T-Shaped Finger Splint with Rigid Stem and Flexible Top
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional splints for trigger finger and thumb are expensive, uncomfortable, and require customization, leading to poor adherence due to their rigidity and need for professional fitting, failing to effectively manage the symptoms of trigger finger and thumb.
Innovation Solution
A T-shaped splint with a rigid stem and flexible top, combined with adjustable securement straps, including a thumb securement strap for wrist engagement, made from materials like thermoplastic or metal within cushioning fabric, utilizing hook and loop fasteners for secure fitting, allowing partial immobilization of the finger or thumb.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional splints are custom-made by orthotists or hand therapists, then the splint can be precisely fitted to the user, but the cost increases and requires doctor's referral
Solution Approach 1:
The splint is divided into modular components: a rigid stem portion for structural support and a separate flexible top portion for customization. This segmentation allows the rigid part to be mass-produced while the flexible part can be adjusted by the user, eliminating the need for professional custom fabrication while maintaining fit precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The splint incorporates user-adjustable mechanisms including hook-and-loop fasteners and elastic securement straps that allow the user to customize the fit themselves. This self-service approach eliminates the need for professional orthotist involvement while maintaining precise adaptation to the user's anatomy.
2Strength
If conventional splints are made hard and rigid, then the splint provides strong immobilization, but the comfort decreases and user adherence drops
Solution Approach 1:
The splint employs different material properties in different regions: the stem portion is made rigid for strong immobilization and structural support, while the top portion is made flexible and cushioned for comfort against the finger. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of strong immobilization and user comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The splint combines multiple materials with complementary properties: rigid thermoplastic or metal for the stem portion to provide immobilization strength, and flexible cushioning material for the top portion to ensure comfort. This composite construction resolves the contradiction between rigidity for immobilization and flexibility for comfort.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional splints require professional customization, then the splint can be precisely fitted, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the splint into a mass-producible rigid stem and a user-adjustable flexible top, the invention enables precise fitting without expensive professional customization. The rigid portion can be manufactured using standard injection molding or fabrication processes, while the flexible portion is adjusted by the user through simple fastening mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The user-adjustable design with hook-and-loop fasteners and elastic straps enables the user to customize the fit themselves, eliminating the need for expensive professional orthotist services. This self-service approach maintains manufacturing precision while dramatically reducing costs.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional splints are made adjustable to any size, then the adaptability increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The splint incorporates dynamic adjustment elements including elastic securement straps and hook-and-loop fasteners that allow the user to modify the fit. These simple dynamic elements provide size adjustability without adding complex mechanisms, maintaining ease of use while enhancing adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a splint for resolving the symptoms of trigger finger/thumb. The splint may include a t-shaped main body, wherein a stem of the Tshape is rigid and includes a support bar configured to at least partially immobilize a user's finger and a top of the T-shape is rigid with a flexible portion configured to wrap around the finger. The splint may further include a securement strap extending from the top of the T-shape, the securement strap configured to engage with the top of the T-shape to secure the top of the Tshape around the finger. In embodiments where the splint is used on a thumb, the splint may further include a thumb securement strap configured to wrap around the user's hand/wrist to secure the splint in place.