Automated Custom-Fitting Joint Brace Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current custom-fit medical devices, such as knee braces, require significant time and effort for measurement, design, and manufacturing, and lack precision in fitting due to limitations in capturing internal joint geometry and user-specific data, leading to reduced comfort and effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
An automated process that captures 3D digital data of body parts, incorporates radiographic and biometric data, and uses algorithms to generate custom designs for orthotics and prosthetics, including strapping systems and ergonomic features, which can be manufactured through 3D printing or other methods, ensuring precise fit and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional measurement and design methods are used for custom-fit medical devices, then each device can be individually tailored to patient needs, but the production time and manufacturing complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing 3D body data, radiographic data, and biometric data before the actual manufacturing process. This preliminary data collection and processing enables automated design generation, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual measurements and iterative design adjustments during production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical measurement systems (manual measuring tools, physical molds) with digital scanning and imaging systems. This substitution enables rapid data acquisition and automated processing, dramatically reducing production time while maintaining or improving customization precision through algorithmic design optimization.
2Ease of manufacture
If only 3D scan data of external surface is used for device design, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the device cannot account for internal joint geometry and deformities
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple data sources including external 3D scan data, internal radiographic data (X-rays, CT scans), and biometric data into a unified digital model. This integration enables the design process to simultaneously consider both external surface geometry and internal joint structures, achieving comprehensive customization without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces computational algorithms and software as intermediaries that process and integrate diverse data types (3D scans, radiographic images, biometric measurements). These intermediary processing systems translate complex multi-source data into actionable design parameters, enabling accurate representation of internal geometry while maintaining ease of manufacture through automated workflows.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual measurement and design processes are used, then device customization is possible, but user compliance and adoption are reduced due to comfort and fit issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms by using biometric data and radiographic information about the patient's anatomy, activity level, and lifestyle to iteratively optimize device design. This feedback-driven approach ensures that the customized device not only fits the patient's physical characteristics but also addresses their specific functional needs, thereby improving comfort and user compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting various design parameters (device geometry, material properties, strapping configurations, ergonomic features) based on processed patient data. This systematic parameter optimization ensures that each customized device is precisely tuned to the individual user's anatomical and functional requirements, maximizing comfort and adherence.
4Adaptability or versatility
If custom design and manufacturing processes are used for each patient, then individual patient needs are met, but the cost and complexity increase preventing mass production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual customization processes with automated computational systems that use algorithms to generate device designs from patient data. This automation enables high-volume production of customized devices, as the system can rapidly process multiple patient datasets and generate corresponding design files without proportionally increasing labor costs or complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves universality by creating a platform that handles diverse patient data types (3D scans, radiographic images, biometric measurements) and generates various device types (orthotics, prosthetics, braces) through a single integrated workflow. This multi-functional capability allows the system to scale production across different product lines while maintaining individual customization, effectively enabling mass production of personalized medical devices.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated method for applying specific geometric constraints to a starter file and considering external specifications outside of fit to achieve an optimized, restorative joint brace or orthotic device. External specifications may include indications of the patient, biometric data, data from prescribing doctors, X-ray data, MRI data, joint geometry to restore optimized function, and envelope of motion. After the fitting process, the starter file undergoes a process of exact commands in order to finish and/or add additional features. With a vertical integration from scanning an object to producing the custom fitted device, the product can be manufactured at scale more rapidly and at lower cost, improving access to superior devices at a reasonable price to the consumer.