METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN ORTHOPAEDIC SUPPORT ELEMENT, AND ORTHOPAEDIC SUPPORT ELEMENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing an orthopaedic support element (1) having an overlap portion (2) in which the orthopaedic support element overlaps itself when it is applied to a body part that is to be corrected, wherein a manufacturing configuration (25) of the orthopaedic support element (1) is predefined for the production thereof, which manufacturing configuration (25) deviates from a therapy configuration (26) of the orthopaedic support element (1) when applying the latter to the body part that is to be corrected, wherein in the manufacturing configuration (25), in the overlap portion (2), a spacing (24) exists between a first open end (22) and the second open end (23) of the orthopaedic support element (1), which spacing (24) is not present in the therapy configuration (26).

Claims

1. A method for producing an orthopedic support element (1) having an overlapping portion (2), in which the orthopedic support element overlaps itself when it is placed against a body part to be corrected, wherein, for the production, a manufacturing shaping (25) of the orthopedic support element (1) is predefined, which manufacturing shaping differs from a therapy shaping (26) of the orthopedic support element (1) when being placed against the body part to be corrected, wherein there is a distance (24) between a first open end (22) and the second open end (23) of the orthopedic support element (1) in the overlapping portion (2) of the manufacturing shaping (25) that is not present in the therapy shaping (26).

2. The method for producing an orthopedic support element (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises a casting method and wherein the distance (24) between a first open end (22) and a second open end (23) of the orthopedic support element in the manufacturing shaping (25) is predefined by a mold portion (27) of the casting mold (5).

3. The method for producing an orthopedic support element (1), in particular as claimed in 2, having an overlapping portion (2), in which the orthopedic support element overlaps itself when it is placed against a body part to be corrected, said method having the following steps: a) providing an inner mold (3), which predefines a posture of the body part, b) providing an outer mold (4), wherein the outer mold (4) together with the inner mold (3) forms a casting mold (5) for producing the orthopedic support element (1) from a casting material (6), c) casting the orthopedic support element (1) using the casting mold (5), formed from the outer mold (4) and inner mold (3), and at least one casting material (6), characterized in that the outer mold (4) surrounds the overlapping portion (2) at least in certain portions on both sides.

4. The method as claimed in either of claims 2 and 3, wherein, in the region of the overlapping portion (2), an outer mold (4) of the casting mold (5) has a surface shape (7) which corresponds to the surface shape (7) of the inner mold (3) at least in certain areas.

5. The method as claimed in one of claims 2 to 4, wherein an outer mold (4) of the casting mold (5) forms a transitional region (8) to the overlapping portion (2), in which transitional region the outer mold (4) rests against the inner mold (3) in a sheet-like manner.

6. The method as claimed in one of claims 2 to 5, wherein an outer mold (4) of the casting mold (5) has multiple parts, and a first part (9) of the outer mold (4) predefines a first side (11) of the overlapping portion (6) while a second part (10) of the outer mold (4) predefines a second side (12), opposite the first side (11), of the overlapping portion (6).

7. The method as claimed in one of claims 2 to 6, wherein at least one outer mold (4) of the casting mold (5) is produced by a three-dimensional printing method.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the orthopedic support element in the manufacturing shaping (25) is produced by a printing method.

9. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the casting material (6) is a silicone material.

10. An orthopedic support element (1) for correcting an orthopedic abnormality of a body part, which orthopedic support element can be placed against the body part to be corrected, having an overlapping portion (2), in which the orthopedic support element (1) overlaps itself when it is placed against the body part to be corrected, and being produced by a casting method or a printing method.

11. The orthopedic support element (1) as claimed in claim 10, produced by a method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9.

12. The orthopedic support element (1) as claimed in either of claims 10 and 11, which is curved in relation to a shape predefined by a casting mold when it is placed against the body part to be corrected.

13. The orthopedic support element (1) as claimed in one of claims 10 to 12, consisting of silicone.

14. The orthopedic support element (1) as claimed in one of claims 10 to 13, having at least one of the following structural features that were also produced by the casting method for producing the orthopedic support element (1): at least one closure element (18), at least one inlay (14), at least one decoration (17), or at least one identifier.

Description

[0079] The invention and the technical field are explained in more detail below on the basis of the figures. The figures depict particular embodiment variants, although the invention is not restricted to them. In particular, it should be noted that the figures and the relative sizes illustrated therein are only schematic. In the figures:

[0080] FIG. 1: shows a first sectional view through a casting mold for producing an orthopedic support element,

[0081] FIG. 2: shows a second sectional view through a casting mold for producing an orthopedic support element,

[0082] FIG. 3: shows a sectional view through a further casting mold for producing an orthopedic support element,

[0083] FIG. 4: shows a sectional view through yet another casting mold for producing an orthopedic support element,

[0084] FIG. 5: shows a sectional view through a further casting mold for producing an orthopedic support element,

[0085] FIG. 6: shows an orthopedic support element in the production shaping, and

[0086] FIG. 7: shows the orthopedic support element from FIG. 6 in the therapy shaping.

[0087] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view through a casting mold 5 for the production of a described orthopedic support element, this casting mold being formed from an inner mold 3 and outer mold 4. In this case, the outer mold also has runners 15, which assist the casting process for producing the orthopedic support element. Illustrated in the casting mold 5 according to FIG. 1 is the casting material 6, from which the orthopedic support element is produced. Through these runners 15, for the one part the casting material 6 for producing the orthopedic support element can enter the casting mold 5. For the other part, through such channels gas can leave the casting mold 5 when the casting material 6 enters the casting mold 5.

[0088] FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show a schematic cross section of casting molds 5 according to FIG. 1. Also illustrated here is the overlapping portion 2. The overlapping portion 2 is formed by a mold portion 27 predefined by the outer mold 4. Adjoining the overlapping portion 2 is the transitional region 8, in which a transition from the inner mold 3 to the outer mold 4 is formed. In the transitional region 8, the mold portion 27 rests against the inner mold 3. The mold portion 27 predefines a first open end 22 and a second open end 23 of the orthopedic support element, or of the casting mold 5, at a distance 24 from one another. The casting mold illustrated in FIG. 2 has three parts, with an inner mold 3 and an outer mold 4 which in turn consists of a first part 9 and a second part 10. The casting mold 5 predefines a first (inner) side 11 and a second (outer) side 12 of the orthopedic support element. These two sides are opposite one another in the region of the overlapping portion 2. The mold portion 27 is between these two sides.

[0089] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show sectional views through two further, different casting molds for the described method. Also visible here in each case are the inner mold 3 and the outer mold 4. Each outer mold here consists of multiple parts, specifically a first part 9, a second part 10 and a third part 13. The outer mold 4 and the inner mold 3 together form a cylindrical (helical) hollow region, which is filled with the casting material 6 in order to produce the orthopedic support element. An overlapping portion 2 of the orthopedic support element is formed by the outer mold 4. The orthopedic support element overlaps itself in this overlapping portion. A first part 9 of the outer mold 4 in this case determines the shape of a first side 11 of the overlapping region 2. A second part 10 of the outer mold 4 determines the shape of a second side 12 of the overlapping region 2. The third part 13 is arranged on that side of the inner mold 3 that is opposite the first part 9 and the second part 10. The first part 9 and the second part 10 together form a half shell of the casting mold 5, while the third part 13 forms the other side of the casting mold 5.

[0090] FIG. 4 shows, as a special feature and by way of example, that inlays 14 are inserted in the casting mold 5, which are encased by the casting material 6 during the casting process in step c).

[0091] FIG. 5 shows an adjustment means with the inner mold 3 and outer mold 4 being arrested relative to one another. Shown here, for example, is a recess 21 in the outer mold 4 and a stud 20 on the inner mold 3.

[0092] FIG. 6 shows a finished orthopedic support element 1, which was produced according to the described method, in a manufacturing shaping 25, which in particular corresponds to the form predefined by the casting mold. As a result of the production method, ventilation means 16, decorations 16, closure elements 18 or other fixtures, and individualizations and identifiers 19 can be provided on the orthopedic support element without problems. In FIG. 6 it is possible to see, in three dimensions, the overlapping portion 2 in which a first open end 22 and a second open end 23 of the orthopedic support element 1 overlap. In the manufacturing shaping, there is a distance 24 between the first open end 22 and the second open end 23.

[0093] FIG. 7 shows the orthopedic support element 1 according to FIG. 6 in a therapy shaping 26, although the body part to be treated is not illustrated here. The therapy shaping 26 and the manufacturing shaping 25 differ in that the first open end 22 and the second open end 23 rest against one another, and accordingly without a distance 24 between them, in the therapy shaping 26.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0094] 1. Orthopedic support element [0095] 2. Overlapping portion [0096] 3. Inner mold [0097] 4. Outer mold [0098] 5. Casting mold [0099] 6. Casting material [0100] 7. Surface shape [0101] 8. Transitional region [0102] 9. First part [0103] 10. Second part [0104] 11. First side [0105] 12. Second side [0106] 13. Third part [0107] 14. Inlay [0108] 15. Runner [0109] 16. Ventilation means [0110] 17. Decoration [0111] 18. Closure element [0112] 19. Individualization [0113] 20. Stud [0114] 21. Recess [0115] 22. First open end [0116] 23. Second open end [0117] 24. Distance [0118] 25. Manufacturing shaping [0119] 26. Therapy shaping [0120] 27. Mold portion