Orthotic Device Recesses for Elastomeric Inserts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orthotic devices manufactured using additive manufacturing processes have limited mechanical properties, such as compressibility and fatigue performance, which restrict their effectiveness in treating various foot and lower limb pathologies.
Innovation Solution
A method involving additive manufacturing that forms a body with recesses and apertures, using 3D data of a user's body part, allowing for a range of mechanical properties and flexibilities to be tailored, enabling the use of elastomeric fillers to enhance the orthotic device's performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If an orthotic device is manufactured using additive manufacturing process with single material, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but mechanical properties range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by combining a rigid body (manufactured via additive manufacturing) with elastomeric inserts placed within recesses. This composite structure enables the orthotic device to exhibit both rigid structural support and flexible elastomeric properties, thereby expanding the range of mechanical properties achievable while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the modular assembly approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The orthotic device is segmented into distinct functional components: a rigid body with integrated recesses and separate elastomeric inserts. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the rigid body provides structural integrity through additive manufacturing while the elastomeric inserts provide customizable mechanical properties such as compressibility and shock absorption, thus expanding the mechanical properties range without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If elastomeric inserts are added to enhance mechanical properties, then treatment versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the rigid body and elastomeric inserts into an integrated orthotic device where the inserts are housed within recesses formed directly in the additive-manufactured body. This merging approach creates a unified device structure that combines the advantages of both rigid and elastomeric materials, enabling versatile treatment options while managing device complexity through integrated design rather than separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid body design incorporates universal features such as recesses and apertures that can accommodate various types and configurations of elastomeric inserts. This universal design approach allows the same basic body structure to be used across different treatment scenarios by simply changing the insert configuration, thereby improving treatment versatility without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If recesses and apertures are formed in the body, then flexibility range is increased, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The additive manufacturing process enables precise control over the geometric parameters of the rigid body, including the size, shape, and position of recesses and apertures. By leveraging the digital modeling and layer-by-layer construction capabilities of additive manufacturing, the system can achieve high manufacturing precision for these features, thereby increasing flexibility range without excessively raising precision requirements beyond current technological capabilities.
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 approach increases the range of treatments possible by allowing for customizable mechanical properties and flexibility, improving the orthotic device's ability to redistribute pressure and realign the musculoskeletal system, thus providing better treatment options for foot and lower limb conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an optical scanner (6) for obtaining data relating to dimensions of a user's foot (8)
Implementation Method 2
A laser device (18) selectively melts the plastic powder (14) to produce successive layers of a body (24)
Implementation Method 3
receiving a filler (22) of elastomeric material... the filler (22) being an elastomeric material for influencing the mechanical properties of the orthotic device (4)
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a body of an orthotic device (4) is disclosed. The method comprises inputting data representing dimensions of a body part (8) of a user and forming, by means of an additive manufacturing process (16, 18) using the data, a body of the orthotic device, wherein the body defines at least one recess for at least partly enclosing at least one respective insert.