A brace for retaining an organ in an expanded state configured to adhere and substantially conform to an external surface of the organ includes an inner layer, an outer layer, and at least one sheet of thin malleable material forming a middle layer between the inner layer and outer layer, the at least one sheet being enclosed and configured to rigidify and maintain the organ in an expanded state upon application of a vacuum. The brace can be incorporated into a brassiere.

A particle filled neck brace is used for immobilizing the neck of a patient and includes a single handedly operable vacuum hand pump disposed on the neck brace, which pump is communicated to the interior of the neck brace. After the neck brace is secured around the neck of the patient, the vacuum hand pump is manipulated to remove air from the neck brace to form a rigid mold about the patient's neck. The vacuum hand pump has a one way directional valve so that the neck brace remains in a rigid configuration for as long as the neck brace is applied to the patient. The vacuum hand pump also includes a plurality of springs which assist the user in completing a vacuum pump cycle. To release the neck brace, the user opens a release valve which allows ambient air to refill the neck brace and increase its flexibility.

Method of using a shape-formable apparatus comprising fibrous material. A shape-formable apparatus can include an envelope defining a chamber, a port positioned to fluidly couple the chamber with ambience, and a fibrous material positioned in the chamber. The fibrous material can be substantially less formable when the apparatus is in the second state than when the apparatus is in the first state. The method can include providing the shape-formable apparatus in a first state; forming the apparatus into a desired shape; and reducing the pressure in the chamber to change the apparatus from the first state to a second state in which the apparatus is substantially less formable than in the first state.

A vacuum-molded and reusable limb protecting pad (A) comprises an airtight bag body (10), two locating components (17) being respectively arranged at the positions, which are spaced and correspond to each other, of two inner side surfaces of the airtight bag body (10), the locating components (17) being capable of dividing a containing space (13) in the bag body (10) into a plurality of locating spaces (131), the bag body (10) being maintained to be in a flat and narrow shape, and the adjacent locating spaces (131) being enabled to be spaced, but be communicated with each other for being filled with a plurality of granules (40); an air nozzle (20), the bottom of the air nozzle (20) being sealed on the surface of the bag body (10) in an airtight way, and the air nozzle (20) being internally provided with an air channel (211) which is used for communicating the inside and the outside of the bag body (10) and can be switched into a state of communication or non-communication; a filter screen (112), arranged at a position corresponding to the air channel (221), the sieve number of the filter screen (112) being less than the particle sizes of the granules (40); and at least one tightening component (15), capable of enabling the limb protecting pad (A) to stably surround and cling to the surface of a limb (B).

An injury treatment system includes a negative pressure source and a dressing pneumatically communicable with the negative pressure source. The dressing includes a negative pressure therapy component configured to expose an anatomical structure to a negative pressure when the negative pressure therapy component is applied to the anatomical structure and in response to operation of the negative pressure source. The dressing also includes an immobilization component coupled to the negative pressure therapy system, wherein the immobilization component is configured to transition from a flexible state to an inflexible state in response to the operation of the negative pressure source.

A brassiere having cups with an inner layer, an outer layer, and at least one sheet of thin malleable material forming a middle layer between the inner layer and outer layer, the at least one sheet being enclosed and configured to rigidify.

A brace for retaining an organ in an expanded state configured to adhere and substantially conform to an external surface of the organ includes an inner layer, an outer layer, and at least one sheet of thin malleable material forming a middle layer between the inner layer and outer layer, the at least one sheet being enclosed and configured to rigidify and maintain the organ in an expanded state upon application of a vacuum. The brace can be incorporated into a brassiere.

A device and method for applying treatment to a structure includes a housing having a first membrane sealed to a second membrane for creating an airtight cavity therebetween for receiving a porous material and a working layer. The method includes the process of conforming the shape of the housing to the structure and applying a treatment thereafter to the structure.

An orthosis for a vacuum treatment of the deformations of the thorax includes a bottom, a peripheral lip made of flexible, elastically deformable material and comes into sealing contact with the thorax so as to form a treatment space using negative pressure, and at least one suction head connected to a negative pressure generation component. The orthosis improves the sealing contact between the orthosis lip and the patient's thorax by increasing the orthosis deformability. To achieve this, the lip has a constant elasticity along the entire periphery thereof, and the bottom is formed of hollow, rigid, transverse side-by-side compartments connected to each other by bridges made of the same flexible material as the peripheral lip of the orthosis. The bridges of material allow the bottom to deform in such a way that the orthosis shape adapts to the thorax anatomy when the orthosis is applied vertically to the thorax.

A particle filled neck brace is used for immobilizing the neck and chin of a patient and includes a vacuum pump disposed on the neck brace, which pump is communicated to the interior of the neck brace. After the neck brace is secured around the neck and chin of the patient, the vacuum pump is manipulated to remove air from the neck brace to form a rigid mold about the patient's neck and chin. The vacuum pump has a one way directional valve so that the neck brace remains in a rigid configuration for as long as the neck brace is applied to the patient. The neck brace also specifically forms a rigid mold over the patient's chin so as to immobilize the patient as well as to provide a comfortable fit without inducing further distracting the patient or restricting the patient's venous return blood flow.