Orthopedic weight monitor

• US 5,253,654 A
• Filed: 04/30/1992
• Issued: 10/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Berten R. Thomas, Harry Steinman, Stephen D. Alley
• Original Assignee: Berten R. Thomas, Harry Steinman, Stephen D. Alley
• Inventors: Alley, Stephen D., Steinman, Harry, Thomas, Berten R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAY, RANDY CITRIN
• Application Number:
  US07/876,481
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 128/774, 128/779, 128/782, 73/172, 73/862.68, 340/573, 340/666, 364/413.02
• US Class Current: 600/592
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies

Abstract

An improved orthopedic weight monitor for detecting weight bearing forces on a lower extremity for orthopedic purposes, comprising in combination: flexible pad shaped for conforming to the bottom of a foot for placement inside of a shoe, cast or splint, the pad having a heel portion positionable beneath the heal of a user; sensor encased within the heel portion of the pad to be located beneath the heel of the user, the sensor comprising a thin, rigid rectangular plate having a foil strain gage coupled therebeneath; electronic module remotely positioned from the sensor to receive signals from the foil sensor; and electrical line extending to exterior of the flexible pad between the foil stain gage and the electronic module.

Claims

1. A shoe having a sole and an upper coupled adjacent to their peripheries defining a foot-receiving space therebetween and an opening for passage of a wearer'"'"'s foot;

a flexible pad means shaped for conforming to the bottom of a foot positioned inside the space for receiving a wearer'"'"'s foot thereon, the pad means having a heel portion positionable beneath the heel of a wearer;

sensor means encased within the heel portion of the pad means to be located beneath the heel of the wearer, the sensor means comprising a thin, rigid rectangular plate means and a foil strain gage means coupled therebeneath, the plate means having means at opposed edges to minimize deflection of the plate means about an axis extending from one opposed edge to the other;

electronic module means remotely positioned from the sensor means to receive signals from the foil stain gage means; and

electrical line means between the sensor means and the electronic module means.

2. An improved orthopedic weight monitor for detecting weight bearing on a lower extremity for medical purposes, comprising in combination:

flexible pad means shaped for conforming to the bottom of a foot for placement inside of a shoe, the pad means having a heel portion positionable beneath the heel of a user;

sensor means encased within the heel portion of the pad means to be located beneath the heel of the user, the sensor means comprising a thin, rigid rectangular plate means, the plate means having opposed edges which minimize deflection of the plate means about an axis extending from one opposed edge to the other and a foil strain gage means coupled therebeneath;

electronic module means remotely positioned from the sensor means to receive signals form the foil strain gage means; and

communication means between the sensor means and the electronic module means.

3. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein two opposed edges of the plate means include an exterior edge which is turned inwardly to form two supporting peripheral edges.

4. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the plate means is constructed of 26 gage stainless steel.

5. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the pad means is of a thickness between about 1/8 inches and 1/4 inches.

6. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the electronic module means is adapted to be removably coupled on the clothing of the user.

7. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the electronic module means is adapted to be removably coupled on the body of the user.

8. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the electronic module means includes vibrational means to signal the user to a prescribed level of weight bearing.

9. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the electronic module means includes audible means to signal the user to a prescribed level of weight bearing.

10. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the electronic module means includes luminous means to signal the user to a prescribed level of weight bearing.

11. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the electronic module means includes continuous analog display means to signal the user to a prescribed level of weight bearing.

12. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the electronic module means includes continuous digital display means to signal the user to a prescribed level of weight bearing.

13. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, further including means in the electronic module to adjust, to detect and to record varying levels of weight bearing on the lower extremity by the user.

14. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein communication means extending exterior of the pad means are removably coupled to the sensor means exterior of the pad means.

15. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the communication mans is radio frequency means coupling the sensor means and electronic module means.

16. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the communication means is infra red light means coupling the sensor means and electronic module means.

17. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the sensor means is incorporated in a cast.

18. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 2, wherein the sensor means is incorporated in a splint.

19. An improved orthopedic weight monitor for detecting weight bearing on a lower extremity for medical purposes, comprising in combination:

flexible pad means having a thickness of between about 1/8 and 1/4 inches shaped for conforming to the bottom of a foot for placement inside of a shoe, the pad means having a heel portion and a toe portion, the heel portion located cooperable with the heel of a user;

sensor means encased within the heel portion of the pad mans to be located beneath the heel of the user, the sensor means comprising a thin, rigid rectangular stainless steel plate means and a foil strain gage means coupled therebeneath, the plate means having a thickness of about 0.20 inches plus or minus 10% and two opposed exterior edges which are turned downwardly to for two support peripheral edges with two opposed unsupported peripheral edges therebetween thereby providing means for minimizing deflection of the plate means about an axis extending from one opposed edge to the other;

electronic module means remotely positioned from the sensor means and removably couplable to the body of the user for receiving signals from the foil sensor means, wherein the electronic module means comprises means for signaling the user to a prescribed level of weight bearing by at least one of the following methods;

vibration, sound, light, continual analog and digital; and

electrical line means extending to exterior of the pad means between the sensor means and the electronic module means, the electrical line means being removably coupled to both the sensor means and electronic module means.

20. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 19, wherein the pad means is incorporated in a cast.

21. The improved orthopedic weight monitor set forth in claim 19, wherein the pad means is incorporated in a splint.

22. A method of providing improved orthopedic weight monitoring for the detection of weight bearing on a lower extremity for medical purposes, comprising, in combination, the steps of:

providing a flexible pad means shaped for conforming to the bottom of a foot for placement inside of a shoe, the pad means having a heel portion and toe portion positionable beneath the heel of a user;

monitoring sense means encased within the heel portion of the pad means to be located beneath the heel of the user, the sensor means comprising a thin, rigid rectangular plate means with opposed edges which minimize deflection of the plate means about an axis extending from one opposed edge to the other and having a foil strain gage means coupled therebeneath;

providing electronic module means remotely positioned from the sensor means to receive signals from the foil sensor means; and

furnishing electrical line means extending to exterior of the flexible pad means between the foil strain gage means and the electronic module means.