Portable Chiropractic Drop Device Actuator Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current chiropractic drop tables are often large, heavy, and expensive, limiting their portability and accessibility for patients who need spinal adjustments, as they typically only accommodate patients weighing up to 250 lbs and are prohibitively priced for home or personal use.
Innovation Solution
A portable physical medicine drop device with a housing and padded elements connected to actuators, allowing for controlled and precise lifting forces that can be powered by a rechargeable battery or adapter, enabling chiropractic adjustments on any surface without the need for a specialized table.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional chiropractic drop tables are used, then spinal adjustment functionality is provided, but the device becomes large, heavy, and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the traditional monolithic drop table into separate functional components: a portable drop device with lifting paddles that can be used independently on any surface. This segmentation allows the core adjustment functionality to be extracted from the heavy table structure, achieving portability while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The essential drop mechanism is extracted from the traditional chiropractic table, creating a standalone portable device. By removing the dependency on a specialized heavy table and implementing the drop function in a compact form factor, the invention achieves portability without sacrificing the core spinal adjustment capability.
2Reliability
If traditional chiropractic drop tables are used, then spinal adjustment functionality is provided, but the device becomes large and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The drop mechanism is extracted from the complex traditional table system, creating a simplified standalone device. This extraction eliminates the need for specialized table structures, complex positioning mechanisms, and large frame assemblies, thereby reducing overall device complexity while preserving the essential adjustment function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of replicating the entire traditional drop table system, the invention creates a simplified copy of the essential drop function using modern actuators and control systems. This functional copying achieves the same therapeutic effect with significantly reduced structural complexity.
3Reliability
If traditional chiropractic tables are used, then patient support is provided, but portability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the patient support function from the heavy traditional table, allowing the drop device to be used on existing furniture or surfaces. This segmentation enables portability while maintaining adequate patient support through the use of positioning accessories and the inherent stability of the actuated lifting mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable drop device is designed to function on various surfaces and with different positioning configurations, making it universally applicable. The device can be used on chairs, beds, floors, or traditional tables, eliminating the need for a specialized heavy table while maintaining patient support capabilities.
4Measurement precision
If traditional chiropractic drop tables are used, then adjustment precision is achieved, but the device becomes heavy and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces heavy mechanical drop mechanisms with modern electric or pneumatic actuators that provide precise control through electronic feedback systems. This substitution achieves comparable or superior adjustment precision while dramatically reducing device weight and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses programmable control parameters to achieve precise adjustments, replacing the need for heavy mechanical precision components. Through software-controlled actuator positioning and force application, the system achieves high precision with lightweight construction.
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 provides a lightweight, affordable, and versatile solution for delivering chiropractic drop table functionality, allowing for safe and convenient spinal adjustments in various settings, including home use, and accommodating patients up to 100 lbs per paddle, with optional wireless control for increased convenience.
Implementation Method 1
two or more pushing mechanisms, each having a padded element connected thereto and aligned with the top plane of the housing. The pushing mechanisms may be controlled by corresponding actuators, either on the device or via a remote/wireless connection, the actuators capable of causing the padded elements to be pushed above the at least one surface
Data Source
AI summary
A portable physical medicine drop device for performing treatments upon a patient. The device includes powered mechanisms capable of lifting a portion of a patient from a surface, a housing for the mechanisms, and a control means to activate the pushing of a padded element toward the patient when the housing and mechanism are placed between the patient and a surface. Additional mechanisms having additional pads may be incorporated for various chiropractic and physical medicine procedures. A method of use of the portable device to perform treatments upon patients.