Calibrated Foot Protuberances for Neuromuscular Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for neurological disorders such as stroke, cerebral vascular accidents, traumatic brain injury, and cerebral palsy lack effective methods to improve sensory, motor, and movement functions, leading to impaired gait and increased risk of falls and injuries.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a device with moveable anterior and posterior protuberances that are calibrated to reduce inversion and eversion of the foot during stance phases, altering the center of pressure to improve neuromuscular control and gait parameters, which is secured to the foot and adjusted for individual calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional treatments are used for neurological disorders, then existing standard therapies are applied, but sensory, motor, and movement functions remain impaired with no significant improvement in gait parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces footwear with calibrated protuberances as an intermediary device between the ground and the patient's foot. This intermediary mechanism alters the center of pressure and provides controlled perturbations during stance phases, thereby improving sensory feedback and motor control without requiring direct medical intervention or complex medical devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes physical parameters of the footwear by calibrating the position, height, and configuration of protuberances on the sole. These parameter adjustments create specific perturbations that stimulate sensory receptors and improve neuromuscular control, addressing the lack of effective treatment through customizable physical modifications.
2Ease of operation
If patients with neurological disorders perform normal walking, then basic locomotion is maintained, but gait parameters remain impaired and risk of falls increases
Solution Approach 1:
The calibrated protuberances provide preliminary anti-action by creating controlled perturbations before loss of balance occurs. The device anticipates and counteracts potential instability by altering center of pressure in a controlled manner, thereby preventing falls rather than reacting to them after they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The device implements feedback mechanisms by altering sensory input from the foot-ground interface. The calibrated protuberances modify pressure distribution and mechanical stimuli during walking, providing enhanced sensory feedback that improves proprioception and neuromuscular control, thereby enhancing stability during locomotion.
3Reliability
If the foot structure is modified to improve gait control, then neuromuscular control may be enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The footwear device is segmented into simple, discrete components: the sole, heel counter, and individually calibrated protuberances. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function while maintaining overall simplicity. The protuberances can be independently positioned and calibrated without requiring complex integrated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of complex mechanical structures, the invention achieves improved neuromuscular control through parameter changes in the footwear geometry. The position, height, and distribution of protuberances are calibrated to specific parameters that optimize sensory feedback and mechanical leverage, achieving therapeutic effects through simple geometric modifications rather than complex mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are methods of treating or improving neurological conditions and/or outcomes thereof in a subject afflicted with a neurological condition. The methods include placement of a device comprising at least two calibrated, differential disturbances or protuberances under the subject's foot.