Coiled Fluid-Powered Artificial Muscles for Uniform Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid-powered artificial muscle (FPAM) technologies for rehabilitative and manual therapy, such as sports therapy, physiotherapy, and medical compression, lack effective designs that can uniformly apply compressive pressure without additional components, and there is a need for improved devices and techniques for treating conditions like lymphedema, DVT, and venous ulcers.
Innovation Solution
The development of fluid-powered artificial muscles (FPAMs) that can be coiled in circular or helical shapes around body parts, incorporating fiber-reinforced bladders and sheaths, with controlled inflation and deflation mechanisms, allowing for uniform compression without additional components, and integrated into garments for therapeutic applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pneumatic compression devices use independently controlled ring-shaped elastomer chambers or bladder straps with additional components, then compression can be applied to body parts, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bladder and compression application functions into a single integrated FPAM structure. The FPAM includes an inflatable bladder and a compression element that works together as one unified component, eliminating the need for separate bladder straps, fasteners, and control mechanisms that were required in traditional pneumatic compression devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The FPAM serves multiple functions within a single component: it provides compression, maintains uniform pressure distribution, and applies therapeutic force to body parts. The compression element is designed to work with the inflatable bladder to deliver comprehensive compression therapy without requiring additional specialized components for each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional pneumatic compression devices use multiple independent components, then compression can be applied to different body parts, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase and material usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of the bladder and compression element into a single FPAM component eliminates the need for precise assembly of multiple parts. The unified structure ensures consistent performance without requiring high-precision manufacturing and assembly processes that would be necessary for coordinating multiple independent components across different body parts.
3Reliability
If traditional pneumatic compression devices use additional components like belts and fasteners, then compression can be maintained on body parts, but the material cost and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compression element is integrated directly into the FPAM structure, eliminating the need for separate belts, fasteners, and adjustment mechanisms. This integration maintains compression effectiveness while significantly simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the number of parts that need to be produced, assembled, and quality-checked.
Solution Approach 2:
The FPAM's compression element is designed to automatically maintain compression on body parts through its own structural properties and inflation mechanism, without requiring external fastening systems or adjustment components. The device serves itself by maintaining compression through its integrated design rather than relying on additional fastening hardware.
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 FPAMs provide uniform and effective compressive therapy for conditions like lymphedema and DVT, enhancing treatment efficacy and reducing material and manufacturing complexity by eliminating the need for additional components.
Implementation Method 1
fluid-powered artificial muscles (FPAMs) that can be coiled in circular or helical shapes around body parts, incorporating fiber-reinforced bladders and sheaths, with controlled inflation and deflation mechanisms
Implementation Method 2
The FPAMs provide uniform and effective compressive therapy for conditions like lymphedema and DVT
Data Source
AI summary
A compression actuator has a fluid-powered artificial muscle (FPAM) set of at least one FPAM. The compression actuator has a circular or helical shape and is resilient. A compression garment includes the compression therapy device and a garment fabric coupled with the compression therapy device. The compression garment may be a sleeve or glove, or a combination thereof. A compression therapy method includes enveloping a body part of a patient with the compression actuator set of the compression therapy device, and inflating the compression actuator set to apply compression to the body part. A method for making an FPAM having a circular or helical shape includes wrapping a precursor FPAM having a linear shape around a mandrel having the circular or helical shape to form an assembly, treating the assembly to generate a treated FPAM having the circular or helical shape, and removing the treated FPAM from the mandrel.