Skull shape correction helmet and production method of the same

Abstract

To provide a skull shape correction helmet capable of suppressing damage to a head and easily acquiring preferable wearing feeling, and a manufacturing method thereof.SOLUTION: A skull shape correction helmet 10 is attached to the head 2 of a user for correcting deformation of the skull, and comprises: a shell 11 having an upper opening 12 and a lower opening 13; and a cushion 30 arranged inside of the shell 11 and contacting the head 2. The shell 11 has a slit formed in a range from an upper opening edge of the upper opening 12 to a lower opening edge of the lower opening. The cushion 30 has: an inside cushion part 33 directly contacting the head 2; and an outside cushion part 34 arranged outside of the inside cushion part 33 in a thickness direction, the inside cushion part 33 having low resilience lower than that of the outside cushion part 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cranial shape correction helmet that is worn on the head to correct cranial deformation, and a manufacturing method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Infants and young children may develop cranial deformities that require treatment, such as plagiocephaly. Plagiocephaly is a deformed shape in which the skull is not symmetrical but tilted to one side. As a device to treat such cranial deformities, there is a cranial shape correction helmet that is worn on the head to promote deformation so that the shape of the skull is corrected as the skull grows.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a skull shape correction helmet in which a liner is provided inside the shell and a slit is formed in the shell that extends vertically in a straight line from the upper edge to the lower edge. By deforming the shell so as to adjust the width of the slit, the size of the inner space of the shell changes, and the head can be gently tightened with the required pressure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-169510 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a cranial shape correction helmet that can minimize damage to the head and provide a comfortable fit, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The cranial shape correction helmet of the present invention is a cranial shape correction helmet that is worn on the head to correct cranial deformation, and comprises a shell having an upper opening and a lower opening, and a cushion that is arranged inside the shell and contacts the head, the shell has a slit formed from the upper opening edge of the upper opening to the lower opening edge of the lower opening, and the cushion includes an inner cushion portion that directly contacts the head and an outer cushion portion that is arranged outside the thickness direction of the inner cushion portion, and the inner cushion portion has lower resilience than the outer cushion portion.

[0007] (2) In (1), it is preferable that the shell faces a treatment area requiring bulging deformation of the skull and has a deformable portion that forms a space between the treatment area and the shell to allow the skull to bulge and deform, and that the deformable portion is provided with a palpation hole that enables the distance between the deformable portion and the treatment area to be measured by palpation.

[0008] (3) In (1) or (2), it is preferable that the cushion is arranged so as to contact a pressure receiving portion of the head to which a pressing force is applied from the shell, and a pressure sensor is arranged on the cushion to detect a pressure corresponding to a reaction force received from the pressure receiving portion.

[0009] (4) A method for manufacturing a cranial shape correction helmet of the present invention is a method for manufacturing any of the cranial shape correction helmets of the present invention described above, comprising the steps of molding the shell using a 3D printer based on the outer shape of the skull to be corrected, and placing the cushion inside the shell. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cranial shape correction helmet and a manufacturing method thereof that can minimize damage to the head and provide a comfortable fit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing a cranial shape correcting helmet according to an embodiment being worn by a person undergoing treatment for cranial deformity. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the head and cranial shape correction helmet of a subject lying on his / her back. [Figure 5A] 3 is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 2, illustrating the action when a load is applied downward from the first end portion. FIG. [Figure 5B] 13 is a diagram showing a case where a first shelf portion and a second end portion are configured in a pattern opposite to that of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a head and skull shape corrective helmet showing a cushion according to a first modified example. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a head and skull shape corrective helmet showing a cushion according to a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a state in which a treatment subject 1, such as an infant with a cranial deformation symptom, wears a cranial shape correction helmet 10 according to the embodiment on the head 2 of the treatment subject 1. Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross section of the state, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of Fig. 2. The cranial shape correction helmet 10 is worn on the head 2 of the treatment subject 1 to correct the cranial deformation of the head 2.

[0013] In Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, the arrow X indicates the front-rear direction of the skull shape correction helmet 10 when the treatment subject 1 wears it, with X1 indicating the front side and X2 indicating the rear side. In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the arrow Y indicates the left-right direction of the skull shape correction helmet 10 when the treatment subject 1 wears it, with Y1 indicating the left side and Y2 indicating the right side. In Fig. 1, the arrow Z indicates the up-down direction of the skull shape correction helmet 10 when the treatment subject 1 wears it, with Z1 indicating the upper side and Z2 indicating the lower side. This also applies to Fig. 4 and subsequent drawings. In Fig. 2 to Fig. 7, the front side is the upper side of the skull shape correction helmet 10 in the front-back direction of the paper, and the back side is the lower side of the skull shape correction helmet 10. In the following description, the front-rear, left-right and up-down directions are as described above.

[0014] The cranial shape correction helmet 10 comprises an annular shell 11 and a cushion 30 disposed inside the shell 11 and in contact with the head 2.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the shell 11 has an upper opening 12 and a lower opening 13. The top of the head 2 is exposed above the upper opening 12, and the face, ears, neck, etc. are exposed below the lower opening 13. The shell 11 has an annular main part 14 that circumferentially surrounds the skull, a back extension part 15 that extends downward from the rear part of the main part 14, and a pair of left and right side projection parts 16 that respectively project downward from the left and right side parts of the main part 14. The back extension part 15 faces the back of the neck of the treatment subject 1, and each side projection part 16 is located in front of the ear of the treatment subject 1. The ear of the treatment subject 1 is located between the back extension part 15 and each side projection part 16.

[0016] A slit 20 is formed in one of the left and right side portions of the shell 11, in the embodiment, in the right side portion. The slit 20 is formed from the upper opening edge 12a of the upper opening 12 to the lower opening edge 13a of the lower opening 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the slit 20 is formed by cutting the shell 11 in a generally oblique direction D intersecting with the thickness direction T of the shell 11 as a whole, penetrating from the inside to the outside of the shell 11. By forming the slit in such an oblique direction, the appearance of the slit 20 is curved as a whole, as shown in FIG. 1. This is because the cranial shape correction helmet 10 has a spherical shape that bulges toward the center in the vertical direction. Alternatively, slits 20 may be formed at the same time as shell 11 is molded by molding a molded body having slits 20 using a means such as a 3D printer to form shell 11 without cutting shell 11.

[0017] The slit 20 crosses the thickness direction T of the shell 11 so as to move forward from the inside to the outside of the shell 11. As a result, the slit 20 is curved so as to protrude from the rear side to the front side as shown in Fig. 1. That is, the slit 20 has a curved portion 20A that protrudes from the rear side to the front side in the front-rear direction of the head 2. In the embodiment, the entire slit 20 forms the curved portion 20A.

[0018] The shell 11 has a first end 21 on the front side and a second end 22 on the rear side which are opposed to each other and can be separated from each other with the slit 20 therebetween. The first end 21 and the second end 22 are each curved along the curved shape of the slit 20.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the slit 20 has a Z-shaped cross-sectional shape. The first end 21 includes a first end piece 21a extending along a circumferential direction intersecting with the thickness direction T of the shell 11. The second end 22 extends along a circumferential direction intersecting with the thickness direction T of the shell 11 and includes a second end piece 22a overlapping with the first end piece 21a in the thickness direction T of the shell 11. The first end piece 21a extends rearward. The second end piece 22a extends forward and is disposed outside the first end piece 21a. The first end piece 21a and the second end piece 22a overlap with each other in the thickness direction T of the shell 11.

[0020] The first end 21 has an outer step 21c at a base portion of the first end piece 21a. The outer step 21c is formed outside the first end piece 21a in the thickness direction T of the shell 11. The outer step 21c faces the tip surface 22b of the second end piece 22a. The second end 22 has an inner step 22c at a base portion of the second end piece 22a. The inner step 22c faces the tip surface 21b of the first end piece 21a.

[0021] Here, the deformed shape of the skull of the treatment subject 1 in the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The skull of the treatment subject 1 is an asymmetrical plagiocephaly that is inclined to the right as it approaches the front when viewed from above.

[0022] An ideal three-dimensional model is created based on the external shape of the cranium of this plagiocephaly, and the shape of the shell 11 is designed according to the three-dimensional model. For example, the head of the treatment subject 1 is 3D scanned to obtain the three-dimensional shape of the head of the treatment subject 1. Next, an ideal three-dimensional shape as a treatment target is created based on the three-dimensional shape of the head, and the shape of the shell 11 is determined based on the ideal three-dimensional shape.

[0023] The shell 11 of this embodiment can be manufactured, for example, by a 3D printer as described later, but the manufacturing method is not limited thereto. The shell 11 is a synthetic resin molded body and has a required surface hardness and rigidity. Therefore, in addition to using a 3D printer, it can also be molded by cutting a block of synthetic resin. Examples of synthetic resins include, but are not limited to, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyester, ABS resin, epoxy resin, and fluororesin.

[0024] The skull has a plurality of treatment areas 3 that form a space S between the shell 11 and the skull when the skull shape correction helmet 10 is worn. On the other hand, the skull has a plurality of pressure receiving parts 4 that come into contact with the skull shape correction helmet 10 and are pressed by the skull shape correction helmet 10. The treatment areas 3 are the left front part and the right rear part. The pressure receiving parts 4 are the right front part and the left rear part. The shell 11 has a deformation allowing part 17 in each part facing the treatment area 3. Each deformation allowing part 17 is formed so that a required space S is left between the treatment area 3. Each deformation allowing part 17 allows the skull to bulge and deform into the space S. The shell 11 also has a pressing part 18 in each part facing the pressure receiving part 4. Each pressing part 18 presses the pressure receiving part 4 inward.

[0025] When the skull shape correction helmet 10 is worn, each pressure receiving portion 4 is pressed inward by an appropriate pressure from the pressing portion 18. As a result, the treatment area 3 grows preferentially and bulges outward, and the skull is corrected to be symmetrical. A cushion 30 that contacts the pressure receiving portion 4 is arranged on the inner surface of the pressing portion 18. The cushion 30 prevents the hard shell 11 from directly hitting the head 2 and damaging the head 2. Although the cushion 30 is not arranged inside the deformation-permitting portion 17, it may be arranged there. If it is arranged, it is preferable that there is a space between the cushion and the head 2.

[0026] Shell 11 has a plurality of holes 19 at least in deformation-permitting portion 17. The plurality of holes 19 communicate with the inside and outside of shell 11. The shape of the plurality of holes 19 is arbitrary, and may be, for example, a circle, a trapezoid, a triangle, or the like. The plurality of holes 19 may be of various sizes that are not uniform. The holes 19 ensure breathability and contribute to weight reduction.

[0027] Among the multiple holes 19, there is a hole with a diameter of 10 mm to 25 mm, particularly in the case of a circular shape, into which a finger can be inserted, and this hole is designated as palpation hole 19a. Palpation hole 19a is a hole into which a doctor or the like performing treatment can insert a finger from the outside of shell 11 to measure by palpation the distance between the inner surface of deformable portion 17 and treatment site 3. There may be multiple palpation holes 19a in deformable portion 17. Furthermore, palpation hole 19a is not limited to a circular shape, but its size is equivalent to a diameter of 10 mm to 25 mm.

[0028] When a treatment subject 1 with a symptom of plagiocephaly lies on his / her back while sleeping, he / she often has a habit of having the treatment site 3 on the back side of the head 2 facing downward as shown in Fig. 4. In this state, the shell 11 is subjected to a downward load at a position P corresponding to a slightly upper right portion of the head 2. In the embodiment, a slit 20 is formed at the position P where a downward load is applied from the first end 21 when the treatment subject 1 with plagiocephaly is in a supine position specific to this type of treatment subject 1 with plagiocephaly.

[0029] At position P, the first end piece 21a of the first end 21 of the first end 21 extends downward. On the other hand, the second end piece 22a of the second end 22 is disposed outside the first end piece 21a and extends upward. FIG. 5A shows a state in which a load M is applied downward from the first end 21 at position P. The upper first end piece 21a to which the load M is applied downward tends to spread outward due to the load. However, since the lower second end piece 22a is disposed outside the first end piece 21a, it is difficult for the first end 21 to shift outward and become disengaged from the second end piece 22a. Therefore, the shape of the shell 11 is easily maintained, and treatment proceeds normally.

[0030] 5B, in the case of an arrangement pattern opposite to that of the embodiment in which the second end piece 22a is arranged inside the first end piece 21a, the upper first end 21 may spread outwardly as indicated by the arrow N, causing the engagement with the second end piece 22a to be released. However, in the embodiment, the lower second end piece 22a is arranged outside the first end piece 21a, so that such a situation can be avoided.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a first hook portion 25 is provided on the outer surface of the first end portion 21, and a second hook portion 26 is provided on the outer surface of the second end portion 22. The first hook portion 25 and the second hook portion 26 are disposed at positions sandwiching the slit 20. The first hook portion 25 and the second hook portion 26 have the same configuration. That is, the first hook portion 25 and the second hook portion 26 each have a U-shape, and have a pair of legs 27a extending outward from the outer surface of the shell 11, and a beam portion 27b spanning between the tips of the pair of legs 27a. The pair of legs 27a are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the beam portion 27b extends in the vertical direction. The first hook portion 25 and the second hook portion 26 are disposed at a predetermined distance from the slit 20.

[0032] A belt 40 as a connecting member is wound around the first hook portion 25 and the second hook portion 26 in a loop shape and hung on both beam portions 27b. The belt 40 is a generally known hook-and-loop fastener whose adhesive surfaces can be bonded and peeled off. The adhesive surfaces of the belt 40 are joined together with an appropriate tension applied. This connects the first end portion 21 and the second end portion 22 to each other. Then, the first end portion 21 and the second end portion 22 are pulled toward each other via the first hook portion 25 and the second hook portion 26, and the shell 11 is slightly reduced in diameter so that the required pressure is applied to the head portion 2.

[0033] The cushion 30 is disposed on the inner surface of each pressing portion 18 of the shell 11. The cushion 30 is a molded body made of foamed synthetic resin having resilience. The cushion 30 is detachably attached to the inner surface of the shell 11 via, for example, a double-sided adhesive tape.

[0034] A pressure sensor 50 is disposed on each cushion 30 to detect the pressure corresponding to the reaction force received from the pressure receiving portion 4 pressed by the pressing portion 18. The pressure sensor 50 is preferably disposed at a position where the greatest pressure from the skull is expected to be received. The pressure sensor 50 is preferably a sheet-type pressure sensor using a rectangular film substrate with a thickness of less than 1 mm and dimensions of approximately 1 mm square. Such a pressure sensor 50 is disposed, for example, in a recess provided on the inner surface of the cushion 30. For example, a cable for capturing measurement data is connected to the pressure sensor 50, and the measurement value of the pressure applied to the cushion 30 from the pressure receiving portion 4 is displayed on a display device such as a personal computer.

[0035] The cranial shape corrective helmet 10 according to the embodiment described above comprises a shell 11 having an upper opening 12 and a lower opening 13, and a cushion 30 arranged inside the shell 11 and in contact with the head 2, the shell 11 having a slit 20 formed therethrough in a direction intersecting the thickness direction T of the shell 11 from the upper opening edge 12a of the upper opening 12 to the lower opening edge 13a of the lower opening 13, and the slit 20 has a curved portion 20A protruding from one side to the other in the front-to-rear direction of the head 2.

[0036] The slit 20 of the embodiment is formed so as to cut the shell 11 while intersecting the thickness direction T of the shell 11 in a generally oblique direction D. The slit 20 is formed in a curved shape that protrudes from the rear side of the head 2 to the front side as a whole. Therefore, the tip surface of the first end 21 and the tip surface of the second end 22 sandwiching the slit 20 are curved, and when the tip surface of the first end 21 and the tip surface of the second end 22 abut against each other, they restrain each other from shifting in the up-down direction and the front-back direction. Therefore, with a simple configuration in which the slit 20 is merely formed, the shifting of the first end 21 and the second end 22 is suppressed. As a result, a stable wearing state is easily obtained.

[0037] In the cranial shape corrective helmet 10 of the embodiment, the shell 11 has a first end 21 and a second end 22 that face each other and can be separated from each other with a slit 20 in between, the first end 21 includes a first end piece 21a extending in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the shell 11, and the second end 22 includes a second end piece 22a extending in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the shell 11 and that can be overlapped with the first end piece 21a in the thickness direction of the shell 11.

[0038] By overlapping the first end piece 21a and the second end piece 22a in the thickness direction T of the shell 11, the butt joint state of the first end piece 21 and the second end piece 22 is constrained to each other, as a result, misalignment of the first end piece 21 and the second end piece 22 is suppressed, making it easier to achieve a stable wearing state of the cranial shape correction helmet 10.

[0039] In the cranial shape correcting helmet 10 of the embodiment, when the head 2 is in a position substantially supine, the slit 20 is formed at a position P corresponding to the portion of the side of the head 2 where a downward load is applied, the first end piece 21a extends downward, and the second end piece 22a is positioned outside the first end piece 21a, and it is preferable that the second end 22 receives the load of the first end piece 21a.

[0040] As a result, when the patient is lying on his back, which is typical of plagiocephaly, as shown in Fig. 4, the slit 20 is located at position P where a downward load is applied. Since the lower second end piece 22a is located outside the first end piece 21a at position P, it is difficult for the upper first end piece 21 to shift outward and become disengaged. This allows the shape of the shell 11 to be maintained, and treatment to proceed normally.

[0041] In the cranial shape correcting helmet 10 of the embodiment, the first end 21 has a first hook portion 25, and the second end 22 has a second hook portion 26, each of the first hook portion 25 and the second hook portion 26 is positioned at a position where they sandwich the slit 20, and the first end 21 and the second end 22 are connected to each other via a belt 40 that is detachably hung between the first hook portion 25 and the second hook portion 26.

[0042] This allows the tension of the belt 40 to be adjusted to adjust the tightening strength of the shell 11, and also allows the belt 40 to be easily replaced.

[0043] In the cranial shape correcting helmet 10 of the embodiment, the shell 11 faces the treatment area 3 requiring bulging deformation of the skull and has a deformation-permitting portion 17 which forms a space S between the treatment area 3 and allows the skull to bulge and deform, and it is preferable that the deformation-permitting portion 17 is provided with a palpation hole 19a which enables the distance between the deformation-permitting portion 17 and the treatment area 3 to be measured by palpation.

[0044] This makes it possible to easily check the progress of treatment by palpation using the palpation hole 19a without removing the cranial shape correction helmet 10 from the head 2.

[0045] In the cranial shape correcting helmet 10 of the embodiment, the cushion 30 is arranged so as to be in contact with the pressure receiving portion 4 of the head to which pressure is applied from the shell 11, and it is preferable that a pressure sensor 50 is arranged on the cushion 30 to detect pressure corresponding to the reaction force received from the pressure receiving portion 4 of the head 2.

[0046] This allows the pressure sensor 50 to detect the tightness of the cranial shape corrective helmet 10, making it possible to quantitatively evaluate the tightness.

[0047] The cranial shape correcting helmet 10 of the embodiment can be manufactured by the following method. That is, a process of molding the shell 11 by a 3D printer based on the outer shape of the skull of the head 2 to be corrected is performed, and then a process of placing the cushion 30 inside the shell 11 is performed. As described above, the shape of the shell 11 is determined based on the ideal three-dimensional shape as the treatment target created based on the three-dimensional shape of the head 2 of the treatment subject 1. This allows the cranial shape correcting helmet 10 of the embodiment to be manufactured in an optimal manner.

[0048] There are various specific methods for forming the shell 11 using a 3D printer, including well-known methods such as liquid vat photopolymerization, material jetting, binder jetting, powder bed fusion, material extrusion, directed energy deposition, and sheet lamination.

[0049] Next, a modified example of the cushion 30 of the above embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. In the description of the modified example, since the configuration other than the cushion 30 is the same as in the above embodiment, the same components are given the same reference numerals and the description of those configurations will be omitted.

[0050] 6 shows a first modified example of the cushion 30. The cushion 30 includes a first cushion portion 31 disposed substantially in the center of the pressure receiving portion 4, and a second cushion portion 32 disposed around the first cushion portion 31. Both of these cushion portions 31 and 32 are molded bodies of foamed synthetic resin having resilience, and are detachably attached to the inner surface of the shell 11, for example, via a double-sided adhesive tape. The first cushion portion 31 and the second cushion portion 32 have different resilience, and the first cushion portion 31 is softer and has lower resilience than the second cushion portion 32.

[0051] Both the first cushion part 31 and the second cushion part 32 come into contact with the head 2 under pressure, but since the first cushion part 31 is disposed in the center, the first cushion part 31 comes into contact with the head 2 with a higher pressure than the second cushion part 32. In this way, in response to the level of pressure, the first cushion part 31, which comes into contact with the head 2 with a relatively high pressure, has a lower resilience than the second cushion part 32.

[0052] According to the first modified cushion 30, the first cushion portion 31, which comes into contact with the head 2 with a relatively high pressure, is made to have lower resilience than the second cushion portion 32, thereby minimizing damage to the head 2 and making it easier to obtain a comfortable fit.

[0053] 7 shows a second modified example of the cushion 30. This cushion 30 has a two-layer structure including a third cushion portion (inner cushion portion) 33 that is in direct contact with the pressure receiving portion 4, and a fourth cushion portion (outer cushion portion) 34 that is disposed on the outer side of the third cushion portion 33 in the thickness direction. The fourth cushion portion 34 is detachably attached to the third cushion portion 33, for example, via a double-sided adhesive tape. The third cushion portion 33 and the fourth cushion portion 34 have different resilience, and the third cushion portion 33 is softer and has lower resilience than the fourth cushion portion 34.

[0054] According to the cushion 30 of the second modified example, the third cushion portion 33 which is in direct contact with the pressure receiving portion 4 has lower resilience than the fourth cushion portion 34, so that damage to the head 2 can be kept as low as possible and a comfortable fit can be easily obtained.

[0055] Furthermore, as a modified example of the pressure sensor 50, the pressure sensor 50 may not be always set in the cushion 30, and the cushion 30 may only have a recess in which the pressure sensor 50 is removably stored. The recess is preferably shaped to fit the pressure sensor 50 in a shape that corresponds to the shape of the pressure sensor 50. In this case, when inspecting the pressure applied to the pressure receiving portion 4 of the head 2, the pressure sensor 50 is stored and set in the recess of the cushion 30.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made thereto. For example, as long as the slits 20 are formed in a diagonal direction with respect to the thickness direction of the shell 11, the cross-sectional shape of the slits 20 need not be Z-shaped as in the embodiment, but may be straight. The curved portion 20A of the slit 20 may be provided over the entire slit 20, or may be provided partially as long as it is possible to suppress misalignment with each other. The shapes of the first hook portion 25 and the second hook portion 26, and the belt 40 serving as a connecting member are not limited to those in the embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate. The palpation hole 19a of the shell 11 may be provided as necessary, or may not be provided. Also, the pressure sensor 50 may be omitted.

[0057] (1) The cranial shape correction helmet of the present invention is a cranial shape correction helmet that is worn on the head to correct cranial deformation, and comprises a substantially annular shell having an upper opening and a lower opening, and a cushion that is arranged inside the shell and contacts the head, the shell has a slit that is formed in a direction that intersects with the thickness direction of the shell from the upper opening edge of the upper opening to the lower opening edge of the lower opening, and the slit has a curved portion that protrudes from one side to the other in the front-to-back direction of the head.

[0058] If a slit extending straight in the vertical direction is formed in the shell, a pair of ends facing each other across the slit are likely to shift in the front-rear or vertical direction, making it difficult to achieve a stable mounting state. JP 2014-169510 A discloses a method of maintaining the pair of ends overlapping each other using a connecting means, but this complicates the configuration and increases the number of parts.

[0059] According to the present invention, a cranial shape correction helmet can be provided that has a simple configuration and suppresses misalignment of the ends on both sides of the slit in the shell, making it easy to achieve a stable wearing state.

[0060] (2) In (1), the shell may have a first end and a second end facing each other with the slit therebetween and capable of being separated from each other, the first end including a first end piece extending in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the shell, and the second end including a second end piece extending in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the shell and capable of being superimposed on the first end piece in the thickness direction of the shell.

[0061] (3) In (2), it is preferable that when the head is lying approximately on its back, the slit is formed at a position corresponding to the part of the side of the head where downward weight is applied, the first end piece extends downward, and the second end piece is positioned outside the first end piece.

[0062] (4) In (2) or (3), the first end may have a first hook portion, the second end may have a second hook portion, the first hook portion and the second hook portion may be positioned to sandwich the slit, and the first end and the second end may be connected to each other via a connecting member that is detachably hooked to the first hook portion and the second hook portion.

[0063] (5) In any of (1) to (4), it is preferable that the shell faces a treatment area requiring bulging deformation of the skull and has a deformable portion that forms a space between the treatment area and the shell to allow the skull to bulge and deform, and that the deformable portion is provided with a palpation hole that enables the distance between the deformable portion and the treatment area to be measured by palpation.

[0064] (6) In any of (1) to (5), the cushion is arranged so as to contact a pressure receiving portion of the head to which a pressing force is applied from the shell, and the cushion includes a first cushion portion arranged approximately in the center of the pressure receiving portion and a second cushion portion arranged around the first cushion portion, and it is preferable that the first cushion portion has a lower resilience than the second cushion portion.

[0065] (7) In any of (1) to (5), the cushion may be arranged so as to contact a pressure receiving portion of the head to which a pressing force is applied from the shell, and the cushion may include a third cushion portion that directly contacts the pressure receiving portion and a fourth cushion portion that is arranged outside the third cushion portion in a thickness direction, and the third cushion portion may be configured to have a lower resilience than the fourth cushion portion.

[0066] (8) In any of (1) to (7), it is preferable that the cushion is arranged so as to contact a pressure receiving portion of the head to which a pressing force is applied from the shell, and a pressure sensor is arranged on the cushion to detect a pressure corresponding to a reaction force received from the pressure receiving portion.

[0067] (9) A method for manufacturing a cranial shape correction helmet of the present invention is a method for manufacturing any of the cranial shape correction helmets of the present invention described above, comprising the steps of molding the shell using a 3D printer based on the outer shape of the skull to be corrected, and placing the cushion inside the shell. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 2 heads 3 Treatment area 4 Pressure receiving part 10. Cranial Shape Correction Helmets 11. Shell 12 Upper opening 12a Upper opening edge 13 Lower opening 13a Lower opening edge 17 Deformable section 19a Palpation hole 20 Slit 20A curved section 21 First end 21a First end piece 22 Second end 22a Second end piece 25 First hook part 26 Second hook part 30 Cushion 31 First cushion section 32 Second cushion section 33 Third cushion part (inner cushion part) 34 Fourth cushion part (outer cushion part) 40 Belt (connecting member) 50 Pressure Sensor S Space

Claims

1. A skull shape correction helmet that is worn on the head to correct skull deformation, a shell having an upper opening and a lower opening; A cushion is disposed inside the shell and in contact with the head, the shell has a slit formed from an upper opening edge of the upper opening to a lower opening edge of the lower opening, A cranial shape correcting helmet, wherein the cushion includes an inner cushion portion that directly contacts the head and an outer cushion portion that is arranged outside the thickness direction of the inner cushion portion, and the inner cushion portion has lower resilience than the outer cushion portion.

2. the shell has a deformation-permitting portion that faces a treatment site requiring bulging deformation of the skull and forms a space between the shell and the treatment site to permit the bulging deformation of the skull; The cranial shape correction helmet according to claim 1, wherein the deformable portion is provided with a palpation hole that enables the distance between the deformable portion and the treatment site to be measured by palpation.

3. The cushion is disposed so as to come into contact with a pressure receiving portion of the head to which a pressure force is applied from the shell, The cranial shape correction helmet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a pressure sensor that detects pressure corresponding to the reaction force received from the pressure receiving portion is disposed on the cushion.

4. A method for manufacturing the cranial shape correction helmet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the steps of: A step of molding the shell using a 3D printer based on the external shape of the skull to be corrected; and placing the cushion inside the shell.

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