the T-shaped bar and having a plurality of first height-adjusting holes; a hollow vertical rod telescopically fitted around the vertical rod and having a plurality of second height-adjusting holes; a horizontal rod horizontally secured to the hollow vertical rod and having a pair of footrests fixed thereto; a pair of vane-shaped cushioning plates attached to the pair of footrests, respectively, and each having a thinner front and a thicker rear; a base having a projection formed at one end thereof; and a seat secured onto the base and having a higher front and a lower rear.

Abstract: A multi-position exercise bench includes an elongated central frame member to which a back support having a head end and a seat end is attached and to which a seat structure is attached near the seat end of the back support structure. The seat structure is pivotal between an upright position extending transversely from the central frame member and a lowered position in which a top surface of the seat structure is at an obtuse angle with respect to a top surface of the back support structure and is selectively securable in a plurality of different positions. The central frame member is supported by a first leg attached at one end of the frame member, a second leg extending transversely from an intermediate portion of the central frame member opposite the seat structure, and a third leg pivotally attached to an end of the central frame member opposite the first leg.

Abstract: Hand, knee and elbow orthosis each have a deformable semi-rigid stiffener having two end plates joined by a narrow midportion and contained between thin foam sheets to make an insert. A launderable cover of terry cloth fabric with permanently attached straps and a zippered opening fully envelops the insert. The hand orthosis has symmetrical left and right thumb extenders for ambidextrous application. The elbow and knee orthosis are symmetrical in length and width for convenient application insensitive to orientation of the orthosis on either a right or left limb.

Abstract: A fabric brace used in supporting a human wrist having a main enclosure body with a slip-on elastic sleeve formed thereon by a wide fabric strip. An adjustable thumb engagement strap and restraint engagement strap together tighten the brace about the human wrist and hand. Stiffening insert bars are positioned in pockets in the enclosure body. The wrist engagement strap provides an enlarged area of contact with the enclosure body so as to adjustably position and effectively hold the brace about the user's wrist.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an orthopedic support having a flexible inner member and an exo-skeleton that is molded directly onto the flexible inner member. In one particular embodiment, a versatile, multi-medium orthopedic ankle support assembly has an inner fabric support for extending at least partially around an injured part of the anatomy and for providing basic support for the injury. A plastic exo-support is injection molded into said fabric support and supplies supplemental support for resisting motion of the injured part in undesired directions. The fabric support has a main body portion for extending at least part way around the injured part of the anatomy and has edges to be secured together after the fabric support is fitted to the injured part. The invention is not limited to ankle braces, of course, as the general principle of molding an exo-skeleton onto a flexible inner member may be used in conjunction with numerous different supports.

Abstract: An ankle brace designed to limit inversion, eversion and twisting movements while allowing near-normal flexion and extension. The ankle brace includes a medial member and a lateral member, each of which has a forward edge, a bottom edge and a rearward edge. The forward edges are associated with one another to define a front support portion of the ankle brace. Similarly, the bottom edges are connected and define a base support portion of the ankle brace. Finally, the rearward edges are associated with one another to define a rear support portion which further includes a one direction stretch material strip. The material strip is disposed at the rear support portion such that during use, the material strip stretches with flexion of the user's ankle. However, the material strip and remaining components remain relatively rigid in other directions to limit inversion, eversion and twisting movements.

Abstract: A disposable sanitary eye protector device that includes a molded, flexible plastic, face shield portion having two eye protector openings and nose receiving cut-out; two domed shaped clear plastic eye protectors, one installed through each of the eye protector openings of the face shield portion; and an elastic securing cord having the cord ends thereof secured to the face shield portion to form a head encircling loop. The molded, flexible plastic, face shield portion is molded to the general contours of the eye and nose area of a wearer. Each of the two domed shaped, clear plastic eye protectors includes a transparent domed portion having an eye receiving cavity formed therein that is accessible through an eye insertion opening defined by an attachment ridge formed around the entire perimeter of the eye protector.

Abstract: A touch fastener strap of the type which includes an elongate strap member with a buckle on a first end and complementary touch fastener elements carried by the strap member adjacent to an opposing second end. The second end of the strap member may be passed through the buckle, doubled over itself and secured in a desired position by connection of the complementary touch fasteners with each other. The improvement is a retention member carried adjacent the second end of the strap member and being deformable between a relatively thin insertion position wherein the second end of the strap member including the retention means is sufficiently thin to be inserted into and through the buckle in a first direction to form a loop, and a relatively thick retention position wherein the strap member including the retention means is sufficiently thick that it is normally retained in the buckle. The strap is also disclosed with specific reference to a wrist splint.

Abstract: A sling device for implant in a human body as a bladder support includes a rectangular, flexible strip of cloth with stiffening members extending across each of the two shorter sides. The stiffening members at each end include a pair of spaced, parallel beams, integrally connected at their ends. Marginal end portions of the flexible strip are passed through the space between the beam around one of the beams, and folded back upon and affixed to the opposing surface of the flexible strip. A flexible suture is attached to a loop at the midpoint of the other beam.

Abstract: A medical brace is disclosed that is arranged to transfer weight bearing forces during walking past the patient's knee to the patient's thigh and pelvic infrastructure. The brace can include a strut assembly that permits bending of the knee while biasing the knee toward extension. The strut assembly can also be equipped with a strap for relieving pressure from an affected compartment of the knee and transferring the pressure through the strut assembly to the thigh. The strut assembly also transfers force from a shoe and heel bridge assembly past the knee to a thigh cuff that is equipped with inflatable bladder to control relative weight distribution in the above knee region. The shoe and heel bridge assembly can also provide a spring plate to supply lifting bias to the heel, thereby aiding on the transition from the heel strike to the toe-off phase of walking.

Abstract: A foot support device for use with a shoe has been invented, the foot support device, in one aspectc having two spaced-apart side posts, each having a bottom end connectible to a side of the shoe and a top end, a front member having a top end and a bottom end connectible to a top part of the shoe and spaced-apart from each of the side posts, and a cuff connected to the top end of the two sdie posts and to the top of the front member. In one aspect such a device has one or more upwardly projecting members that are releasably connectible to a knee brace to maintain the brace in a desired position with respect to a wearer's knee. Methods are also provided for using such devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to an epicondylitis clasp having a brace which contains a spring strip and can be contracted by an infinitely adjustable retaining strap. Arranged at one end of the brace on the inside of the clasp is a pad which serves to exert pressure on the epicondyle, is configured as an elongated, roughly rectangular cushion, having a longitudinal direction transverse to the clasping direction of the brace and a widened part at one end, and is fastened rotatively to the clasp via a central axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pad in such a way that the widened part points toward the upper arm, whether applied to the right or left arm.

Abstract: A leg lifter apparatus includes a foot connection assembly for connecting to a person's foot region, a first and second leg connection assembly for connecting to a person's first and second leg region, respectively, and a flexible pull line which is connected to the foot connection assembly and which is in sliding contact with the first and the second leg connection assembly. The foot connection assembly includes a first adjustable foot strap and a first rigid foot fixture attached to the first adjustable foot strap. The first rigid foot fixture includes a rigid eye, and the pull line includes a loop connected to the rigid eye. The first leg connection assembly includes a first adjustable leg strap and a first rigid leg fixture attached to the first adjustable leg strap. The second leg connection assembly includes a second adjustable leg strap. The pull line includes a handle portion.

Abstract: A cranial remodeling orthosis is shaped to extend across the top of the head with depending regions closely confining the temporal bone regions and the mastoid process regions of the cranium. The orthosis is self-suspending and preferably includes an elastic band for imparting ear-to-ear rigidity to the device.