Device and method for treatment of hand involved habits
OwnerJames Cranerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device and method for treating hand-involved habits, including smoking, hair-twirling, nose-picking, nail-biting, skin-pulling, and the like, is disclosed. The invention consists of a form-fitting barrier placed on the hand of a patient. The barrier is made of a fabric which is generally form fitting and moves with the hand on which it is placed. The barrier is preferably in the form of a glove wherein the second and third digits are substantially inseparably joined together and webbing connects the third and fourth digits and the fourth and fifth digits. An insert portion of the barrier reduces ease of contact between the connected second and third digits and the thumb.
Claims20
A method for treating a patient for hand-involved habits comprising:
- placing a glove comprising digit sections on said patient's hand and reducing the perceived satisfaction associated with the tactile sensations created by contact between said patient's hand and an object which said patient desires to touch during practice of said hand-involved habit by said patient and placing a means extending along a substantial portion of a surface of an area extending along a first and a second digit, said means reducing ease of opposition between the first and the second digit of said patient's hand on which said glove is placed, said means having structural memory so as to return said means to a neutral position after a force placed thereon is removed.
A method for treating a patient for hand-involved habits comprising:
- placing a glove comprising digit sections on said patient's hand and reducing the perceived satisfaction associated with the tactile sensations created by contact between said patient's hand and an object which said patient desires to touch during practice of said hand-involved habit by said patient, substantially reducing independent movement between second and third digits of said hand when said glove is worn by said patient;
- reducing the ability of said patient to place an object between the third and a fourth digit of said hand and between the fourth and fifth digits of said hand by placing blocking material between the third and a fourth digit of the glove and between the fourth and a fifth digit of the glove;
- reducing ease of opposition between a first and the second digit of said patient's hand by placing means, between the first and second digits, said means having structural memory so as to return said means to a neutral position after a force placed thereon is removed, and restricting flexion at the proximal interphalangeal and metacarpalphalangeal joints of the second digit of the hand while the glove is worn by placing an article between the first digit of the glove and the second digit of the glove.
A device for treating hand-involved habits comprising:
- a glove, said glove comprising five digit sections, said digit sections reducing the perceived satisfaction a user of said device associates with tactile sensations created by said user touching an article desired to be touched when said user practices said hand-involved habit;
- means for reducing substantial independent movement between second and third digits of said glove;
- blocking material located between a third and a fourth digit of said glove;
- blocking material located between a fourth and a fifth digit of said glove;
- means for reducing the ease of opposition between a first digit and the second digit of said glove, said means having structural memory so as to return said means to a neutral position after a force placed thereon is removed and restricting flexion at proximal interphalangeal and metacarpalphalangeal joints of the second digit of said glove.
Apparatus for treating a patient who practices habits involving a hand, said apparatus comprising a barrier applied to said hand, said barrier reducing the perceived satisfaction associated with the tactile sensations created by contact between said hand and an object which said patient desires to touch during practice of said habit by said patient;
- said barrier further comprising means for restricting ease of opposition between a first digit and the second digit of said glove, said means having structural memory so as to return said means to a neutral position after a force placed thereon is removed.
Apparatus for treating a patient who practices habits involving a hand comprising a glove wherein said glove comprises five digit sections and means for reducing substantial independent movement between a second digit and a third digit of the glove by said patient;
- blocking material connected between the third and a fourth digit of the glove and connected between the fourth and a fifth digit of the glove;
- and means for reducing ease of opposition between a first digit and the second digit of the glove, and for restricting flexion at proximal interphalangeal and metacarpalphalangeal joints of the second digit;
- wherein said ease of opposition reducing and movement restricting means comprise a substantially U-shaped article positioned between the first digit of the glove and the second digit of the glove, wherein first and second prongs of the U-shaped article join in a continuous curved portion to form a continuous outer edge and a continuous inner edge;
- said inner and outer edges joining together at an end portion of each prong, said ends being tapered in thickness;
- said inner edge having a substantially flat surface and said outer edge having a concave surface;
- and said first prong is substantially straight and said second prong is curved inwardly towards said first prong, said second prong having a greater overall length than said first prong.
Apparatus for treating a patient who practices habits involving a hand, said apparatus comprising a barrier applied to said hand, said barrier reducing the tactile sensations created by contact between said hand and an object which said patient desires to touch during practice of said hand-involved habit by said patient, and said barrier further comprising means for restricting ease of opposition between a first digit and the second digit of said glove, said means having structural memory so as to return said means to a neutral position after a force placed thereon is removed, wherein said hand-involved habit is selected from the group consisting of smoking, hair-pulling, nose-picking, nail-biting, scratching and skin-pulling.
A glove comprising:
- means for reducing substantial independent movement between second and third digits of said glove;
- blocking material located between the third and a fourth digit of said glove;
- blocking material located between the fourth and a fifth digit of said glove;
- means for reducing the ease of opposition between a first digit of said glove and the second digit of said glove;
- and
- means for restricting flexion at proximal interphalangeal and metacarpalphalangeal joints of the second digit of said glove;
- wherein said means for reducing the ease of opposition between said first and second digits comprises a generally U-shaped restrictor placed in said glove at a position between the first and second digits;
- wherein said generally U-shaped restrictor comprises:
- first and second prongs joined in a continuous curved portion to form a generally continuous outer edge and a generally continuous inner edge;
- said inner and outer edges joined together at an end of each prong, said ends being tapered in thickness;
- said inner edge having a substantially flat surface and said outer edge having a concave surface;
- and said first prong being substantially straight and said second prong being substantially curved inwardly towards said first prong, said second prong having a greater overall length than said first prong.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.