Adjustable Prosthetic Cosmesis with Tensioned Elastic Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional prosthetic foot cosmesis are limited in flexibility and versatility, leading to frequent wear and tear, high replacement costs, and difficulties in securing them properly to artificial limbs due to adhesive or snap-on connections that do not allow for easy donning and doffing of footwear or adjustments.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable prosthetic device featuring a resilient body with an adjustment mechanism that includes elongate elements and guides, allowing for tension regulation to change shape configurations, enabling easy fitting and secure attachment to artificial limbs without permanent adhesion, facilitating quick donning and doffing of footwear and maintaining a secure fit throughout the day.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesive bonding is used to secure cosmesis to artificial limb, then secure attachment is achieved, but difficulty in removal and reattachment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from static adhesive bonding to a dynamic adjustable system using elastic members (springs) that can be tensioned and released. The adjustment mechanism allows the cosmesis to be securely attached during wear while enabling easy removal and reattachment by simply adjusting the tension on the elastic members, eliminating the permanent nature of adhesive bonds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding mechanism (adhesive) with a mechanical bonding system using elastic members, clips, and adjustment mechanisms. This mechanical system provides both secure attachment during wear and easy removal when needed, overcoming the irreversibility of adhesive bonding.
2Ease of operation
If snap-on connection is used for cosmesis, then ease of attachment is improved, but adjustability for different sizes is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms including turnbuckles, sliding clips, and adjustable elastic members that allow the cosmesis size and fit to be modified. This enables the same cosmesis to adapt to different limb sizes and shapes while maintaining easy attachment through the snap-on style mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the connection system by introducing adjustable tension on elastic members and movable connection points. This allows the effective size and shape of the cosmesis to be modified to fit different artificial limbs while maintaining the ease of snap-on attachment.
3Shape
If form-fitted cosmesis is used, then cosmetic appearance is improved, but flexibility for footwear donning and doffing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment capabilities that allow the cosmesis to be temporarily loosened during footwear donning and doffing, then retightened to maintain cosmetic fit. The adjustable elastic members enable temporary shape changes for ease of operation while preserving the form-fitted appearance during normal wear.
4Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable mechanism is added to cosmesis, then adaptability to different limbs is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the adjustment system into separate functional modules: elastic members for tension, clips for connection, and adjustment mechanisms (turnbuckles or sliding clips) for sizing. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function, making the overall complex system more manageable and maintainable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates self-adjusting features where the elastic members automatically tension and secure the cosmesis to the limb. The adjustment mechanisms are designed to be user-operated without requiring external tools or complex procedures, allowing the user to service and adjust the fit themselves.
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 adjustable prosthetic device allows for easy and quick fitting and adjustment of prosthetic devices, reducing wear and tear, lowering replacement costs, and providing a secure, non-permanent attachment that accommodates various sizes and shapes of artificial limbs, enhancing user convenience and durability.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient body having a predetermined shape configuration... Tensioning of the at least one elongate element by the adjustment device urges the resilient body to collapse or compress into a contracted configuration. Release of tension of the at least one elongate element allows the resilient body to revert to the predetermined shape configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A prosthetic device is configurable between a predetermined shape configuration and a contracted configuration. The prosthetic device includes a resilient body having the predetermined shape configuration and defining a first surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface and separated by a wall thickness. An adjustment device is connected to the resilient body, and at least one elongate element engages at least one of the first and second surfaces and has a first end received by the adjustment device such that the adjustment device is arranged to regulate tension in the at least one elongate element. Tensioning of the at least one elongate element by the adjustment device urges the resilient body to collapse or compress into the contracted configuration, wherein release of tension of the at least one elongate element allows the resilient body to revert to the predetermined shape configuration.