Adhesive Skin Lifting Device for Nerve Compression Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and migraine headaches are either invasive, costly, or inconvenient, and existing devices often interfere with daily activities and manual dexterity, while lacking effective solutions for temporary or recurring conditions.
Innovation Solution
A disposable, shape-memory plastic device with an adhesive surface that lifts skin above sensitive areas, providing relief by creating negative pressure and reducing nerve compression, designed for easy application and use without interfering with sleep or daily activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgery is performed to cut or divide the transverse carpal ligament, then CTS symptoms are relieved, but the treatment is invasive and carries many risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable adhesive device that can be applied and removed without surgical intervention. This non-invasive approach eliminates surgical risks while providing effective relief for CTS symptoms, directly addressing the contradiction between treatment effectiveness and invasiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive device acts as an intermediary between the skin and the underlying nerves, lifting the skin to reduce nerve compression. This mediates the treatment effect without requiring direct surgical intervention on the ligament, thereby maintaining effectiveness while reducing harm
2Reliability
If conventional kinesio tape is used for CTS treatment, then nerve compression is reduced, but improper application may cause further discomfort or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed for self-application by patients without requiring assistance from others. The adhesive nature and pre-configured structure enable patients to apply it themselves, eliminating the complexity of proper kinesio tape application while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the physical state of skin elevation through its adhesive properties and structural design, creating a controlled lifting effect that is more reliable and easier to apply than conventional taping methods, thereby improving both effectiveness and ease of operation
3Object-affected harmful factors
If gloves are used to treat CTS, then nerve protection is provided, but manual dexterity and tactile sensitivity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The device extracts only the necessary protective function from gloves by applying a localized adhesive lift to the affected area. This provides nerve protection without the need for full-hand covering, thereby preserving manual dexterity and tactile sensitivity while maintaining therapeutic benefit
4Ease of manufacture
If a reusable therapeutic device is designed, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but hygiene and contamination risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed as a disposable single-use product that is inexpensive to manufacture. This eliminates hygiene and contamination risks associated with reusable devices while maintaining cost-effectiveness, as the low production cost allows for single-use disposal without significant financial burden
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively alleviates symptoms of CTS and migraines by lifting skin and reducing pressure on nerves, offering a simple, cost-effective, and non-invasive solution that can be reused or discarded, suitable for temporary or recurring conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The device comprises a body made from a plastic material, with 'shape memory'
Implementation Method 2
When released from pressure, the 'shape memory' member has spring and rebounds to its normal configuration
Implementation Method 3
adhesive or adhesion member (used interchangeably herein) is provided on at least part of a central portion
Data Source
AI summary
A therapeutic device includes a generally rigid but elastically deformable sheet body including a bridge portion, first and second support portions extending outwardly from the bridge portion in opposite directions along a longitudinal dimension, and adhesive or an adhesion member on a first surface along the bridge portion that is adapted for adhesion to skin of a user above a target site. The therapeutic device also includes first and second projections on the first surface proximate to lateral edges of the sheet body. The sheet body is configured to assume a neutral configuration in which the first and second projections space the bridge portion and the adhesive or the adhesion member apart from the target site by an air gap, a depressed position during affixation of the first surface to the target site, and an adhesion configuration after affixation of the first surface to the target site.