Wearable Pneumatic Boot for Automated Therapeutic Dorsiflexion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Critically ill and hospitalized patients often experience reduced ankle range of motion due to immobility, leading to complications like ankle contracture and foot drop, which are challenging to address with existing passive stretching methods that lack continuous monitoring and adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A wearable boot system with an inflation bladder and a head unit that automatically adjusts dorsiflexion to match the patient's ankle range of motion, inducing calf muscle stretch reflexes through controlled air inflation to stimulate muscle contraction and improve ROM.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If passive stretching therapy is provided to immobile patients, then ankle range of motion is improved, but the therapy requires continuous clinician intervention and cannot be provided in high volume
Solution Approach 1:
The stretching device autonomously performs passive stretching therapy without requiring continuous clinician intervention. The device self-regulates the stretching process by monitoring ankle range of motion and automatically adjusting stretch parameters, enabling high-volume therapy delivery in hospital settings where clinician time is limited.
Solution Approach 2:
The device dynamically changes stretching parameters (force, duration, frequency) based on real-time monitoring of ankle range of motion. This allows the therapy to adapt to patient response and optimize effectiveness while operating autonomously, resolving the contradiction between improving ROM and increasing therapy volume.
2Device complexity
If stretching devices do not continuously monitor and adjust therapy, then device complexity is reduced, but the devices fail to fully stretch calf muscles and joints
Solution Approach 1:
The stretching device incorporates continuous monitoring of ankle range of motion and uses this feedback to automatically adjust stretching parameters. This closed-loop control ensures the therapy remains effective by adapting to patient response, while the automation of this process manages the complexity through integrated sensors and control algorithms.
3Ease of operation
If static bracing is used to maintain foot position, then ease of operation is improved, but efficacy at increasing range of motion is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The device combines static bracing with periodic active stretching cycles. The bracing maintains foot position between stretches (ease of operation), while the periodic stretching actions actively increase range of motion. This hybrid approach resolves the contradiction by using simplicity when needed and active therapy when ROM improvement is required.
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 system provides high-volume, automated therapeutic dorsiflexion that restores ankle ROM, prevents muscle atrophy, and improves perfusion, without clinician intervention, by continuously monitoring and adapting to the patient's ankle range of motion.
Implementation Method 1
an inflation bladder disposed between the rigid frame and the foot of the immobile person, where the wearable boot is configured to admit the foot of the immobile person and to flex a top region of the foot about 15° to about 40° dorsally when the inflation bladder is inflated to a set pressure
Implementation Method 2
A pressure sensor can be configured to detect the internal pressure of the inflation bladder, and a processor arrangement can cause the head unit to provide compressed air to the inflation bladder and monitor the internal pressure of the inflation bladder during inflation
Implementation Method 3
The inflation occurs in a time interval of about 0.25 seconds to about 0.5 seconds. In certain embodiments, the inflation causes rapid flexion which induces a calf muscle stretch reflex thereby generating calf muscular contraction in the immobile person
Data Source
AI summary
The presently disclosed subject matter provides devices and systems for therapeutic foot dorsiflexion. Profound immobility, particularly during critical illness, leads to the onset of numerous physical issues. Many occur in the foot/ankle axis resulting in reduced ankle range of motion, ankle contractures, foot drop, and a loss of the ability to stand or ambulate. The disclosed subject matter provides an automated system capable of delivering therapeutic dorsiflexion by automatically adapting the degree of foot dorsiflexion to accommodate the patient's ankle range of motion.