US 12,629,272 B2Granted

Modular knee brace assembly

AssigneeOrtho Innovations, LLC

InventorsBryan Shepherd, Eugene Welch, Edward Spirko, Morris B. Polsky

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Abstract

A modular joint brace assembly comprising a brace and a wedge is disclosed. The brace comprises a first panel, a second panel, a third panel, and a first mating unit coupled to a top surface of the brace. The first mating unit comprises a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The wedge comprises a first top surface, a second top surface, and a peak, wherein the first top surface adjoins the second top surface to form the peak; and a second mating unit coupled to the first top surface and the second top surface, wherein the second mating unit is adapted to couple with the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the first mating unit such that the peak of the wedge aligns with a back portion of a user's joint thereby supporting at least one or more portions of the user's body.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A modular joint brace assembly, comprising:

a brace comprising:
a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel, the first panel comprising a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end of the first panel attached to a side of the second panel and the second end of the first panel attached to a side of the third panel, the second panel comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the third panel comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
and
a first mating unit coupled to a top surface of the brace, the first mating unit comprising a first portion that extends a length of the first panel from the first end of the first panel to the second end of the first panel, a second portion that extends a length of the second panel from the first end of the second panel to the second end of the second panel, and a third portion that extends a length of the third panel from the first end of the third panel to the second end of the third panel,
wherein the first end and the second end of the second panel are adapted to couple and the first end and the second end of the third panel are adapted to couple such that the second panel wraps around a portion of a user's body adjacent a first end of a joint, the third panel wraps around a portion of the user's body adjacent a second end of the joint, the first end of the joint being opposite the second end of the joint, and the first panel adjacent the joint between the first and second ends of the joint;
and
a wedge comprising:
a first top surface, a second top surface, and a peak, wherein the first top surface adjoins the second top surface to form the peak, and wherein the first and second top surfaces are each substantially planar along a length and width of the first and second top surfaces, and wherein the first and second top surfaces are non-monolithic from other applied modular supports;
and
a second mating unit coupled to the first top surface and the second top surface, wherein the second mating unit is adapted to couple with the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the first mating unit such that the peak of the wedge aligns with a back portion of the joint thereby supporting at least one or more portions of the user's body.

7 more elements

A modular joint brace assembly, comprising:

a brace comprising:
a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion adapted to wrap around a portion of a user's body adjacent a first end of a joint, the bottom portion adapted to wrap around a portion of the user's body adjacent a second end of the joint, the first end of the joint being opposite the second end of the joint;
a first mating unit comprising a first portion coupled to a top surface of the top portion and a second portion coupled to a top surface of the bottom portion;
an inner joint support comprising:
a first lateral surface that is concavely arcuate to conform to a curvature of the portion of the user's body adjacent the first end or the second end of another joint;
and
at least one second mating unit comprised of at least one strip coupled to the first lateral surface and extending circumferentially along a length of the first lateral surface, wherein the at least one second mating unit is removably coupled to the first portion or the second portion of the first mating unit such that the inner joint support is positioned on the portion of the user's body adjacent the first end or the second end of the joint at a medial side of the joint thereby supporting at least one or more portions of the user's body;
wherein the first portion and the second portion of the first mating unit and the second mating unit are each comprised of two parallel strips of hook and loop fasteners.

5 more elements

A modular joint brace assembly, comprising:

a brace comprising:
a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion adapted to wrap around a portion of a user's body adjacent a first end of a joint, the bottom portion adapted to wrap around a portion of the user's body adjacent a second end of the joint, the first end of the joint being opposite the second end of the joint;
and
a first mating unit comprising a first portion coupled to a top surface of the top portion and a second portion coupled to a top surface of the bottom portion;
an inner joint support comprising:
a first lateral surface that is concavely arcuate to conform to a curvature of the portion of the user's body adjacent the first end or the second end of another joint;
and
at least one second mating unit comprised of a strip coupled to the first lateral surface and extending circumferentially along a length of the first lateral surface, wherein the at least one second mating unit is removably coupled to the first portion or the second portion of the first mating unit such that the inner joint support is positioned on the portion of the user's body adjacent the first end or the second end of the joint at a medial side of the joint thereby supporting at least one or more portions of the user's body;
an outer joint support comprising:
a second lateral surface that is concavely arcuate to conform to the curvature of the portion of the user's body adjacent the first end or the second end of the joint;
and
at least one third mating unit comprised of a strip coupled to the second lateral surface, and extending circumferentially along a length of the second lateral surface, wherein the at least one third mating unit is removably coupled to the first portion or the second portion of the first mating unit such that the outer joint support is positioned on the portion of the user's body adjacent the first end or the second end of the joint at a lateral side of the joint thereby supporting the at least one or more portions of the user's body;
and
a wedge comprising:
a first top surface, a second top surface, and a peak, wherein the first top surface adjoins the second top surface to form the peak;
and
a fourth mating unit coupled to the first top surface and the second top surface, wherein the fourth mating unit is adapted to couple with the first portion and the second portion of the first mating unit such that the peak of the wedge aligns with a back portion of the joint thereby supporting the at least one or more portions of the user's body;
wherein the first portion and the second portion of the first mating unit, the second mating unit, the third mating unit, and the fourth mating unit are each comprised of two parallel strips of hook and loop fasteners.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/987,361Filed 15 Nov 2022 · continuation
Priority: 6 Aug 2019
Published: US 2023/0071145 A19 Mar 2023
Granted: 19 May 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A61F 5/0106
Without articulation: for the knees
A47C 20/021
Of detachable type: foot or leg supports
A61F 5/0585
For the limbs: for the legs
A61F 2005/0167
With limits of movement: adjustable

Family

Application16/533,127Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Aug 2019
US 2023/0071145 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Mar 2023
US 11,771,577 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2021/0038415 A1Published application
US 12,629,272 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.