Gait-Altering Shoes with Varying Radius Wheels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with asymmetric gait due to central nervous system damage often find it difficult to retain a normal walking pattern after rehabilitation using split-belt treadmill therapy, as the adaptation effects are short-lived and do not transfer to walking on normal surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The development of gait-altering shoes that transform the downward force of a user's weight into a backward force, mimicking the effect of a split-belt treadmill, by using wheels with varying radii and springs to return to original positions, allowing for prolonged adaptation and retention of a symmetric gait pattern in a natural walking context.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If split-belt treadmill therapy is used to rehabilitate asymmetric gait, then gait symmetry can be improved temporarily, but the effect does not transfer to normal walking surfaces and is short-lived
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gait-altering shoe as an intermediary device between the patient and the walking surface. The shoe contains a mechanism with a wheel and spring that actively modifies the gait of the affected limb, serving as a mediator that bridges the gap between treadmill therapy and normal walking. This intermediary device allows the patient to practice altered gait patterns on normal surfaces rather than being confined to a treadmill.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical system of a split-belt treadmill with a simpler shoe-based mechanism. Instead of using a large treadmill apparatus with two independently controlled belts, the invention uses a compact mechanism within the shoe comprising a wheel that rotates under the user's weight and a spring that returns the wheel to its original position, substituting the treadmill's mechanical system with a portable alternative.
2Reliability
If split-belt treadmill therapy is used to rehabilitate asymmetric gait, then gait symmetry can be improved, but the adaptation effects only last for a short period of time
Solution Approach 1:
The gait-altering shoe applies preliminary action by pre-modifying the gait pattern of the affected limb before the patient completes the full walking cycle. The mechanism proactively alters step length and timing during the stance phase, preparing the patient's nervous system for symmetric gait patterns in advance, which should lead to more persistent adaptation effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuity of useful action by allowing patients to practice gait retraining continuously in their daily environment rather than only during scheduled treadmill sessions. The shoe can be worn during normal walking activities, providing continuous therapeutic input and reinforcing the symmetric gait pattern throughout the day, thereby extending the duration of therapeutic effect.
3Length of moving object
If a gait-altering shoe with wheels is used to transform downward force into backward force, then step length can be increased, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by extracting the essential gait-altering function from a complex shoe mechanism and isolating it into a separate, independently rotating wheel assembly. This wheel can be removed or adjusted independently, simplifying the overall shoe design while maintaining the step length modification capability. The wheel is taken out as a distinct functional module that can be optimized separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The gait-altering shoe is segmented into distinct functional components: the wheel mechanism for step length control, the spring mechanism for return force, and the main shoe structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies manufacturing and assembly. The wheel and spring mechanisms can be adjusted or replaced without redesigning the entire shoe.
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 gait-altering shoes effectively increase step length and promote persistent symmetric gait patterns, similar to split-belt treadmill therapy, while allowing for natural walking, potentially leading to long-term training effects and muscle strengthening.
Implementation Method 1
wheels having a varying radius that automatically rotate backward under the weight of the user
Implementation Method 2
transform the downward force of a user's weight into a force that shifts the user's foot backward
Implementation Method 3
one or more springs are used to return the wheels to their original positions when the user lifts his or her foot
Implementation Method 4
one or more dampers are used to control the backward rotation of the wheels
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a gait-altering shoe includes a frame adapted to support a user's foot and at least one wheel that supports the frame above a walking surface, the wheel having a radius that varies as a function of angular position of the wheel.