Apparatus and method for prescribing and manufacturing orthotic foot devices
OwnerNeil Robert Smithinventor
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Abstract
The present invention discloses an apparatus which enables in-situ casts of the feet of a patient to be made whilst the feet support the patient's weight. In particular, two heel supports (28, 29) and two stirrups (38, 39) receive the heels and forefeet of the patient. Each is capable of independent movement being both rotation about the heel-toe axis and movement substantially transverse to that axis. A method of forming a cast of the patient's feet is also disclosed.
Claims16
Apparatus to correctly align a foot to permit an orthotic device to be fabricated, said apparatus comprising:
- a heel support and a front foot rest positioned substantially level therewith and in front of the heel support to define a heel-toe axis in front of the heel support, said heel support being mounted on a heel adjustment means arranged to simultaneously pivot said heel support about said heel-toe axis and move said heel support in a direction transverse to said heel-toe axis, and
- a front foot support located on said front foot rest and able to be both rotated about said heel-toe axis and moved in a direction transverse to said heel-toe axis,
- wherein said front foot support comprises a stirrup having an appreciable extent in the direction of said heel-toe axis.
A method of casting a mould of a compensated foot whilst a patient's weight is carried by the foot, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. standing the patient on a pair of spaced apart heel supports whilst supporting the front of the patient's feet,
- b. adjusting at least the heel supports to compensate for any malalignment of the patient's feet,
- c. lifting one foot free of said heel support and applying a settable casting bandage to said foot,
- d. replacing said one foot on said heel support and, if necessary, repeating said compensation step (b),
- e. maintaining said foot in the compensated configuration until said casting bandage sets, and
- f. removing said one foot from said heel support and slipping said one foot from said set cast.
A method of casting a mould of a compensated foot whilst a patient's weight is carried by the foot, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. standing the patient on a pair of spaced apart heel supports whilst supporting the front of the patient's feet,
- b. lifting one foot free of said heel support and applying a settable casting bandage to said foot,
- c. replacing said one foot on said heel support,
- d. adjusting at least the heel supports to compensate for any malalignment of the patient's feet,
- e. maintaining said foot in the compensated configuration until said casting bandage sets, and
- f. removing said one foot from said heel support and slipping said one foot from said set cast.
Apparatus to correctly align a foot to permit an orthotic device to be fabricated, said apparatus comprising:
- a heel support and a front foot rest positioned substantially level therewith and in front of the heel support to define a heel-toe axis in front of the heel support, said heel support being mounted on a heel adjustment means arranged to simultaneously pivot said heel support about said heel-toe axis and move said heel support in a direction transverse to said heel-toe axis,
- wherein said heel adjustment means comprises a vertically extending support having a substantially flat top over which a substantially flat rack extends, a curved rack formed on said heel support and engaged with said flat rack, and a tilt lever arm extending from said heel support and tiltable to change the point of inter-engagement of said flat and curved racks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.