Gait-Synchronized Fluid Stimulation Device for Fall Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gait and balance impairment treatments, such as vibratory and electric stimulation devices, are cumbersome, expensive, and require maintenance, and lack flexibility in stimulation location and type, limiting their effectiveness for conditions like Parkinson's disease and geriatric issues.
Innovation Solution
A closed fluid system device with a trigger chamber, connecting line, and stimulation chamber, made of elastic materials, that provides mechanical stimulation to the feet or body in phase with gait, using pressure to compress and expand fluid through the system, offering adjustable and versatile stimulation without batteries or periodic maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vibratory or electric stimulation devices are used to improve gait and balance, then sensory feedback is provided to enhance gait function, but the devices become cumbersome, expensive, and require periodic maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power source and control electronics from the stimulation device, retaining only the passive fluid delivery system. The stimulation chambers are simplified to contain only elastic walls and fluid pathways, eliminating batteries, motors, and electronic controls that require maintenance while preserving the core sensory feedback function through pure mechanical means
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses the user's own body weight and gait motion to automatically trigger stimulation. When the user's foot presses against the triggering chamber during walking, this mechanical action automatically compresses the chamber, forces fluid through the connecting line, and expands the stimulation chamber to provide tactile feedback - all without external power or electronic control systems
2Reliability
If fixed vibration patterns are used in stimulation devices, then gait synchronization is achieved, but the lack of flexibility limits effectiveness for different conditions and locations
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate triggering chambers and stimulation chambers that can be independently positioned and configured. Multiple triggering chambers can be placed at different locations on the footwear insole to detect various gait phases, and multiple stimulation chambers can be positioned to target different body areas, allowing customization for different conditions and user needs
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from static vibration patterns to dynamic, gait-synchronized stimulation. The triggering chambers are positioned to detect specific gait events, and the fluid delivery system automatically adjusts stimulation timing and intensity based on real-time mechanical compression from the user's movement, creating adaptive feedback that responds to actual gait patterns rather than following fixed schedules
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
This device effectively improves gait and balance by providing sensory feedback, reducing the risk of falls and injuries, and can be tailored for specific conditions by adjusting the placement and type of stimulation, making it suitable for various neurological and geriatric conditions.
Implementation Method 1
Portions of the triggering chamber and stimulation chamber can be formed of an elastic material. Pressure can compress elastic portions of the triggering chamber and force fluid from the triggering chamber through a connecting line and into a stimulation chamber.
Implementation Method 2
Pressure can compress elastic portions of the triggering chamber and force fluid from the triggering chamber through a connecting line and into a stimulation chamber. Elastic portions of the stimulation chamber expand.
Data Source
AI summary
A device can comprise: a trigger chamber, having a trigger elastic wall and a trigger base wall, the trigger chamber configured for relative motion between the trigger elastic wall and the trigger base wall; a connecting line fluidly coupled to the trigger chamber, the connecting line having a substantially inelastic wall; a stimulation chamber fluidly coupled to the connecting line, the stimulation chamber having a stimulation elastic wall and a stimulation base wall, the stimulation chamber configured for relative motion between the stimulation elastic wall and the stimulation base wall, the stimulation elastic wall having an exterior surface; a plurality of projections coupled to the exterior surface; and a stabilizing frame, the stabilizing frame having a substantially rigid wall, the stabilizing frame having a plurality of apertures, the stabilizing frame extending over the stimulation chamber, the projections configured to extend through the apertures when the stimulation chamber is expanded.