Sensor-Activated Knee Brace for ACL Injury Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Knee injuries, particularly ACL injuries, are common in sports due to relative displacements between the femur and tibia, and existing knee braces do not effectively prevent or mitigate these injuries.
Innovation Solution
A smart knee brace equipped with sensors to measure relative displacement between the femur and tibia, activating a stiffening component, such as a gas-inflatable chamber, to counteract injurious movements by stabilizing the knee when thresholds are exceeded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a smart knee brace with sensors and stiffening components is implemented, then knee injury prevention capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The knee brace is divided into functionally independent segments: sensors mounted on the brace, a processor unit for data analysis, and a stiffening component separate from the sensing system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system effectiveness in preventing knee injuries.
Solution Approach 2:
The knee brace integrates multiple functions into a single device: injury detection through sensors, real-time monitoring by the processor, and active prevention through the stiffening component. This multi-functionality consolidates what could be separate systems into one unified knee protection device, managing complexity through integration rather than multiplication of separate components.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used to detect relative displacement in multiple dimensions, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors are strategically positioned at specific locations on the knee brace where they can most effectively detect the three critical types of injurious movements: over-rotation, over-abduction, andhyperextension. Each sensor is placed to monitor specific displacement dimensions, creating localized measurement zones that collectively provide comprehensive coverage of all injury risk vectors without requiring sensors throughout the entire brace structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor receives continuous data from multiple sensors and compares measured relative displacement against predetermined thresholds for injurious movements. When thresholds are exceeded, the system provides immediate feedback by activating the stiffening component. This feedback loop enables precise injury prevention through real-time monitoring and automated response, managing sensor complexity through intelligent data processing rather than requiring equally complex hardware.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a stiffening component is activated to stabilize the knee, then knee stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffening component is pre-positioned and integrated into the knee brace structure, ready for immediate activation when injurious movements are detected. The component does not require assembly or manual configuration during use; it is already in place to provide stabilization, eliminating setup complexity for the user while maintaining the capability for rapid knee stabilization when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The knee brace system autonomously monitors knee movement through sensors and automatically activates the stiffening component when injury thresholds are exceeded, without requiring user intervention or judgment. The processor independently analyzes sensor data and triggers stabilization, making the system self-regulating and eliminating the need for users to understand or manually control the stabilization mechanism, thereby maintaining ease of operation.
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 smart knee brace effectively prevents or mitigates knee injuries by quickly stabilizing the joint to counteract potential over-rotation, over-abduction, and hyperextension, reducing the risk of ligament sprains or tears.
Implementation Method 1
a gas-inflatable chamber configured to stabilize the user's knee when activated
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a knee brace for preventing or mitigating injury to a user's knee. The knee brace includes a first sensor positioned with respect to a femur, and a second sensor positioned with respect to a tibia. The knee brace further includes a stiffening component configured to stabilize the user's knee, and a processor that receives sensor data from the first sensor and the second sensor to determine a relative position between the femur location and the tibia location. The processor is configured to activate the stiffening component when the relative position exceeds at least one of a first threshold, a second threshold, and a third threshold, wherein the first threshold indicates a potential over-rotation, wherein the second threshold indicates a potential over-abduction, and wherein the third threshold indicates a potential hyperextension.