Adjustable Compression Garment for Orthostatic Intolerance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Astronauts experience fluid volume loss and orthostatic intolerance upon return to Earth due to fluid redistribution in weightless environments, and existing compression garments are inadequate in maintaining a consistent compression profile and adjusting to body changes.
Innovation Solution
A 3-piece system of inter-related garments with adjustable compression profiles, including thigh length supports and a garment with tapered panels and zippers, providing a gradient compression from the ankle to the thigh, allowing for incremental pressure adjustment and fluid retention support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If compression garments are made loose to accommodate fluid volume loss variation, then adaptability to different astronauts is improved, but compression effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The garment incorporates adjustable mechanisms (zippers, elastic panels, drawstrings) that allow dynamic adjustment of compression level. This enables the garment to adapt to individual astronauts' fluid volume loss while maintaining sufficient compression effectiveness, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression garment allows changing the compression parameter (pressure level) through adjustable mechanisms. By modifying the compression level parameter, the system can accommodate varying fluid volume loss among different astronauts while ensuring each receives adequate compression treatment.
2Ease of manufacture
If the garment is designed with fixed compression profile, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but ability to maintain consistent compression under body changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The garment is divided into multiple segments with independent adjustment capabilities (different panels, zippers, elastic sections). Each segment can be adjusted independently to maintain proper compression profile despite body changes, while the overall design remains relatively simple to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment transitions from a fixed compression profile to a dynamic, adjustable system. The inclusion of zippers, elastic panels, and drawstrings allows the compression characteristics to be modified as needed, maintaining consistency under body changes while adding only moderate manufacturing complexity.
3Reliability
If compression level is high to counter fluid volume loss, then orthostatic intolerance relief is improved, but ease of wear and gradual re-acclimation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The garment allows dynamic adjustment of compression level, enabling high compression when needed for orthostatic intolerance relief and lower compression for ease of wear and gradual re-acclimation. The adjustable mechanisms permit the user to modulate the compression level according to their physiological state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system supports periodic adjustment of compression levels - high compression during critical periods for fluid retention, then reduced compression for wearability and gradual re-acclimation. This periodic modulation of compression intensity addresses both relief effectiveness and ease of operation.
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 system effectively maintains a consistent compression gradient, aiding in fluid retention and gradual re-acclimation to Earth's gravity without requiring air supply or electrical power, ensuring effective countermeasures for orthostatic intolerance.
Implementation Method 1
The adjustable mechanism(s) are attached to the elastic body fabric in such a manner as to pull the fabric to a higher tension and the brief to a reduced circumference
Implementation Method 2
the system may serve to adjust the compressive force (fabric tension) over areas of the body most susceptible to volume loss
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable orthostatic intolerance garment formed of a knitted spandex powernet construction in order to provide compression when on the leg, and including legs and a torso portion that extends upwardly into the abdominal area below the pectoral muscles; and a respective pair of elongate panels that are retained in place by attaching elements, and that are introduced into or removed from the garment to increase or reduce compression on the wearer's body as desired.