Apparel – Guard or protector – Side impact torso protector
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-24
2004-06-08
Patel, Tejash (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Guard or protector
Side impact torso protector
C002S023000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06745406
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention pertains to a system of orthopedic rest aids, more particularly, to a system of orthopedic garments used to anchor protective or supportive pads in proximity to symptomatic joints during rest.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The development of arthritis, chronic tendonitis, bursitis, and other chronic degenerative joint diseases, to varying degrees, is an inevitable part of the aging process. Additionally, disorders of joint alignment can increase pain syndromes, which can often occur at a distance from the misaligned joint. Such joint disorders can arise not only from aging, but also from injuries, post-trauma malconvalesence, congenital deformations, and biochemical and hormonal changes, fluctuations, instability such as that due to pregnancy and to otherwise anomalous conditions. In addition to the well-known pain these conditions impose on individuals engaged in routine and daily activities, the conditions are an often-underappreciated cause of sleep deprivation. Discomfort in the joint regions can cause sleep disturbances and frequent awakening due to localized pain.
For example, a variety of degenerative joint conditions can cause pain that results in sleep deprivation. These conditions are worsened by the degeneration and loss of intracorporeal tissue, sinovia, and related structures, which occurs with aging, and which leaves the bony structures of various joints, less protected and therefore more susceptible to injury from the effects from otherwise ordinary stresses and movement. Pain is frequently addressed with medication that causes undesirable side effects, which can include serious gastrointestinal bleeding and other disturbances that affect appetite and food intake. The resulting cycle of pain, medication, and side effects ultimately causes poor health, decreased quality of life, and increased medical spending. Lack of sleep can further instigate and exacerbate other health problems, such as hypertension and stress syndromes.
In order to avoid the complications and side effects attendant to systemic drug treatments, pain syndromes are sometimes treated with mechanical appliances, such as various pad type devices. Padding can reduce the symptoms of many joint conditions, without the side effects attendant to systemic drug treatments. However, common problems exist with commonly available padding including the difficulties inherent in the need to accommodate physiological idiosyncrasies of every symptomatic individual. Such customized padding requirements are further complicated with the need to predictably and reproducibly shape and place appropriate padding that addresses the particular symptoms, the need to adjust and reproduce the position of the padding as symptoms are relieved and as they change, and the need to anchor the padding to resist displacement during normal body motion during sleep. In other words, the pad-type appliances most commonly known in the prior art restrict the ability of the individual and their health care provider to properly obtain or prescribe padding that adequately meets the needs of the physique and symptoms of the individual without excessive costs and considerable inconvenience. Moreover, current pads and methods for use and related devices are often provided without complementary education being provided to the symptomatic individual as to how to adjust and optimize the padding for optimal results, or to accommodate changes in symptoms.
Such limitations in the prior art devices and methods can be better appreciated with reference to selected examples. Attempts to protect and avoid injury to joints have been made in the form of protective garments that are designed to surround and cushion joints, including, for example, the hip joint. One such attempt is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,809 to Garcia, which describes padding that is limited to a trochanteric pad sewn into an outside pocket on the lateral aspect of a close fitting garment. Garcia's proposed arrangement is restricted in application because it is not possible to move the pad or to change the thickness or shape of the pad without effecting a complete change in garments. Similarly limited fixed pad configurations also appear in U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,836 to Fee et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,377 to Wiener; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,168,576 & 5,423,087 to Krent et al.
Attempts at adjustability of joint pads have been illustrated in certain prior art illustrations, which fall short of achieving the more desirable capabilities. For example, Wiener '377 teaches discrete sections of opposing hook and pile fasteners on a garment and a pad. However, the Wiener arrangement restricts the possible variety of pad configurations and does not allow but a limited number of adjustment positions. The variable anchoring system taught by Murray in U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,542 has many shortcomings including that it depends on constriction about a joint to provide anchoring, and that it does not offer easily predictable or reproducible adjustments. The method taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,641 to Strock is anchored by adhesives to the skin, which makes it unsuitable where multiple adjustments are required, or for long-term use, especially in applications involving pressure sores, and in that it also lacks a reproducible system for adjustment.
Properly positioned padding can support the joints in a manner to alter biomechanical anatomical relationships and can frequently decrease pain at intracorporeal locations distal to the padding. For example, low back pain is an exceedingly common musculoskeletal affliction. Low back pain is frequently caused by compression of the posterior elements of the spine, or by posterior shift of vertebral disk material. Mechanical lower back pain often responds to postural correction and muscle balancing, which decreases excessive loading forces through the posterior elements of the lumbar spine. Often, the amount of mechanical correction needed to reverse these stresses is very small. Reversal of lordosis by only a few millimeters can produce very satisfying results and is the goal of abdominal strengthening, which is commonly used to treat this problem. This is often achieved through physical therapy and exercise, but due to a dismal long-term adherence to exercise programs by most patients, such individuals soon experience a return of symptoms.
Common methods of assisting with positional correction of mechanical low back pain include various appliances, most often pillows, under the knees and back to address the discomfort. Using such appliances at night may result in initial comfort, but a common problem is that as soon as the individual rolls over or assumes a non-supine position, the appliance shifts and even a return to the original position does not restore the benefit.
The present invention addresses these and many other shortcomings in the current art. The contemplated orthopedic rest aids according to the instant invention enable easily customizable, secure, and reproducible anatomical compatibility and orientation in a collections of features and benefits that results in an apparatus that can be fine-tuned for each symptomatic individual by both the health care professional and the patient without undue difficulty or expense. The preferred orthopedic rest aids are lightweight, reconfigurable, securely attached to, and yet easily adjusted on the garment. Any of a wide number of shape adjustable pads and donning arrangements is possible with the embodiments according to the instant invention.
The orthopedic rest aids according to the present invention are useful in both padding vulnerable joints and in supporting joints and constituent structures and elements to address symptomatic and undesirable biomechanical relationships. Finally, as can be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art, the various new and novel configurations, variations, and modifications of the preferred embodiments can be configured to meet a wide variety of specific anatomical idiosyncrasies and as well as any number of symptom complexe
Casey Sean M.
Patel Tejash
LandOfFree
Reconfigurable orthopedic sleep aids does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Reconfigurable orthopedic sleep aids, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Reconfigurable orthopedic sleep aids will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3340316