Foot Exercise Device with Pressure Sensors for Deformity Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for foot deformities, including surgical procedures and physical medicine, are invasive, costly, and lack effective monitoring and control of pressure application, which can lead to injury or inadequate treatment.
Innovation Solution
A foot exercising device with an elevated footrest, tilting arrangement, and sensor system to measure and display pressure on the calf and sole, allowing for controlled and monitored exercises to target specific joints and muscles, reducing the risk of injury and improving treatment efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical procedures are used to treat foot deformities, then the deformities can be corrected, but the recovery period is long and requires wearing a cast or surgical boot for weeks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces surgical mechanical intervention with a mechanical exercising device that uses controlled pressure and positioning to achieve foot deformity correction through physical therapy mechanisms rather than surgical procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables preliminary corrective action through controlled exercise sessions that prepare and gradually correct deformities before any potential surgical intervention would be needed, avoiding the long recovery period associated with surgery
2Reliability
If surgical procedures are used to treat foot deformities, then the deformities can be corrected, but patients are left with significant scars and poor cosmesis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes surgical procedures with a non-invasive mechanical exercising device that corrects deformities through controlled physical pressure and positioning, eliminating the harmful effect of surgical scars while maintaining corrective effectiveness
3Ease of operation
If known foot exercising devices are used, then physical medicine treatment can be provided, but the pressure applied may be too high causing injury or too low failing to achieve desired effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates sensor means that provide feedback on the pressure applied during exercising sessions, allowing real-time monitoring and adjustment to ensure pressure is neither too high causing injury nor too low to achieve desired corrective effects
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables dynamic adjustment of pressure parameters through controlled tilting arrangement and rod positioning, allowing optimization of pressure levels for different patients and deformity types while maintaining safety
4Ease of operation
If known foot exercising devices are used, then treatment can be provided, but they are designed to target particular joints or muscles and are side specific
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the exercising device with universal applicability through adjustable components that can accommodate both left and right feet and target multiple different joints and muscles, eliminating the limitation of side-specific devices while maintaining targeted treatment capability
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a foot exercising device of exercising a foot using the device. The foot exercising device comprises a foot support and a tilting arrangement. A sensor means is arranged in the tilting arrangement and/or on the elevated footrest to measure the pressure applied to the calf and the pressure on the sole of a foot supported on the footrest respectively. A display means presents the measured pressure to an operator of the foot exercising device. There is also provided a method for controlling and/or monitoring an exercise of a foot using the foot exercising device.