CUSTOM BRACES, CASTS AND DEVICES HAVING FENESTRATIONS AND METHODS FOR DESIGNING AND FABRICATING

• US 20100262054A1
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Summit, Scott, Trauner, Kenneth B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,986,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 602/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/002 Designing or making customized prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/12 Cloth
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

A custom brace and method for fabricating the custom brace includes marking a body with reference points and/or other indicators. Multiple images of the body from multiple angles are then obtained. The images are used to determine the contours of the body and the other markings are located and used to design the custom brace. Fenestrations can be added to the brace design. The custom brace can be fabricated with the fenestrations as a single piece structure or in multiple pieces that are assembled to complete the custom device.

Claims

1. A method for designing a brace comprising:

placing markings on a patient'"'"'s body;

obtaining a plurality of digital images of the body and the markings;

processing the digital images to obtain a digital representation of a portion of the patient'"'"'s body and an inner surface of a brace design that corresponds to the digital representation of the portion of the patient'"'"'s body; and

adding a pattern of fenestrations to the brace design that provides ventilation to the patient'"'"'s body.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in the adding a pattern of fenestrations to the brace design, the fenestrations include a plurality of holes that have a diameter that is less than about ⅜

inch.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in the adding a pattern of fenestrations to the brace design, the fenestrations include a plurality of slots that have a length that is less than about 2 inch and a width that is less than about ⅛

″

inch.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in the adding a pattern of fenestrations to the brace design, the pattern of fenestrations is a grid pattern.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein in the adding a pattern of fenestrations to the brace design, the pattern of fenestrations are aligned horizontally and offset vertically.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein in the adding a pattern of fenestrations to the brace design, a cumulative area of the plurality of fenestrations is greater than 20% of a total surface area of the brace.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding ventilation passageways that extend through the brace design.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein in the adding a pattern of fenestrations to the brace design, an inner surface of the brace design is a porous material that provides compression and ventilation.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

designing the brace with an inner layer of a first material and an outer layer of a second material, the second material is stronger than the first material.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

designing the brace with an inner layer of a first material and an outer layer of a second material, the outer layer being an exoskeleton.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a digital representation of the brace design to a fabrication machine; and

fabricating a brace that corresponds to the brace design by sequentially forming a series of planar layers of a thermoplastic material in a fabrication machine.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

fabricating the brace that corresponds to the brace design having a thermally malleable region; and

heating the thermally malleable region of the brace to a temperature greater than the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material after the fabricating step.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

plastically deforming the thermally malleable region of the brace.

14. A brace comprising:

an inner surface that corresponds to a digital representation of a portion of a patient'"'"'s body;

a first layer of a first material that surrounds the inner surface;

an outer surface; and

fenestrations that extend through the first layer between the inner surface and the outer surface.

15. The brace of claim 14 wherein the plurality of fenestrations include a plurality of holes that have a diameter that is less than about ⅜

inch.

16. The brace of claim 14 wherein the plurality of fenestrations include a plurality of slots that have a length that is less than about 2 inch and a width that is less than about ⅛

″

inch.

17. The brace of claim 14 wherein the plurality of fenestrations is in a grid pattern.

18. The brace of claim 14 wherein the plurality of fenestrations are aligned horizontally and offset vertically.

19. The brace of claim 14 wherein a cumulative area of the plurality of fenestrations is greater than 20% of a total surface area of the brace.

20. The brace of claim 14 further comprising:

ventilation passageways that extend through the brace.

21. The brace of claim 14 wherein the inner surface of the brace is made of a porous material that provides compression and ventilation.

22. The brace of claim 14 wherein the brace has an inner layer made of a first material and an outer layer made of a second material, the second material is stronger than the first material.

23. The brace of claim 14 wherein the brace has an inner layer made of a first material and an outer layer of a second material and the outer layer is an exoskeleton.

24. The brace of claim 14 further comprising:

a thermally malleable region of the brace;

wherein the first layer includes a thermoplastic material.

25. The brace of claim 24 further comprising:

holes through the first layer in the thermally malleable region of the brace, the widths of the holes being smaller than the widths of the fenestrations.

26. The brace of claim 24 further comprising:

porosity in the thermally malleable region of the brace, the thermally malleable region having a higher porosity than other areas of the brace.

27. The brace of claim 24 further comprising:

a first set of struts between holes in the thermally malleable region of the brace; and

a second set of struts between the fenestrations of the brace;

wherein cross sectional areas of the first set of struts are smaller than cross sectional areas of the second set of struts.

28. The brace of claim 24 wherein a first surface area to mass ratio of the thermally malleable region of the brace is greater than a second surface area to mass ratio of the fenestration region of the brace.