Orthotic Device with Pulley Locking for Chest Expansion Inhibition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing band assemblies for sternum repair lack flexibility and simplified contracting and locking mechanisms, making them difficult to use effectively during the healing process after cardiac operations like median sternotomy.
Innovation Solution
An orthotic device comprising an elongated band, pulley assembly, and locking mechanism that wraps around the chest, allowing for adjustable tension and secure locking to inhibit chest expansion, featuring a pulley system for mechanical advantage and a locking mechanism that prevents movement, facilitating easy use and secure sternum alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If previous band assemblies are used to inhibit chest expansion, then chest expansion is limited, but the device lacks flexibility and has complex contracting and locking mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The band assembly is divided into modular components including a band, pulley assembly, and locking mechanism that can be independently adjusted and operated. The pulley assembly segments the tension application into manageable sections with routing members that guide the band through specific paths, enabling easier contraction and locking operations while maintaining reliable chest expansion limitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism incorporates a movable locking member that can dynamically transition between locked and unlocked states based on user input. The pulley assembly allows dynamic adjustment of tension levels during the healing process, enabling the device to adapt to varying patient needs while maintaining secure chest expansion limitation when locked.
2Reliability
If previous band assemblies are used to inhibit chest expansion, then chest expansion is limited, but the device lacks flexibility for different patient needs
Solution Approach 1:
The band assembly is designed with universal applicability through adjustable tension mechanisms and configurable routing members that can be adapted to different patient anatomies and healing requirements. The same basic structure serves multiple functions: chest expansion limitation, tension adjustment, and secure locking, making it versatile for various cardiac surgery recovery scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables parameter changes in tension level and configuration through the pulley assembly and locking mechanism. Users can adjust the tension applied by the band and lock it at different levels to match specific patient needs during the healing process, providing flexibility while maintaining reliable chest expansion limitation across different cases.
3Reliability
If the locking mechanism is activated to prevent movement, then the elongated member is constrained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-operating through a simple user input that triggers the locking action. The movable locking member automatically engages with the routing member when the user applies input force, eliminating the need for complex control systems or multiple components. This self-service approach achieves reliable movement inhibition while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism uses an intermediary movable locking member that mediates between the user input and the band tension system. This single intermediary component translates simple user input into effective locking action, preventing movement of the elongated member without requiring complex mechanical structures or multiple locking elements.
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 device effectively limits chest expansion, providing secure and adjustable support for sternum repair, enhancing healing by allowing customizable tension and easy application, suitable for various patient needs and conditions.
Implementation Method 1
An elongated member, of the pulley assembly, may couple a first routing member to a second routing member such that by applying, during use, a pulling force to the elongated member a distance between the first and the second routing members decreases
Implementation Method 2
The pulley assembly may include a locking mechanism which when activated inhibits, during use, movement of the elongated member relative to at least one of the routing members such that the distance is inhibited from increasing. When the locking mechanism is activated the elongated member is moved from a first opening with a first diameter to a second opening with a second smaller diameter
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a method and/or system may include an orthotic device configured to limit expansion of a subject's chest. The orthotic device may include an elongated band, a pulley assembly, and a locking mechanism. The elongated band wraps, during use, around a chest of a subject comprising a first end couplable to a first base and a second end couplable to a second base. An elongated member, of the pulley assembly, may couple a first routing member to a second routing member such that by applying, during use, a pulling force to the elongated member a distance between the first and the second routing members decreases. The routing members may be removably coupled to the respective bases. The pulley assembly may include a locking mechanism which inhibits movement of the elongated member relative to at least one of the routing members such that the distance is inhibited from increasing.