Orthopedic Brace Airflow Control for Selective Inflatable Cell Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthopedic braces lack user control over individual inflatable cells, often requiring external pumps that are bulky, inconvenient, and prone to loss, and fail to provide customized compression across different areas of the body.
Innovation Solution
An orthopedic brace with an on-board pump system that includes a rotatable control mechanism allowing users to selectively inflate or deflate individual inflatable cells, eliminating the need for external pumps and enabling customizable compression levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an external pump is connected to the brace, then the user can inflate and deflate the brace pads, but the pump becomes a bulky extra component that impairs the wearability of the brace
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is integrated into the brace structure itself, merging the inflation mechanism with the brace body. This eliminates the need for a separate external pump, reducing overall volume while maintaining inflation functionality. The pump chambers are formed within the brace housing, creating a compact unified device.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump mechanism is nested within the brace structure, with pump chambers positioned inside the brace housing. This nesting arrangement allows the pump components to occupy space within the existing brace volume rather than adding external bulk, maintaining a sleek profile while providing full inflation capability.
2Device complexity
If a single pump and valve are used, then the structure is simplified, but the user cannot independently control the pressures in different inflatable cells
Solution Approach 1:
The single pump is divided into multiple independent pump chambers, each capable of independently inflating a specific inflatable cell. This segmentation allows each cell to be controlled separately while maintaining a unified pump structure, enabling customized compression for different body areas without requiring multiple separate pumps.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified pump structure serves multiple functions by providing independent control over multiple inflatable cells through its segmented chambers. This multi-functional design allows a single pump assembly to replace what would otherwise require multiple separate pumps, simplifying the overall system while maintaining the versatility needed for customized compression control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple valves are provided for individual cell control, then selective inflation is enabled, but multiple pumps or a movable pump is required which is inconvenient to handle and can be lost
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pump chambers are merged into a single integrated pump assembly that remains permanently attached to the brace. This eliminates the need for users to handle, carry, or reconnect separate pumps, as all pump chambers are built-in and accessible through the brace's control interface. The permanent integration prevents loss while maintaining individual cell control capability.
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 on-board pump system allows for streamlined inflation and deflation, providing customizable compression levels without the need for external components, enhancing user convenience and reducing the risk of pump loss, while maintaining a low profile design.
Implementation Method 1
The inflation component is a pump that forces air through the control into a selected inflatable cell
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and devices are described for providing a brace having an inflation control. The control directs fluid flow from an inflation component to one or more inflatable cells of the brace. The inflatable cells are independently inflated and deflated by the inflation component through the control. The control allows a user to create a fluid path between the inflation component and one of the inflatable cells by positioning the control in an orientation corresponding to the desired inflatable cells. Each inflatable cell is independently inflated and deflated in various orientations of the control.