Cryosplint Integrating Vacuum Stabilization and Cold Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vacuum splints hinder the application of cold treatment to injured body parts, which is necessary for reducing swelling and facilitating radiographic imaging, thereby impairing the imaging process.
Innovation Solution
A cryosplint that integrates a vacuum splint with attachable cold packs, allowing simultaneous stabilization and cold treatment of the injured body part, maintaining radiolucency for imaging while reducing swelling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional vacuum splint is used to stabilize an injured body part, then the body part is stabilized and radiographic imaging is enabled, but cold treatment cannot be applied and swelling reduction is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a vacuum splint with cold packs into an integrated cryosplint system. The cold packs are positioned within the splint structure, allowing simultaneous stabilization and cold treatment functions to be performed by a single device, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliable stabilization and adaptability for cold therapy.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum splint is designed to perform multiple functions: stabilization through vacuum compression and cold treatment through integrated cold packs. This multi-functional design enables the device to adapt to different treatment requirements (stabilization alone or combined with cold therapy) without requiring separate devices, thus improving versatility while maintaining reliable stabilization.
2Measurement precision
If a conventional vacuum splint is used, then radiographic imaging is enabled, but swelling reduction is prevented which impairs imaging quality
Solution Approach 1:
The cold packs are applied to the injured body part before or during the radiographic imaging process to pre-reduce swelling. This preliminary cold treatment minimizes swelling that would otherwise obstruct or impair the quality of radiographic images, ensuring better imaging results while maintaining the radiolucency of the splint material.
3Temperature
If cold treatment is applied separately from stabilization, then swelling reduction is achieved, but the treatment process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the cold packs directly into the vacuum splint structure, the patent eliminates the need for separate application of cold treatment and stabilization. The unified cryosplint device simplifies the treatment process into a single application step, reducing complexity and treatment time while maintaining both cold therapy and stabilization effects.
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
Enables effective stabilization and cold treatment of injured body parts, enhancing the healing process and improving radiographic imaging by allowing for simultaneous application of cold therapy without obstructing imaging procedures.
Implementation Method 1
conventional vacuum splints may be used to stabilize an injured body part
Implementation Method 2
application of ice or other cold treatment to assist in the healing process and to reduce swelling
Data Source
AI summary
Cryosplint. In some embodiments, a cryosplint may include a vacuum splint and a cold pack. The vacuum splint may be configured to be wrapped around a body part of a patient and then have air evacuated therefrom in order to stabilize the body part. The cold pack may be configured to be attached to the vacuum splint in order to provide application of cold to the body part simultaneous to the vacuum splint stabilizing the body part.