FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed generally to a system and apparatus for neck therapy that addresses the need for ventilation. Specifically, it is directed to a system and apparatus of a neck support for medical purposes that reduces the potential for moisture accumulation on the user's skin as compared to traditional neck support apparatuses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Neck braces or cervical collars are commonly used within the medical and therapeutic communities to support a patient's neck whose muscle, cervical vertebrae, or discs have received trauma. Because of the critical nerves involved in the neck, and the fact that an adult's head generally weighs around 10 lbs which is entirely supported by the neck when the neck is weakened, it is important to support and stabilize the mass of the patient's head in order to avoid further injuries and complications. The braces and collars generally immobilize the wearer's head while relieving the pressure on the spine by structurally supporting the weight of the head against the patient's upper chest, shoulders, and clavicle region.

The purpose of a collar is to support the spinal column and supporting structures such as the ligaments and muscles from loads and stresses that can cause pain and movement of the neck bones. It also maintains the bone alignment and limits the movement in your neck whilst the bones and ligaments heal

There are many neck braces, or, in general, neck support devices, in the market. Most of them is made of foam and bulky. They wrap around, and completely surround the user's neck. These neck braces are difficult to ventilate, wearing a brace will increase your body temperature in that region, causing moisture to accumulate, and, as a consequence, the user's neck becomes sweaty and irritated from the accumulated sweat. While sometimes it may simply be a matter of adjusting or refitting the collar.

This discomfort is exacerbated during summer months or in tropical or warmer climates. This discomfort potentially may interfere with the neck therapy the user is receiving. Ultimately, the fault of these neck braces is that they rest the weight of the user's head, neck and the braces on the base of the neck and/or the shoulders. Thus, they wrap around a user's neck and must be somewhat rigid and solid. Thus, most of the current neck braces on the market don't ventilate very well.

Because the brace is itchy, uncomfortable and sweaty conditions, many users don't use them according to the directions given to them by their healthcare providers, removing them when they shouldn't, or poke and prod around the braces attempting to relieve discomfort.

Obviously, this is counterproductive and may by itself cause health problems or at minimum, exacerbate the patient's original injuries that the neck brace is meant to treat.

What is frustrating however is that as to the current state of the art, when a patient perseveres this discomfort and does use the neck brace according to a healthcare providers direction it is known that the cervical collars seen in the marketplace can cause pressure sores or ulcers.

Pressure injuries can be difficult to treat and can lead to serious complications. Pressure sores (more recently called pressure injuries) are areas of damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by constant pressure or friction. By wearing a collar, a patient increases the local skin temperature between the device and their skin, thus naturally causing skin perspiration in and around the area. This moisture can exasperate the issue and cause skin breakdown.

Pressure sores are graded to four levels, including:

grade I—skin discolouration, usually red, blue, purple or black This is the mildest stage. These pressure sores only affect the upper layer of your skin.

Symptoms: Pain, burning, or itching are common symptoms. The spot may also feel different from the surrounding skin: firmer or softer, warmer or cooler.

grade II—some skin loss or damage involving the top-most skin layers. This happens when the sore digs deeper below the surface of your skin.

Symptoms: The skin is broken, leaves an open wound, or looks like a pus-filled blister. The area is swollen, warm, and/or red. The sore may ooze clear fluid or pus. And it's painful.

grade III—necrosis (death) or damage to the skin patch, limited to the skin layers.

grade IV—necrosis (death) or damage to the skin patch and underlying structures, such as tendon, joint or bone.

Both simple grade 1 pressure ulcers (redness, intact skin) and grade 2 ulcers (partial thickness loss of skin, shallow open blister) can be self-managed by applying a skin protector or dressing. Further grades of pressure ulcers require contacting the neurosurgical team as more complicated intervention is required.

In patients with moist skin, skin breakdown is increased fourfold, compared to those with dry skin.

Also, when a patient doesn't clean their brace regularly, they not only start to smell bad, but they also can sometimes cause health problems, such as folliculitis, ringworm and even staph infections.

To alleviate and prevent these issues, healthcare providers recommended that a patient take the following precautions: (1) Keep the skin clean, dry and cool; (2) Maintain hygiene under the collar, cleaning the skin under the collar daily; washing with warm soapy water and drying thoroughly; and (3) Changing pads on the neck brace/collar if they become wet.

While these recommendations seem fairly innocuous, as discussed, neck injuries are particularly serious and the potential for needless risk must be considered.

Accordingly, it is desirable to have a neck brace or neck support device that provides adequate support to the neck while allowing air circulation and ventilation, such that a user or patient is not required to remove the brace in order to dry and clean the neck and brace.

Further, as discussed, the current state of the art devices most often wrap around a user's neck and are rigid and solid in nature. Because of this, the devices are most often made by injection molding solid plastic pieces. As a consequence, and in order to bring down production costs, the devices currently seen in the market, are fairly limited when it comes to sizes and adjusting the fit of these devices.

Most commonly, current devices are manufactured in a gross range of small, medium, and large size variability, with the ability to tighten and somewhat customize the snugness limited to the number of adjustment points that can be molded into the plastic, similar to the size adjustment that one might expect with a snapback baseball cap, or ski bindings, and the like. Alternatively, with the foam variants of neck braces, in lieu of a rigid adjustment lock-in point, those devices often employ Velcro. While Velcro does allow for a more custom fit, anyone familiar with Velcro will readily recall that it often loses its grip such that a tight fit is difficult to maintain. Additionally, the foam used in these braces, much like with foam mattresses, retain heat, and exasperate the above describes moisture issues.

As such, it is additionally desirable to have a neck brace or neck support device that provides adequate support to the neck while allowing for customization of fitting on a micro incremental scale, a better fit granting better overall comfort, and likely leading to better healing and a higher quality of life for a user when using the device for prolonged periods as are often required with such injuries.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A head and/or neck support device that comprises an extended-half-round shape, soft base; a belt that is attached to the base; a vertical angled bracket that comprises a protruding upward hollow cylinder, and is attached to the base; a first cylinder whose near end is disposed within the angled bracket, and whose far end is male threaded; a radial ring that is attached to the outer side of the first cylinder near the far end thereof; a hollow second cylinder whose near end is female threaded, and far end has a ring attached. The far end of the first cylinder is screwed into the second cylinder's near end. The devise further comprises a chin support component that comprises a hollow third cylinder, a chin rest component, and an end cap. The far end of the second cylinder is disposed within the third cylinder. The device further comprises a spring that is disposed within the third cylinder, and sandwiched between the cavity of the third cylinder and the second cylinder's far end. The device further comprises a chain that threads through the center of the spring, and whose near end is attached to the ring on the end of the second cylinder, and whose far end is attached to the cavity of the end cap. The opening at the far end of the third cylinder has a smaller diameter than the spring.

In one embodiment, turning the radial ring extends or contracts the support device.

In another embodiment, the radial ring has a larger diameter than the second cylinder's.

In yet another embodiment, the end cap is female threaded.

In yet another embodiment, the third cylinder is male threaded.

In yet another embodiment, the third cylinder is crewed into the end cap.

In yet another embodiment, the chin rest component is molded to the outer side of the third cylinder.

In yet another embodiment, the chin rest component is attached to the outer side of the third cylinder.

