Electro active elastic compression bandage
First Claim
1. An elastic bandage comprising:
- an elastic layer for surrounding a body extremity to exert compressive force on said extremity, and being at least partly formed by actuation elements that is controllable in their compressive force when stimulated, wherein said compressive force is at least roughly sensible, so that said actuation elements may operate in a two-way communication, also operating as sensors of their own actual state of compressive force.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to an elastic bandage for supporting a body extremity such as a leg. Such bandages are used to overcome problems with fluid retention and swelling in the legs, occurring as a consequence of varicose veins, vascular incompetence, pregnancy, etc. It is a task of this invention to supply an active support for a body extremity such as a leg, which can be used by a person underneath the clothes and will not reduce the mobility of the patient. This task is solved in that an elastic bandage comprises an elastic layer for surrounding a body extremity to exert compressive force on the extremity, the bandage being, at least partly, formed by elastomeric actuation elements, whereby electrical control of the compressive force is possible, and where the control is due to a signal from some sensing system.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An elastic bandage comprising:
an elastic layer for surrounding a body extremity to exert compressive force on said extremity, and being at least partly formed by actuation elements that is controllable in their compressive force when stimulated, wherein said compressive force is at least roughly sensible, so that said actuation elements may operate in a two-way communication, also operating as sensors of their own actual state of compressive force. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. (canceled)
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11. (canceled)
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12. A system comprising:
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an elastic bandage having an elastic layer for surrounding a body extremity to exert compressive force on said extremity, and being at least partly formed by actuation elements controllable in their compressive force when stimulated, wherein said compressive force is at least roughly sensible, so that said actuation elements may operate in a two-way communication, also operating as sensors of their own actual state of compressive force, wherein said bandage is, at least partly, formed by actuation elements, wherein said actuation elements will reduce the compressive forces when activated by stimulation; and
a control unit regulating the compressive force of the actuation elements, wherein the control unit adjusts the compressive force with reference to the actual state of each controllable actuation element. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A system comprising:
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an elastic bandage having an elastic layer for surrounding a body extremity to exert compressive force on said extremity, and being at least partly formed by actuation elements controllable in their compressive force when stimulated;
wherein said compressive force is at least roughly sensible, so that said actuation elements may operate in a two-way communication, also operating as sensors of their own actual state of compressive force;
wherein said bandage is, at least partly, formed by elastomeric actuation elements including electrodes on the top and bottom surfaces, electrical control of the compressive force being possible;
wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the elastomeric actuation elements are corrugated; and
wherein changing a capacitance does said adjustment of the compressive force. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification