Due to diseases such as muscular dystrophy and Amyotrophic lateral Sclerosis, or to traumatic injury or heredity, many individuals cannot lift their arms to their faces to perform mundane tasks such as eating, washing, brushing their teeth and so forth.
This invention teaches an apparatus which enables such individuals to perform such tasks, without the assistance of others.
The inventor himself is afflicted with Amniotropic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gherig's Disease), and during the many years which he has been so afflicted he has not found any device which functions as does his invention. Two devices were discovered in a search which do employ a structure around the neck which goes to each hand but neither is capable of performing the functions of this invention. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,337,938 and 4,335,875 teach that such a neck-supported arm holding device may be used to improve physical exercise and posture but neither show that the downward motion of one arm may be directed to moving the other arm upward.
One of the problems that Amyotrophic lateral Sclerosis (herinafter ALS) victims have to face is a curling-in of the hands. Using a hand support means which holds the hand in a more normal flat (as opposed to claw-like or fist-like) position is therefore essential to such a person. This invention incorporates such a hand support means to attach the user's hand and arm to the rest of the device. Means for immobilizing body parts have been taught in the health care field, the closest known being U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,070 which teaches the use of integrally built support means built into a glove to hold a hand immobile, but said device is not easy for those without proper function to employ. Useful design for the ALS victim (or for those with similar disabilities) requires ease of putting the hand support means on to and taking it off from the hands, a problem which the prior art does not address.