Inflatable Foot Cushion Heel Pressure Inversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inflatable foot cushions fail to adequately reduce mechanical force amplifications on the heel area when the body is in a supine position, leading to increased occurrences of heel pressure ulcers, and they often cause lateral rotation and material strain issues.
Innovation Solution
The design includes an inflatable foot cushion with adjustable calf straps, a sloped main chamber, and a novel lateral seal to increase support and stability, reducing pressure on the heel and preventing lateral rotation, with features like adjustable foot straps and a customizable foot sole cushion to enhance fit and prevent foot drop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If an inflatable foot cushion is used to support the foot in supine position, then the foot receives mechanical support, but the heel area experiences force amplifications analogous to the working edge of a wedge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional wedge shape by providing support at the toe end rather than the heel end. The inflatable cushion supports the forefoot and ankle, causing the foot to rest at an angle where the heel is elevated and not bearing weight, thereby reversing the force distribution pattern that causes heel pressure amplification
2Ease of manufacture
If the foot cushion is designed with fixed structure, then manufacturing is simplified, but lateral rotation of the ankle and material strain occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a lateral seal mechanism that allows controlled lateral movement and rotation of the foot cushion. This dynamic feature enables the cushion to adapt to ankle movement while preventing excessive lateral rotation, maintaining stability without requiring a complex fixed structure
3Volume of moving object
If the inflatable chamber volume is increased to provide more support, then pressure distribution improves, but material strain increases upon rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral seal is pre-configured to guide and limit rotation movement before excessive strain can occur. By establishing the rotation pathway and limits in advance, the system allows full inflation for pressure distribution while preventing material strain through predetermined movement constraints
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 improved design effectively reduces pressure on the heel, prevents lateral rotation, and provides better support and stability, reducing the risk of heel ulcers and material strain, while allowing for ambulatory movement and improved anatomical positioning.
Implementation Method 1
a three-chambered inflatable foot cushion... The objectives of the two main inflatable chambers of the patented inflatable foot cushion were the offloading the mechanical forces on the heel; the giving of symmetrical static air support to the calf, ankle and foot
Implementation Method 2
The novel improvements of the present invention relate to the independent inflatable chamber (10) of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/432,068, and to the inflatable cushion (16) of U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,445... provide for reduced left and right lateral rotations of the ankles of patients
Data Source
AI summary
Medical advantages are provided by the novel improvements made to the inflatable foot cushion of the present invention to the inflatable foot cushion of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/432,068 and the Inflatable Foot Cushion of U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,445, including better protection of a patient's Achilles' tendon areas; better unloading of the pressures on the patient's heels due to the increased elevation of the patient's heels above substrates; and the prevention of left and right lateral rotation of the ankles of patients wearing the novel inflatable foot cushion of the present invention by its two novel lateral cushions formed by expanding the main chamber of the improved inflatable foot cushion of the present invention there between, which novel lateral cushions cradle and stabilize the improved inflatable chamber of the present invention when it is pivoted under the improved inflatable foot cushion of the present invention.