Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Orthopedic bandage – Splint or brace
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-28
2001-09-25
Pothier, Denise (Department: 3764)
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Orthopedic bandage
Splint or brace
C602S016000, C602S021000, C128S878000, C128S881000, C128S879000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293918
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to therapeutic braces and, more particularly, to an adjustable splint for therapeutic support of a limb of a patient at a joint.
BACKGROUND ART
Splints or braces are typically used to hold joints of a limb, such as wrist or elbow joints, in a neutral position to promote healing of bone or other tissue. The angle at which these splints hold the joint has generally not been adjustable. The degree of flexation or extension of the joint, however, may vary from patient to patient and may even vary in an individual patient depending on the progress of the patient's therapy. For example, after a stroke or after the onset of a muscle attacking disease, for example, nerve palsy, a patient's hand may become closed or clenched and the wrist may be involuntarily fixed in a palmarflexion position. To restore the use of the hand, the patient may undergo a therapy to open the clenched fist and to urge the wrist towards a more neutral position. This can be accommodated by a splint, which can be adjustable at the joint to assume different positions. Such an adjustable splint for a wrist brace has been proposed by Klotz in U.S. Pat. 5,358,471. The mechanism proposed by Klotz, however, involves installing either individual machine screws or bolts and wing nuts at medial and lateral sides of the splint. There remains a need for improvement of such a splint to provide an easier mechanism for selecting the angle of flexion of the splint.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have invented an adjustable splint, which provides for self-locking adjustment in one of a plurality of selectable positions. The splint comprises a first rigid member for supporting a first portion of a limb of a patient and a second rigid member for supporting a second portion of that limb, on opposite sides of a joint. A pivot is provided connecting the first and second members with a swivel having an axis that can be aligned with an axis of bending in the joint of the limb. A releasable clasp is provided which lies along the limb of the patient. The clasp is arranged so that fastening the splint to the limb effectively locks the clasp in the selected position. In my preferred embodiment, the clasp comprises a leaf spring attached to the first member. At a free end of the spring, a latch is provided which engages one of a plurality of notches in the second member. A cavity is provided in the second member, adapted to receive the free end of the spring so that the inside of the second member and the inside of the leaf spring generally form a surface that conforms to the limb of a patient. In one embodiment, the splint is bilaterally symmetrical and can be used on either right or left limbs, for example, at right or left wrists of a patient.
It is an object, therefore, of my invention to provide an adjustable splint for supporting a limb of a patient.
It is also an object of my invention to provide such an adjustable splint with a mechanism for selecting one of a plurality of positions.
Another object of my invention is to provide a splint that is locked into a selected position by the action of mounting the splint on the limb of the patient.
A further object of my invention is to provide a splint, which can be used on limbs on either side of the body.
These and other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4054130 (1977-10-01), Franke
patent: 4618147 (1986-10-01), Hurd et al.
patent: 4666158 (1987-05-01), Moro
patent: 4790300 (1988-12-01), Marx
patent: 5163678 (1992-11-01), Rogers
patent: 5570881 (1996-11-01), Lau
patent: 5732411 (1998-03-01), Coleman et al.
patent: 5851194 (1998-12-01), Fratrick
patent: 6076185 (2000-06-01), Schramm
Pothier Denise
Trop Pruner & Hu P.C.
LandOfFree
Adjustable splint does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Adjustable splint, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Adjustable splint will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2445335