Preformed member having raised contact feature and wrist brace using same

• US 6,200,286 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1998
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamani M. Hashem
• Original Assignee: Zamani M. Hashem
• Inventors: Zamani, M. Hashem
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, KIM M
• Application Number:
  US09/095,844
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 473/59-63, 428/44-50, 2 1/6, 2 2/0, 215/9-1-18, 602/20, 602/21, 602/22, 602/60, 602/69, 602/13
• US Class Current: 602/64
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0118 for the arms, hands or fingers

Abstract

A wrist brace includes a sleeve and a preformed member where the preformed member includes one or more raised contact portions extending longitudinally along the preformed member. When secured to a user'"'"'s hand, wrist, and distal forearm, the raised contact portions abut portions of the hand, wrist, and distal forearm and prevents pressure from being applied to the median nerve against the carpal tunnel of the user.

Claims

1. A preformed member for use with a wrist brace, comprising:

a substantially rigid member anatomically curved to, when worn with the wristrace by a user, support the user'"'"'s hand, wrist, and distal forearm in a position so as to reduce pressure exerted on the user'"'"'s median nerve within the user'"'"'s carpal tunnel; and

raised contact portions extending longitudinally along an interior side of said rigid member, said raised contact portions being laterally displaced on opposing sides of the carpal tunnel when said performed member is being worn with the wrist brace by the user.

2. The preformed member of claim 1 wherein said raised contact portions comprise a u-shaped portion and two longitudinal side portions spaced apart from each other, said u-shaped portion and said side portions forming a contiguous, unitary, raised contact portion.

3. The preformed member of claim 1 wherein said substantially rigid member is shaped to conform to a desired anatomical curve between a user'"'"'s palm, wrist, and distal forearm to reduce pressure being exerted on the user'"'"'s median nerve in the user'"'"'s carpal tunnel when the wrist brace is being worn by the user.

4. The preformed member of claim 3 wherein said substantially rigid member is shaped to support the user'"'"'s palm and distal forearm at approximately a 30°

angle with respect to each other.

5. The preformed member of claim 1 wherein said pair of raised contact portions are substantially parallel with one another.

6. The preformed member of claim 1 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises an inflatable bladder.

7. The preformed member of claim 1 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises a pliable, cushioned material.

8. The preformed member of claim 1 wherein said raised contact portions comprises a padding material.

9. The performed member of claim 1 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises contours integrally formed with said preformed member.

10. A wrist brace comprising:

a sleeve contoured to conform to a user'"'"'s palm, wrist, and distal forearm when said wrist brace is being worm; and

a substantially rigid preformed member having an interior side and an exterior side, said preformed member being removably securable to said sleeve so as to extend longitudinally from the user'"'"'s distal forearm to the user'"'"'s palm when said wrist brace is being worn, said preformed member including a pair of raised contact portions extending longitudinally along the interior side of said preformed member, said pair of raised contact portions being longitudinally spaced apart from each other so as to be contralateral to the user'"'"'s carpal tunnel when said wrist brace is being worn by the user.

11. The wrist brace of claim 10 wherein said preformed member is shaped to conform to a desired anatomical curve between a user'"'"'s palm, wrist, and distal forearm to reduce pressure being exerted on the user'"'"'s median nerve in the user'"'"'s carpal tunnel when said wrist brace is being worn by the user.

12. The wrist brace of claim 11 wherein said preformed member is shaped to support the user'"'"'s palm and distal forearm at approximately a 30°

angle with respect to each other.

13. The wrist brace of claim 10 wherein said pair of raised contact portions are substantially parallel with one another.

14. The wrist brace of claim 10 wherein said pair of raised contact portions are contiguous so as to form an integral, u-shaped member.

15. The wrist brace of claim 14 wherein said u-shaped member is disposed so as to be open in a direction toward the user'"'"'s distal forearm.

16. The wrist brace of claim 10 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises an inflatable bladder.

17. The wrist brace of claim 10 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises a pliable, cushioned material.

18. The wrist brace of claim 10 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises a padding material.

19. The performed member of claim 10 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises contours integrally formed with said preformed member.

20. A wrist brace comprising:

a preformed member including an interior side, a proximal end of which is configured to overlie a portion of a user'"'"'s distal forearm, and a distal end which is configured to overlie a portion of the user'"'"'s hand, said preformed member further including a pair of raised contact portions extending longitudinally along the interior side of said preformed member, said pair of raised contact portions being longitudinally spaced apart from each other and lying contralateral to the user'"'"'s carpal tunnel when said wrist brace is being worn by the user; and

means for securing the interior surface of said preformed member against a ventral side of the user'"'"'s hand, wrist, and distal forearm.

21. The wrist race of claim 20 wherein said preformed member is shaped to maintain an anatomical curve between the user'"'"'s palm and distal forearm such that a user'"'"'s median nerve is not pinched within the user'"'"'s carpal tunnel.

22. The wrist brace of claim 21 wherein the preformed member is shaped to support the user'"'"'s palm and distal forearm at approximately a 30°

angle with respect to each other.

23. The wrist brace of claim 20 wherein said pair of raised contact portions are contiguous so as to form an integral, u-shaped member.

24. The wrist brace of claim 20 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises an inflatable bladder.

25. The wrist brace of claim 20 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises a pliable, cushioned material.

26. The performed member of claim 20 wherein each of said raised contact portions comprises contour integrally formed with said preformed member.

27. A wrist brace comprising:

a plurality of substantially rigid contact members, said contact members being anatomically curved to include a proximal end conforming to a ventral portion of a user'"'"'s forearm and a distal end conforming to a portion of the user'"'"'s palm when being worn;

securing means for securing said contact members to a user'"'"'s hand, wrist, and forearm at positions spaced apart from each other so as to extend longitudinally and contralaterally to the user'"'"'s carpal tunnel; and

a preformed member, wherein said contact members comprise contours integrally formed on a surface of said preformed member.

28. The wrist brace of claim 27 wherein at least two of said contact members are integrated at the distal end.

29. The wrist brace of claim 27 wherein each of said contact portions comprises an inflatable bladders.

30. The wrist brace of claim 27 wherein each of said contact portions comprises a pliable, cushioned material.

31. The wrist brace of claim 27 wherein each of said contact portions each comprise a padding material.