Conformal hand brace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9529941-B2
Application number	US-201313956069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2013
Priority date	Nov 9, 2008
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A conformable hand brace includes a support surface for supporting palm portion of a patient's hand and an adjustable mechanism that allows the cross section of the brace to be adjusted. The brace can be adjusted to provide a close fit as the geometry of the hand changes. The inventive system allows the conformable hand brace to be designed automatically by a computer based upon anatomical measurements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for automatically creating a design for a conformal hand brace comprising:
placing a plurality of markers on a hand of a patient;
placing the hand of the patient between a plurality of cameras;
simultaneously taking photographs of the markers and the hand of the patient with the plurality of cameras;
calculating a digital representation of the hand from the photographs;
storing a digital representation of the hand in a computer memory; and
automatically designing the conformal hand brace based upon the digital representation of the hand and locations of the markers with a computer processor, the conformal hand brace having a palm region and a thumb region;
wherein the conformal hand brace includes a plurality of inner surface regions that inherently correspond to the digital representation of the hand wherein the inner surface regions are offset from the digital representation of the hand and wherein the one or more inner surface regions of the conformal hand brace that are offset from the digital representation of the hand includes a first metacarpal joint region over the thenar eminence of the hand in a negative direction for preventing a first metacarpal joint of the hand from dislocating.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the thumb region of the conformal hand brace surrounds a thumb of the hand and the thumb region of the conformal hand brace is positively offset from the digital representation of the hand.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the positive offset of the thumb region of the conformal hand brace from the digital representation of the hand is 1-2 mm.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the thumb region of the conformal hand brace surrounds most of a thumb of the hand and the thumb region of the conformal hand brace includes a thumb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint region on a lateral side of the conformal hand brace that is positively offset from the digital representation of the hand by 2-8 mm.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first metacarpal region has a width that is 20-80% of the length of a first metacarpal bone of the hand.

6. The method of claim 1 the conformal hand brace includes a falloff region that surrounds the first metacarpal joint region that provides a tapered transition region towards the digital representation of the hand.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first metacarpal joint region over the thenar eminence of the hand is offset from a corresponding area of the digital representation of the hand by 2-8 mm.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more inner surface regions of the conformal hand brace that are offset from the digital representation of the hand includes a webbing region between a thumb and index finger of the hand that includes a cylindrical surface that is offset in a positive direction.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more inner surface regions of the conformal hand brace that are offset from the digital representation of the hand includes a medial offset region along the medial side of the hand that includes a cylindrical surface that is offset in a negative direction.

10. A method for automatically creating a design for a conformal hand brace comprising:
simultaneously taking photographs of a hand of the patient with a plurality of cameras;
calculating a digital representation of the hand from the photographs; and
automatically designing the conformal hand brace based upon the digital representation of the hand with a computer processor, the conformal hand brace having a palm region and a thumb region;
wherein the conformal hand brace includes a plurality of inner surface regions that correspond to the digital representation of the hand and wherein the inner surface regions are offset from the digital representation of the hand and wherein the one or more inner surface regions of the conformal hand brace that are offset from the digital representation of the hand includes a first metacarpal joint region over the thenar eminence of the hand in a negative direction for preventing a first metacarpal joint of the hand from dislocating.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the thumb region of the conformal hand brace surrounds a thumb of the hand and the thumb region of the conformal hand brace is positively offset from the digital representation of the hand.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the positive offset of the thumb region of the conformal hand brace from the digital representation of the hand is 1-2 mm.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the thumb region of the conformal hand brace surrounds most of a thumb of the hand and the thumb region of the conformal hand brace includes a thumb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint region on a lateral side of the conformal hand brace that is positively offset from the digital representation of the hand by 2-8 mm.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the first metacarpal region 51 has a width that is 20-80% of the length of a first metacarpal bone of the hand.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the conformal hand brace includes a falloff region that surrounds the first metacarpal joint region that provides a tapered transition region towards the digital representation of the hand.

16. The method of claim 10 the first metacarpal joint region over the thenar eminence of the hand is offset from a corresponding area of the digital representation of the hand by 2-8 mm.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more inner surface regions of the conformal hand brace that are offset from the digital representation of the hand includes a webbing region between a thumb and index finger of the hand that includes a cylindrical surface that is offset in a positive direction.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more inner surface regions of the conformal hand brace that are offset from the digital representation of the hand includes a medial offset region along the medial side of the hand that includes a cylindrical surface that is offset in a negative direction.

Assignees

• 3D Systems Inc

Inventors

• Summit Scott
• Trauner Kenneth B
• Miller Andrew R
• Zukoski Andew
• Vallone Robert P

Classifications

• A61F5/05866

  for wrists, hands, fingers or thumbs · CPC title

• A61F5/01 Primary

  Orthopaedic devices, e.g. long-term immobilising or pressure directing devices for treating broken or deformed bones such as splints, casts or braces · CPC title

• A61F5/013

  for the arms, hands or fingers (A61F5/0118 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F5/02

  Orthopaedic corsets · CPC title

• A61F5/0123

  for the knees (A61F5/0106 takes precedence) · CPC title