Mechanical weight bearing indicator for the foot
US6405606B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 30, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jun 18, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 30, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B5/7405
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A mechanical weight bearing indicator produces a tactile signal which is felt by the wearer's foot. The signal is generated when the user exerts more than a predetermined amount of weight on the indicator, giving the user, who may be an orthopedic patient, immediate feedback concerning the amount of force applied. The indicator automatically resets and has no power source, but is purely mechanical. In one version of the invention, a domed metal disk is used as part of the indicator which snaps from a stable position to an unstable position in the way the bottom of an oil can operates, to produce the tactile signal and also for producing a sound as an audible signal. In another version of the invention, a piston and cylinder are used with the piston moving under the influence of a threshold of pressure exerted by the deformation of a compressible cavity member on which the user steps. The threshold pressure in the compressible cavity member is reached when a one-way, force-actuated release valve is activated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.