Unitary Orthopedic Walker Structure for Adjustable Limb Immobilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orthopedic devices for stabilizing and protecting the lower limb, such as casting systems and orthopedic braces, are cumbersome, costly, and lack adjustability, causing discomfort and inconvenience due to their unyielding nature and complex multi-component structures.
Innovation Solution
An orthopedic walker with a semi-rigid body material that provides adjustable, lightweight, and streamlined support, combining the benefits of casting systems and orthopedic braces, featuring a unitary construction and customizable material properties for enhanced comfort and fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional orthopedic braces with multi-component systems are used, then adjustable support and limb stabilization are achieved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (rigid shell, padding, straps, buckles) into a single integrated molded structure. The walker body is formed as one piece with built-in structural features like heel cups, toe openings, and attachment points, eliminating the need for separate components while maintaining stabilization functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The single-piece walker body performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides rigid structural support, incorporates soft padding zones, includes opening mechanisms for donning/doffing, and integrates attachment points for securing straps. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple specialized components.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional orthopedic walkers with unyielding struts and shells are used, then immobilization is achieved, but adaptability to individual user anatomy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The walker incorporates dynamic elements including articulated openings that allow the structure to flex and adapt during donning and wear, and adjustable strap systems that enable customization to different user anatomies. The molded structure includes compliance zones that can deform to accommodate individual limb shapes while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The walker body features locally differentiated zones with varying properties: rigid structural regions for immobilization, softer padded regions for comfort and anatomical conformity, and flexible opening sections for ease of donning. This local variation in material and structural properties allows simultaneous achievement of immobilization and anatomical adaptability.
3Strength
If casting systems are used, then rigid support conforming to limb anatomy is achieved, but adjustability and reusability are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The walker design allows for parameter adjustments through interchangeable components and adjustable strap systems. The rigid molded body can be selected in different sizes and configurations, and the strap length/tension can be modified to adapt to different users and injury conditions, providing adjustability that casting systems lack while maintaining rigid support.
4Reliability
If conventional walkers with multiple layers and thickness are used, then heel stabilization is achieved, but weight and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The walker is constructed as a composite structure combining rigid polymeric material for structural support with integrated foam padding zones for cushioning. This composite approach provides heel stabilization through the integrated heel cup design that combines rigid support and soft cushioning in a single molded piece, eliminating the need for multiple separate layers and reducing overall weight.
Data Source
AI summary
An orthopedic walker includes a body formed from at least one polymeric material and having a unitary construction. The body forms first and second portions divided by a median plane and connected to one another by a footbed. The first and second portions extend from the footbed and form an interior volume for receiving a foot and lower leg of a user. The first and second portions are arranged to articulate about or from the median plane to expand and retract the interior volume. The body consists of the first and second portions, and the footbed inclusive of an outsole having a tread as a continuous structure formed unitarily from the at least one polymeric material. The at least one polymeric material is an expanded thermoplastic.