Posture correction girdle and the method of correcting spinal deformity

• US 9,398,972 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2013
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Original Assignee: Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Inventors: Yip, Yiu Wan Joanne, Yick, Kit Lun, Tse, Chi Yung, Yuen, Chun Wah Marcus, Ng, Sun Pui, Liu, Pak Yiu, Law, Ka Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/858,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20140303535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,206 Days
• Field of Search: 602/19, 128874-875
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/02 Orthopaedic corsets arm-rests for use as writing aids B43L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/026 Back straightening devices with shoulder braces to force back the shoulder to obtain a correct curvature of the spine for clavicle fractures A61F5/05808; restraining devices A61F5/37

Abstract

A posture correction girdle comprises a body wrapping shell, a plurality of pockets and a plurality of paddings is disclosed. The paddings are configured to be inserted into pockets at predetermined positions. Thereby, when the posture correction girdle is worn by the user, pressure is exerted onto a corresponding predetermined section of the user'"'"'s spine for posture correction purpose. The posture correction girdle further comprises a pair of elastic shoulder straps, an elastic waist strap and a plurality of elongated bones to provide additional support to the user'"'"'s spine. A micro-system comprising a processor, an output device and a plurality of sensors can also be embedded into the posture correction girdle to provide information regarding the efficiency of the posture correction girdle and the progression of the treatment. Such information is provided to the users using the output device.

Claims

1. A posture correction girdle that corrects a curved spine of a person, the posture correction girdle comprising:

a body wrapping shell that wraps around the person and includes a front portion with two elastic shoulder straps that wrap around shoulders of the person, a waist portion with an elastic strap that wraps around a waist of the person, and a back portion with pockets that are adjacent a dorsal line of a back of the person such that two of the pockets are vertically positioned on a first side of the dorsal line and two of the pockets are vertically positioned on a second side of the dorsal line;

a plurality of pads that removably insert into and out of the pockets and have a shape corresponding to a shape of the pockets such that the pads apply a corrective force against the curved spine of the person;

a first displacement sensor positioned with the body wrapping shell on the first side of the dorsal line, wherein the first displacement sensor measures a bending angle of the curved spine from pressure exerted on the curved spine of the person while the person wears the posture correction girdle; and

a second displacement sensor positioned with the body wrapping shell on the second side of the dorsal line, wherein the second displacement sensor measures a bending angle of the curved spine from pressure exerted on the curved spine of the person while the person wears the posture correction girdle.

2. The posture correction girdle of claim 1, wherein the body wrapping shell further includes:

one pocket on the back portion and being vertically aligned with the two pockets that are vertically positioned on the first side of the dorsal line; and

another pocket on the back portion and being vertically aligned with the two pockets that are vertically positioned on the second side of the dorsal line.

3. The posture correction girdle of claim 1, wherein the body wrapping shell further includes:

two pockets for a total of six pockets on the back portion, wherein a first one of the six pockets is located on an upper portion of the back portion on the first side of the dorsal line, a second one of the six pockets is located on a middle portion of the back portion on the first side of the dorsal line, a third one of the six pockets is located on a lower portion of the back portion on the first side of the dorsal line, a fourth one of the six pockets is located on the upper portion of the back portion on the second side of the dorsal line, a fifth one of the six pockets is located on the middle portion of the back portion on the second side of the dorsal line, and a sixth one of the six pockets is located on the lower portion of the back portion on the second side of the dorsal line.

4. The posture correction girdle of claim 1, wherein a first set of the pads insert into the pockets to provide corrective force to a thoracic portion of the curved spine of the person, and a second set of pads insert into the pockets to provide corrective force to a lumbar portion of the curved spine of the person.

5. The posture correction girdle of claim 1, wherein the pockets and the pads are located on the back portion of the girdle to push bent sections of the curved spine of the person toward the dorsal line.

6. The posture correction girdle of claim 1, wherein the body wrapping shell further includes:

an elongated vertical zipper that extends along the front portion; and

a crotch section that extends outwardly from the back portion and wraps around a crotch of the person and connects to the waist portion.

7. The posture correction girdle of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor with the body wrapping shell, wherein the temperature sensor measures a duration that the person wears the posture correction girdle.

8. A method to correct a curved spine of a person, the method comprising:

providing a posture correction girdle that includes a body wrapping shell that wraps around the person and includes a front portion that fits to a front of the person and back portion that fits to a back of the person such that the back portion includes pockets on each side of a dorsal line of the back of the person;

providing a plurality of pads that removably insert into and out of the pockets;

providing, with a first combination of the pads inserted into the pockets, a corrective force to a thoracic portion of the curved spine to push the curved spine at the thoracic portion towards the dorsal line of the back of the person; and

providing, with a second combination of the pads inserted into the pockets, a corrective force to a lumbar portion of the curved spine to push the curved spine at the lumbar portion towards the dorsal line of the back of the person.

9. The method of claim 8 to correct the curved spine of the person, the method further comprising:

providing, with the pads inserted into the pockets, corrective compressive forces with opposite directions exerted onto thoracic and lumbar curves of the curved spine to push bent sections of the curved spine towards the dorsal line and correct for a S-shaped curve of the curved spine.

10. The method of claim 8 to correct the curved spine of the person, the method further comprising:

providing, with the pads inserted into the pockets, corrective compressive forces to correct for a S-shaped curve of the curved spine with a thoracic curve being larger than a lumbar curve such that the pads exert pressure in opposite direction to a lumbar portion of the spine and a thoracic portion of the spine with greater pressure onto the thoracic portion of the spine than the lumbar portion of the spine.

11. The method of claim 8 to correct the curved spine of the person, the method further comprising:

providing, with the pads inserted into the pockets, corrective compressive forces to correct for a S-shaped curve of the curved spine with a lumbar curve being larger than a thoracic curve such that the pads exert pressure in opposite direction to a lumbar portion of the spine and a thoracic portion of the spine with greater pressure onto the lumbar portion of the spine than the thoracic portion of the spine.

12. The method of claim 8 to correct the curved spine of the person, the method further comprising:

monitoring, with a temperature sensor in the posture correction girdle, a duration of time that the person wears the posture correction girdle; and

measuring, with a displacement sensor in the posture correction girdle, a bending angle of the curved spine.

13. A method to correct a curved spine of a person, the method comprising:

providing a posture correction girdle that includes a body wrapping shell that wraps around the person and includes a front portion with two elastic shoulder straps that wrap around shoulders of the person, a waist portion with an elastic strap that wraps around a waist of the person, and a back portion with pockets that are adjacent a dorsal line of a back of the person such that the pockets are symmetrically positioned on each side of a dorsal line of the back of the person;

providing a plurality of pads that removably insert into and out of the pockets; and

providing, by the pads inserted into the pockets, a corrective force to a thoracic portion and to a lumbar portion of the curved spine to push the curved spine towards the dorsal line of the back of the person.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing, by the pads inserted into the pockets, corrective compressive forces with opposite directions exerted onto the thoracic portion and onto the lumbar portion to push bent sections of the curved spine towards the dorsal line in order to correct for a C-shaped curve of the curved spine.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing, by the pads inserted into the pockets, corrective compressive forces with opposite directions exerted onto the thoracic portion and onto the lumbar portion to push bent sections of the curved spine towards the dorsal line in order to correct for a S-shaped curve of the curved spine.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing, by the pads inserted into the pockets, corrective compressive forces to correct for a S-shaped curve of the curved spine with a thoracic curve being larger than a lumbar curve such that the pads exert pressure in opposite direction to the lumbar portion of the spine and to the thoracic portion of the spine with greater pressure being exerted onto the thoracic portion of the spine than the lumbar portion of the spine.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing, by the pads inserted into the pockets, corrective compressive forces to correct for a S-shaped curve of the curved spine with a lumbar curve being larger than a thoracic curve such that the pads exert pressure in opposite direction to the lumbar portion of the spine and to the thoracic portion of the spine with greater pressure being exerted onto the lumbar portion of the spine than the thoracic portion of the spine.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

monitoring, with a temperature sensor in the posture correction girdle, a duration of time that the person wears the posture correction girdle; and

measuring, with a displacement sensor in the posture correction girdle, a bending angle of the curved spine.