Conformable Therapeutic Cushion for Full-Body GERD Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing therapeutic cushion systems fail to effectively manage symptoms associated with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other digestive disorders, as they often lack comprehensive support for the entire body and are not designed to accommodate adult users.
Innovation Solution
A therapeutic cushion system comprising a support element and a conformable riser element, both made with stretch materials and polyester filler, designed to support the user in inclined or reclined positions, minimizing reflux by facilitating stomach emptying into the duodenum and reducing reflux episodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pillow is designed to provide head and neck support, then comfort for respiratory conditions is improved, but support for the entire body and effectiveness for GERD treatment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow is divided into multiple functional zones: a head support region with cervical contouring, a mid-section with elevated positioning, and an extended body support region. This segmentation allows each zone to address specific needs - head/neck comfort for respiratory conditions while the extended body support provides GERD management through proper positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The pillow extends beyond traditional head-only dimensions to provide full-body support. The elongated design adds spatial dimension along the body axis, enabling simultaneous head/neck support and gastric positioning to address both respiratory comfort and GERD symptoms.
2Productivity
If an orthopedic pillow is designed to minimize snoring, then snoring reduction is improved, but effectiveness for GERD treatment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow integrates multiple therapeutic functions into a single device: cervical support for snoring reduction, elevated positioning for GERD management, and extended body support for overall comfort. This multi-functionality allows simultaneous addressing of snoring and GERD symptoms without requiring separate devices.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for providing therapeutic treatment for symptoms associated with GERD and/or other digestive disorders and/or other medical conditions are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a support element and a conformable riser element adjacent the support element. The riser element and the support element collectively form a body support member configured to support a user and define a receiving portion configured to receive a portion of the users arm. The riser element and the support element are each disposed within a casing formed at least in part with a stretch material. In some embodiments, the riser element includes a polyester filler material and the stretch material includes a four-way stretch material. The four-way stretch material in combination with the polyester filler material enables the riser element to be conformable.