MOVEMENT RESTRAINING DEVICE

Abstract

Movement restraining device (1) for partially immobilizing a body joint (10) facilitating rotation of a body part (20) about a joint axis (40). The device comprises a) a first stopper element (50) having an abutment surface (70); b) a second stopper element (60), comprising an abutting surface (100), pivotable, relative to the first stopper element. The second stopper element can be pivoted into an abutting pivot position, in which position the abutting surface is in surface contact with the abutment surface; c) skin attachment means (90) for attaching the stopper elements to skin at the body joint; and d) electrical contact elements (310, 320), connectable to an indicator device for providing an indication when the contact elements are in electrical contact with each other. The first contact element can be brought into electrical contact with the second contact element by pivoting the second stopper element into the abutting pivot position.

Claims

1. Movement restraining device for partially immobilizing a body joint facilitating rotation of a body part about a joint axis, the movement restraining device comprising a) a first stopper element, comprising an abutment surface; b) a second stopper element, comprising an abutting surface; being arranged, in an adjacency direction, adjacent to the first stopper element; being pivotable, relative to the first stopper element, about a virtual pivot axis, wherein the second stopper element can be pivoted into an abutting pivot position, in which position the abutting surface is in surface contact with the abutment surface, the surface contact preventing pivoting in a first pivot direction, while allowing pivoting in a second pivot direction, opposite to the first pivot direction; c) skin attachment means for attaching the first stopper element and the second stopper element to skin at the body joint; and d) a first electrical contact element and a second electrical contact element, at least one of which is connectable to an indicator device for providing a visual, audible or electronic indication when the first contact element and the second contact element are in electrical contact with each other, wherein the first contact element can be brought into electrical contact with the second contact element by pivoting the second stopper element into the abutting pivot position.

2. Movement restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the first contact element is comprised in the first stopper element, and wherein the second contact element is comprised in the second stopper element.

3. Movement restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the first contact element and the second contact element are comprised in the first stopper element or arranged on the first stopper element.

4. Movement restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the first contact element is comprised in the abutment surface, or is arranged on the abutment surface.

5. Movement restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the second contact element is comprised in the abutting surface, or is arranged on the abutting surface.

6. Movement restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the first contact element is not in electrical contact with the second contact element when the second stopper element is not in the abutting pivot position.

7. Movement restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second contact element comprises an electrically conductive polymer or an electrically conductive polymeric film or a metallized polymeric film or a metal film or an electrically conductive coating.

8. Movement restraining device according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator device, electrically connected to the first contact element or to the second contact element or to both contact elements, operable to provide a visual, audible or electronic indication when the contact elements are in electrical contact with each other.

9. Movement restraining device according to claim 8, wherein the indicator device comprises a light source for providing a visual indication.

10. Movement restraining device according to claim 8, wherein the indicator device comprises a loudspeaker for providing an audible indication.

11. Movement restraining device according to claim 8, wherein the indicator device comprises an antenna for providing an electronic indication.

12. Movement restraining device according to claim 8, wherein the indicator device is arranged inside a cavity formed by the first or the second stopper element.

13. Movement restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the contact elements are adapted to be sterilisable by electron beam methods, gamma ray methods, or by methods using ethylene oxide.

14. Movement restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the contact elements are contacts of a transistor.

15. Movement restraining device according to claim 2, wherein the second contact element is comprised in the abutting surface, or is arranged on the abutting surface.

16. Movement restraining device according to claim 4, wherein the second contact element is comprised in the abutting surface, or is arranged on the abutting surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0086] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the following Figures exemplifying particular embodiments of the invention. Certain dimensions may be shown exaggerated for greater clarity.

[0087] FIG. 1 Side view of a first movement restraining device according to the invention;

[0088] FIG. 2 Side view of the first movement restraining device in an abutting pivot position;

[0089] FIG. 3 Perspective view of a second movement restraining device according to the invention; and

[0090] FIG. 4 Perspective view of a third movement restraining device according to the invention.

[0091] Herein below various embodiments of the present invention are described and shown in the drawings wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0092] FIG. 1 is an idealized side view of a first movement restraining device 1, attached to skin at a body joint 10 of a human patient or of an animal. The body joint 10 facilitates rotation of a first body part 20, relative to a second body part 30, about a joint axis 40, which is oriented perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing.

[0093] The movement restraining device 1 comprises a first stopper element 50 and a second stopper element 60. Both stopper elements 50, 60 have identical outer shapes, namely the shape of a brick, of which a side surface is visible in the Figure. The first stopper element 50 comprises a flat abutment surface 70 and a first skin-facing surface 80. The abutment surface 70 is oriented perpendicularly to the first skin-facing surface 80, and in the plane of the drawing their surface normals form an angle of 90 relative to each other. The first stopper element 50 is attached to the skin via a first adhesive layer 90, which is arranged on the first skin-facing surface 80. The first adhesive layer 90 is a layer of a skin-friendly pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0094] The second stopper element 60 comprises an abutting surface 100 and a second skin-facing surface 110. The second stopper element 60 is attached to the skin via a second adhesive layer 120, arranged on the second skin-facing surface 110. The second stopper element 60 is arranged adjacent to the first stopper element 50. The adjacency direction is indicated by arrow 130. It extends in the plane of the drawing. The adjacency direction 130 indicates a direction which points generally from the first stopper element 50 towards the second stopper element 60.

[0095] The second stopper element 60 is pivotable relative to the first stopper element 50, about a virtual pivot axis 140, which extends perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing and parallel to the first skin-facing surface 80. The virtual pivot axis 140 is perpendicular, i.e. orthogonal, to the adjacency direction 130.

[0096] The first stopper element 50 comprises a first electrical contact element 310, and the second stopper element 60 comprises a second electrical contact element 320. The contact elements 310, 320 are electrically conductive metal sheets, arranged on side walls of the respective stopper elements 50, 60. The first contact element 310 comprises a protrusion which extends beyond the first stopper element 50 towards the second stopper element 60. The contact elements 310, 320 are connected to wires, which are not shown.

[0097] In FIG. 1, the movement restraining device 1 is shown in a pivot position which is not an abutting pivot position. The first contact element 310 is not in electrical contact with the second contact element 320. In the pivot position shown in FIG. 1, the first body part 20 can be freely rotated, relative to the second body part 30, about the joint axis 40 in a first pivot direction, indicated by arrow 150, i.e. clockwise, or in a second pivot direction, indicated by arrow 160, opposite to the first pivot direction 150, i.e. anti-clockwise (in the drawing). In the pivot position shown in FIG. 1, the movement of the body joint 10 is not impeded. Because the movement restraining device 1 is attached to the skin and thus pivots about the pivot axis 140 as the first body part 20 rotates about the joint axis 40, the anti-clockwise rotation of the first body part 20 is limited by the abutting surface 100 of the second stopper element 60 abutting against the abutment surface 70 of the first stopper element 50 in an abutting pivot position. This is shown in FIG. 2.

[0098] FIG. 2 is an idealized side view of the first movement restraining device 1, attached to skin at the body joint 10. However, the device 1 is shown in the abutting pivot position, in which the abutting surface 100 of the second stopper element 60 is in contact with the abutment surface 70 of the first stopper element 50. The device 1 has been brought into this abutting pivot position by pivoting the second stopper element 60, relative to the first stopper element 50, about the pivot axis 140. In this abutting pivot position, the first contact element 310 is in electrical contact with the second contact element 320. The protrusion of the first contact element 310 is in resilient mechanical and hence electrical contact with a surface of the second contact element 320.

[0099] The abutment of the abutting surface 100 against the abutment surface 70 prevents pivoting, or further pivoting, in the first pivot direction 150. Due to the device 1 being attached to skin, the movement restraining device 1 prevents rotation, i.e. further rotation, of the first body part 20 about the joint axis 40 in clockwise direction (in the drawing) beyond the position shown in FIG. 2.

[0100] This mechanism provides partial immobilization of the body joint 10. The immobilization is partial, because the first body part 20 can be rotated freely in the anti-clockwise direction, while it can rotate in a clockwise direction only up to the abutment provided by the contact of the abutment surface 70 and the abutting surface 100 in the abutting pivot position. This helps avoid overstretching of the body joint 10 beyond the almost-straight position shown in FIG. 2.

[0101] A movement restraining device according to the present disclosure may comprise more than two stopper elements 50, 60. An example of such a movement restraining device is shown in FIG. 3, in which a second movement restraining device 2 is shown in perspective view. It comprises, in addition to a first stopper element 50 and a second stopper element 60, three further stopper elements 61. Each of the stopper elements 50, 60, 61 has the shape of a cube and comprises an abutment surface 70 and an abutting surface 100, and a skin-facing surface (not visible in FIG. 3). The stopper elements 50, 60, 61 are arranged adjacent to a neighbouring stopper element in an adjacency direction 130. In other words, the stopper elements 50, 60, 61 form a chain of stopper elements, one adjacent to another in the adjacency direction 130 defined by the arrangement of the first stopper element 50 and the second stopper element 60.

[0102] Each of the stopper elements 50, 60, 61 is pivotable, relative to the neighbouring stopper element 50, 60, 61 about a virtual pivot axis 140. The pivot axis 140 are parallel to each other and extend perpendicularly to the adjacency direction 130.

[0103] The first stopper element 50 comprises a first contact element 310, namely a strip of metallized adhesive tape, which is applied on the top surface 330 and on the abutment surface 70 of the first stopper element 50. The abutment surface 70 and the portion of the first contact element 310 on that surface 70 are not visible in FIG. 3.

[0104] The second stopper element 60 comprises a second contact element 320, which is also a strip of metallized adhesive tape, applied on the top surface 340 and on the abutting surface 100 of the second stopper element 60. When the second stopper element 60 is pivoted from the non-abutting pivot position shown in FIG. 3 into an abutting pivot position, the abutting surface 100 is in surface contact with the abutment surface 70. By pivoting the second stopper element 60 into the abutting pivot position, the first contact element 310 is brought into electrical contact with the second contact element 320. The metallized adhesive tape of the contact elements 310, 320 is sufficiently thin and sufficiently small to not prevent the surface contact between the abutting surface 100 of the second stopper element 60 and the abutment surface 70 of the first stopper element 50 in the abutting pivot position.

[0105] Two wires 350 are attached to the first contact element 310 and to the second contact element 320, respectively, which can be used for connecting the contact elements 310, 320 to an indicator device (not shown), which detects when the contact elements 310, 320 are in electrical contact and provides an indication to care professionals and to the patient.

[0106] The device 2 comprises skin attachment means in the form of a flexible carrier tape 170 and an adhesive layer 180. The carrier tape 170 and the adhesive layer 180 can be bent such as to allow pivoting of the stopper elements 50, 60, 61 relative to their adjacent stopper elements 50, 60, 61. The carrier tape 170 is a continuous polymeric film. It is adhesively attached to the skin-facing surfaces of the stopper elements 50, 60, 61. The stopper elements 50, 60, 61 are thus attached to each other by the carrier tape 170. On the underside (in FIG. 3) of the carrier tape 170 the adhesive layer 180 is arranged, through which the stopper elements 50, 60, 61 of the movement restraining device 2 can be attached to the skin such that their respective skin-facing surfaces face the skin.

[0107] The abutment surfaces 70 are arranged and shaped such that, in an abutting pivot position, the abutment surface 70 of a stopper element 50, 60, 61 is in contact with the abutting surface 100 of the adjacent stopper element 50, 60, 61, so that further pivoting in a first pivot direction 150 is prevented, while pivoting in the second pivot direction 160, opposite to the first pivot direction 150, is still possible.

[0108] For each pair of stopper element 50, 60, 61 and adjacent stopper element 50, 60, 61, a pivot axis 140 is defined by the carrier tape 170, about which pivot axis 140 one stopper element 50, 60, 61 can pivot relative to the adjacent stopper element 50, 60, 61. Similarly, each pair of stopper element and adjacent stopper element define, through their relative arrangement, orientation and through the shape of the abutting surface 100 and abutment surface 70, an individual abutting pivot position. Once attached to the skin at a body joint, the movement restraining device 2 limits the movement of the body joint when all pairs of adjacent stopper elements 50, 60, 61 are in their abutting pivot position.

[0109] FIG. 4 shows, in a perspective view, a third movement restraining device 3 according to the present disclosure. The device is shown in a non-abutting pivot-position, i.e. the abutting surface 100 of the second contact element 60 is not in surface contact with the abutting surface 70 (not visible) of the first stopper element. The third movement restraining device 3 is identical to the second movement restraining device 2 shown in FIG. 3, except for the following differences.

[0110] In the third movement restraining device 3, both the first contact element 310 and the second contact element 320 are comprised in the first stopper element 50. When the second stopper element 60 is pivoted into the abutting pivot position, where the abutting surface 100 is in surface contact with the abutment surface 70 of the first stopper element 50, the first contact element 310 and the second contact element 320 are pressed against a conductive contact strip 360, consisting of a piece of metallized adhesive tape, applied suitably on the abutting surface 100 of the second stopper element 60. The contact strip 360 is then in electrical contact with both contact elements 310, 320. Through this contact strip 360, the first contact element 310 is brought into electrical contact with the second contact element 320.

[0111] The first stopper element 50 comprises an indicator device 370, to which the wires 350 are connected. The indicator device 370 is a printed circuit board (PCB) with electrical circuitry. The PCB 370 comprises a light source 380, namely a light-emitting diode (LED) 380. The indicator device 370 is powered by a battery which is not shown.

[0112] Before the second stopper element 60 is pivoted about pivot axis 140, relative to the first stopper element 50, into the abutting pivot position, i.e. when the second stopper element 60 is in the pivot position shown in FIG. 4, the contact elements 310, 320 are not in contact with the contact strip 360 and with each other. Once the second stopper element 60 has been pivoted into the abutting pivot position, both contact elements 310, 320 are in contact with the contact strip 360 and thereby in contact with each other. This is similar to a switch being closed. The indicator device 370 has circuitry (not shown) which senses that the contact elements 310, 320 are in contact and in response powers the LED 380, which lights up and thereby indicates visually that the second stopper element 60 is in the abutting pivot position.

[0113] It is contemplated to arrange the indicator device 370 inside the first stopper element 50, e.g. inside a cavity formed by the side walls and the skin-facing surface of the first stopper element 50.

[0114] It is also contemplated that one or more or all of the further stopper elements 61 could be provided with pairs of contact elements like the first and the second contact elements 310, 320, with a contact strip like contact strip 360. All these contact elements could be connected by wires like wires 350 to the indicator device 370. The LED 380 might be powered only when the contact elements of two or more or all pairs of contact elements are in contact with each other.