Spiral brace
Assignee3D Systems, Inc.
InventorsScott Summit, Kenneth B Trauner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spiral brace has an inner surface that corresponds to a digital representation of an injured limb. The spiral brace can wrap around a length of the limb in a helical manner. The body of the spiral brace may be a single piece structure that is fenestrated to provide air circulation to the injured limb.
Claims20
A custom brace designed to be virtually fitted on a limb of a patient to be braced prior to fabrication for supporting the limb of the patient comprising:
- a brace body having a spiral shape that is adapted to wrap more than one full turn around the limb of the patient, wherein a proximal portion of the brace body is adapted to fit around a forearm portion of the limb, a distal portion of the brace body is adapted to fit around a hand portion of the limb and a thumb section on the distal portion, the thumb section having a thumb hole, the thumb section adapted to surround a thumb of the patient;
- and
- an inner surface of the brace body that corresponds to a digital representation of the limb of the patient to be braced;
- wherein the brace body has a length axis, the brace body is fabricated in the spiral shape and the brace body in the spiral shape has a plurality of fused planar layers that are parallel to the length axis.
A custom brace designed to be virtually fitted on a limb of a patient to be braced prior to fabrication for supporting an arm of a patient, the arm having fingers, a thumb, a hand, a wrist and a forearm, the custom brace comprising:
- a brace body having a spiral configuration that is adapted to wrap more than one full turn around the arm of the patient to at least partially immobilize the arm of the patient, wherein a proximal portion of the brace body is adapted to fit around the forearm of the arm, a distal portion of the brace body is adapted to fit around the hand of the arm and a thumb section on the distal portion, the thumb section having a thumb hole, the thumb section adapted to surround the thumb of the arm;
- and
- an inner surface of the brace body that corresponds to a digital representation of the arm of the patient to be braced;
- wherein the brace body has a length axis and the brace body in the spiral configuration has a plurality of fused planar layers that are parallel to the length axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.