Therapy Pole Grip With Sensory Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with impaired motor functionality, such as those with stroke, brain injury, or Parkinson's disease, face challenges in using their upper and lower extremities, leading to abnormal walking patterns, and existing walking aids like canes and walkers do not effectively promote proper gait or bilateral support, often causing strain and injury.
Innovation Solution
An ergonomic grip that provides tactile, visual, and auditory feedback to promote awareness and correct movement of the affected arm and leg, incorporating a button lock system, wrist support, and adjustable poles with sensors to ensure proper alignment and force distribution, and communication with smart devices for real-time feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If traditional canes and walkers are used to assist walking, then bilateral support and balance are improved, but awareness and movement of the affected side are hindered, and normal walking pattern is not promoted
Solution Approach 1:
The grip incorporates sensors that detect hand position, grip force, and arm swing, providing real-time feedback through visual lights, auditory tones, and tactile vibrations to guide the user through proper walking mechanics and promote awareness of the affected side
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces passive mechanical support with an active sensory feedback system that uses optical, acoustic, and tactile signals to guide movement, substituting the purely mechanical function of canes and walkers with a multi-sensory guidance system
2Stability of the object's composition
If downward force is applied onto pole straps to secure the grip, then grip stability is improved, but excessive strain is placed on the user's wrist joint
Solution Approach 1:
The grip features a localized wrist support structure with distributed contact points that concentrate the downward force onto a larger surface area of the wrist, reducing pressure on any single point and thereby minimizing strain on the wrist joint while maintaining grip stability
3Ease of operation
If twist/turn pole lock system is used to secure the pole, then ease of operation is improved, but weight-bearing capacity is limited to about 90 pounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ease of operation of twist/turn locking with the higher capacity of flip-lock mechanisms by integrating both systems into a single grip assembly, allowing the user to benefit from the simplicity of twist/turn operation while achieving the load capacity of flip-lock through the combined mechanical advantage of the hybrid system
4Stability of the object's composition
If walkers are used to provide support, then bilateral support is improved, but upright posture is not promoted as users must hunch over both grips
Solution Approach 1:
The grip extends in multiple dimensions with a wrist support that reaches backward and a flared dorsal region that expands laterally, creating a three-dimensional support structure that distributes weight more effectively and naturally guides the user into an upright posture by eliminating the need to hunch over
Data Source
AI summary
A grip configured for interconnection to a therapy or walking pole is provided. The grip includes tactile, visual, and/or auditory feedback systems that help ensure a user is using the walking poles correctly. The feedback information may also be directed to a therapist for review.