Compression Garment Assembly for Stable TTFields Array Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in effectively placing and maintaining transducer arrays for TTFields therapy, ensuring a sufficient electrical connection between the arrays and the patient's body, which is crucial for effective tumor treatment.
Innovation Solution
A garment system comprising a support layer with adjustable fasteners and transducer array attachments, along with a protective layer, is designed to securely hold and maintain the transducer arrays in place, ensuring a stable electrical connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transducer arrays are placed on the patient's skin without a garment system, then the placement process is simple, but the arrays cannot be maintained at predetermined locations and electrical connection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single garment system: the support layer provides structural foundation, fasteners enable secure attachment, and transducer array positioning is integrated into the garment design. This merging of functions ensures reliable electrical connection while maintaining manageable complexity through unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment system acts as an intermediary between the transducer arrays and the patient's body. The support layer and fasteners serve as mediating structures that ensure proper positioning and maintain electrical connection without direct skin contact requirements, resolving the contradiction between connection reliability and placement simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If transducer arrays are secured with fixed fasteners, then placement is straightforward, but the arrays cannot be adjusted to maintain optimal positioning during patient movement
Solution Approach 1:
The fasteners are designed to be adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the garment to adapt to patient movement and positioning changes. This dynamic capability enables the arrays to maintain optimal positioning while keeping the operation of adjusting and repositioning relatively simple for healthcare providers.
3Reliability
If the protective layer covers the entire transducer array, then the array is fully protected, but the release member cannot extend beyond the array edges for easy removal
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer is segmented with a release member that extends beyond the array edges. This segmentation allows the protective layer to remain intact for protection while providing a accessible release mechanism for easy removal. The release member acts as a separate functional element that can be grasped and pulled to initiate array removal without compromising the protective coverage during use.
Data Source
AI summary
A garment is herein disclosed. In some implementations, the garment may comprise a support layer configured to be worn by a patient. The support layer may be sized and dimensioned to cover at least a portion of the patient and associated with a transducer array fastener. A transducer array may have a skin-facing surface and a complementary array fastener associated with a surface opposite the skin-facing surface. The transducer array fastener may be operable to be coupled with the complementary array fastener. The transducer array may have a first edge, a second edge opposite the first edge; and a protective layer disposed on the skin-facing surface of the transducer array. The protective layer may have a release member extending from the protective layer adjacent to the first edge of the transducer array and extends beyond the second edge of the transducer array.