FR3074652A1 - DEVICE FOR STIMULATING THE PLANTARIAN VENOUS PUMP. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for stimulating the plantar venous pump 1, intended to be placed in the sole of a shoe and having movable means for exerting pressure under the arch. This device is characterized in that it comprises motor means 6 connected to the means for exerting a pressure 10 via a transmission system 7, 8, 9, as well as means 5 for controlling the activation of the drive means 6, which are controlled by control means.

Description

Plantar venous pump stimulation device

The present invention is in the field of paramedical systems, and more specifically relates to devices which act at the level of the arch of the foot in order to ensure blood reflux to the heart despite gravity. It is in fact stimulation of the plantar venous pump, the need for which is more particularly felt in people who, for example professionally, often occupy standing or more generally stationary stations.

The stimulation mechanism is based on the presence, in the foot, at the level of the arch of the foot and at distinct depths, of a venous network which, when compressed at times of pressure contact, especially with the ground during walking, helps to return blood to the heart. During walking exercise, the blood flow in

The venous apparatus, which has the function of returning blood to the heart, is provided mainly by the arch of the foot and by the muscular contraction of the calves which, by compressing the veins, propel the blood towards the heart.

When the operation is not done properly, blood in the legs and can cause varicose veins, and / or swelling causing circulation a lack of ascent becomes insufficient the veins, the ankles, and more generally symptoms leg fatigue.

This is the reason why devices have been developed to artificially promote the stimulation of the arch of the foot and prevent the body from settling in intermediate states liable to degenerate and cause pathologies potentially very damaging to the body.

The present depositor has in particular already worked on the question, and is the holder of a right on a purely mechanical stimulation device, miniaturized to be incorporated into the heel of a shoe without it being visible and based on a button on the sole operated in response to pressures resulting from contact of said sole on the ground. According to a configuration of this system, the button potentially resting on the ground cooperates with a jack consisting of a cylinder and a piston. The button is designed to push the piston, which in turn presses on a lever which has at one end a cushion intended to exert pressure on the arch of the foot.

The limits to these devices lie mainly in the fact that they are actuated only when the user is in motion. The need which has been expressed previously for stimulation of the arch during standing or immobile stations is therefore not satisfied.

There are also electrified devices capable of providing a response to this need, but they are often expensive and unattractive, and in general of a complex and very bulky design. Because of these drawbacks, these devices actually meet with very limited commercial success, corresponding to the low degree of practicality that they present.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these shortcomings by proposing a device for stimulating the plantar venous pump which can be used in all circumstances, and which also relates, for example, also to disabled people unable to walk, in particular those of which at least one lower limb is plaster. The invention is no longer dependent on support on the ground to trigger stimulation of the arch of the foot. It is also designed to facilitate stimulation management as much as possible, immediately and practically, in particular by remote control. When there is remote management, the invention does not finally require the acquisition and permanent wearing of a specific control module, but on the contrary uses the electronic devices which accompany us daily in our time.

Thus, in general, the device for stimulating the plantar venous pump of the invention, also intended to be placed in the sole of a shoe and conventionally comprising mobile means for exerting pressure under the arch of the foot, is provided such that it includes motor means connected to the means for exerting a pressure via a transmission system, as well as means for qestion of the activation of the motor means, which are controlled by control means.

The set benefits from miniaturization and a robust design which guarantee optimal operation at times of stimulation, moreover automated and easily adjustable to suit the needs of the user.

Preferably, even if it is not subject to an absolute condition, the control means are arranged outside the sole, and connected to the means for the activation of the motor means by means of communications. wireless. More preferably, these control means can take the form of a mobile phone or a mobile tablet equipped with a dedicated application. The idea is always to facilitate as much as possible the operation of the device by authorizing its control and its command via a "tool" which most of the qens carry nowadays permanently on them, and which is handled conveniently.

According to a possible confiquration, the motor means consist of an electric motor, easily miniaturizable, and which offers the advantage of supplying sufficient mechanical energy at output by means of an energy consumption input which is limited, in addition storable in electric form.

The transmission system can also, according to a nonlimiting example of the invention, consist of a toothed wheel at the end of the shaft of the electric motor, cooperating with a rack movable in rectilinear translation in the sole, said movable rack being able to use the means of exerting pressure under the arch of the foot. More specifically, these means for exerting pressure can in turn consist of a leaf spring, one free end of which moves in a direction of shape perpendicular to the direction of movement of the rack. It is in fact this free end which provides the pressure, in connection with an upper wall of the sole which separates the mechanism placed in said sole from the interior volume of the shoe in which the foot takes place.

According to one possibility, the rack is in practice linked to a pusher which urges the leaf spring. The latter is in the form of a curved sheet, the base opposite to said free end can for example be immobilized relative to the sole, the stress being effected by pressure between the free end and the base, in the vicinity of the latter . The leaf spring, pushed in the direction of movement of the rack and the pusher, elastically deforms, the shape and installation of said blade being provided so that the free end rises under the pressure.

Preferably, means for supplying electrical energy to the motor means are placed in the sole. In this case of integration into the sole, said energy supply means can consist of a battery or a rechargeable battery connected to a connector accessible from outside the sole.

The motor is controlled, and consequently delivers mechanical energy ultimately resulting in moving the leaf spring exerting pressure under the arch, according to operations organized according to predetermined cycles. The means for managing the activation of the motor means consist, for example and preferably of an electronic module placed on a printed circuit card, which is also inserted in the sole.

This card and its module in fact constitute an electronic engine management unit.

According to a possible configuration, the sole may include two separate compartments, a first compartment comprising the energy storage means and the means for managing the activation of the motor means, and a second compartment comprising the motor means, the system for transmission and the leaf spring. All the components of the system of the invention, mechanical and electronic, selected in particular according to their deqré of miniaturization, is orqanized so that everything can be integrated into the sole without affecting the movement of the moving components.

This device is primarily intended for all people who have to respect long standing stations, and / or interspersed with small steps, even trampling, such as traders, factory staff forced to park in front of machines, employees in the field catering etc. Then it is intended for all people who cannot move by walking, temporarily or more definitively.

It is therefore suitable for sedentary people, confined to their apartments for various reasons, for example by physical incapacity such as the elderly or immobilized following a bodily injury. The simplicity of the device of the invention, inducing a low production cost of shoes equipped with such a system, is highly incentive for end users and also contributes to considerably reducing public health expenditure by avoiding numerous pathologies and accidents. linked to poor sanitary recirculation from the lower limbs.

The invention also relates to a method for stimulating the plantar venous pump by means of a stimulation device provided with an electric motor and a spring blade capable of exerting pressure under the arch of the foot according to the description which has been given. previously, presenting a repetitive cycle comprising the following steps, in the event of an activation command of the device:

at. checking that the rack is in an inactivated reference position, spring leaf not stressed;

b. control of the electric motor for a predetermined duration d according to a first direction of rotation aimed at biasing the leaf spring;

vs. after a predetermined period corresponding to the pressurization of the leaf spring under the arch, stopping the engine for a period ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 s, preferably 1 s;

d. control of the electric motor during said predetermined time d in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first, until reaching the reference position;

e. after a predetermined duration, in the absence of reception of a deactivation command, resumption of step b. ;

f. otherwise, the device stops.

It is indeed the implementation of a repetitive cycle, at a frequency and with predetermined durations which can be chosen by the user or by a knowing in the medical or paramedical field, and which can depend on parameters in particular morphological or pathological of the user.

The advantages and characteristics of the device and the method according to the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows, referring to the appended figures, for which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a top view; and Figure 3 is a sectional view along a longitudinal central axis.

With reference to FIG. 1, a possible example of a device for stimulating the venous pump according to the invention, which is in no way limiting on the latter, shows a box 1 delimiting two compartments 2,

3, the assembly being intended to be mounted in a shoe sole (not shown). The first compartment 2 comprises an energy source in the form of a button cell 4 (which can be replaced by a rechargeable battery), which takes place next to a printed circuit board 5 comprising the electronic components for managing the device . It is this card 5 which constitutes the automated processing unit for the operation of the system, transmitting signals to the address of the electric motor 6 in particular following the reception and analysis of input signals emanating from the control means. and aimed at activating the triggering and stopping of the operating cycles. These input signals preferably come from a mobile device, in most cases a cell phone, or a tablet, equipped with a specific application for controlling the device placed in the sole, and which communicates with the central control unit, for example according to the bluetooth standard or an equivalent wireless communication protocol.

A gear 7 placed at the end of the rotary shaft of the electric motor 6 cooperates with a rack 8 which is driven in rectilinear translation, guided for example by correspondence of shapes in the housing 1, during the rotation of the motor 6. This rack 8 is linked to a pusher 9 which it moves in the direction of its own displacement, and which is also guided, in the compartment 3, in rectilinear translation with an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the motor 6. The pusher 9 requests a leaf spring 10 in a manner particularly illustrated in FIG. 3: the nose 11 of the pusher 9 acts close to the embedding zone of the spring leaf 10, in this case in the form of a loop 12. A push even limited in this zone results in a displacement of much greater amplitude at the level of the free end 13 of the leaf spring 10, displacement which comprises a horizontal component and a vertical component, which is that which we are mainly interested in the context of the invention. The displacement of the vertical end of said free end 13 is used to apply pressure under the soles of the feet with a view to stimulating the venous pump.

The operation of this venous ascent device is actually cyclical:

The cycle consists of the start-up by the patient, with a remote control (typically his mobile phone), which sends an initial control signal to the electronic card 5. The first instruction from the electronic control unit has the function of rotate the rotary electric motor 6 in a first direction, after having checked that the rack 8 is in a neutral rest position. At the end of the motor axis, a toothed wheel 7 turns on and actuates the rack 8, which consequently moves with the pusher 9 in the direction of the leaf spring 10. This pusher 9, moving forward, presses on an inner portion of the leaf spring 10, the free end 13 of which rises, substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the rack 8 and the pusher 9, by a predetermined height, for example and preferably around 14 mm.

The spring blade 10, rising, exerts an upward pressure on the foot, via the upper sole of the shoe, at the precise location of the natural pumps, which are located under the arch of the foot. The exercise of this pressure has the effect of bringing the blood back to the heart.

Still in this operating cycle, after a predetermined duration of rotation of the motor 6 sufficient for the leaf spring 10 to be in a position ensuring that its free edge 13 is at the desired height, the motor 6 is stopped by a signal from the card electronics which monitors and controls the cycle. The shutdown of the motor 6 lasts for example about 1 second, during which time the pressure is maximum under the arch. Then, the electronic unit restarts the motor 6 according to a rotation in the opposite direction, the toothed wheel 7 then actuating the rack 8 in the direction opposite to the first direction of movement. The leaf spring 10 is no longer constrained by the pusher 9, and can release its energy and gradually return to its initial shape, pushing the pusher 9 as the rack 8 moves away under the effect of the reverse rotation of the motor 6 This results in stopping the pressure on the arch of the foot, and leaving free the circulation of blood, which resumes its natural cycle.

The leaf spring 10 being lowered, a signal from the electronic card stops the motor 6 and ends the basic cycle.

Then, after a pause which lasts for example from 12 to 14 seconds, the electronic unit sends information to restart the engine in order to start a new cycle which obeys exactly the same logic and kinematics as the previous one, and so after. The cycles follow one after the other, their repetition being stopped by the patient when he wishes, using the remote control.

The example of operation and the configuration of the device as illustrated in the figures are not exhaustive of the invention, which can on the contrary include variations in shape and kinematics. Thus, the control can no longer be wireless but on the contrary wired, if a connector fitted to the electronic card is provided and accessible from outside the sole. The same goes for replacing the battery with a battery, which also requires connection means accessible from the outside of the sole for recharging. Finally, the design of the mechanical means, in particular of the rack chain 8 / pusher 9 / spring blade 10 is only one of many possibilities for producing pressure under the arch of the foot using motor means controlled in successive cycles.

Claims (12)

1. Plantar venous pump 1 stimulation device, intended to be placed in the sole of a shoe and comprising mobile means for exerting pressure under the arch of the foot, characterized in that it includes motor means 6 connected using pressure 10 via a transmission management system 7, 8, 9, as well as means 5 of the activation of the motor means 6, which are controlled by control means. 2. Plantar venous pump stimulation device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the control means are arranged outside the sole, and connected to the management means 5 of the activation of the motor means 6 by wireless communications. 3. Plantar venous pump stimulation device 1 according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the control means are a mobile phone or a mobile tablet equipped with a dedicated application. 4. Device for stimulating the plantar venous pump 1 according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the motor means consist of an electric motor 6. 5. Device for stimulating the plantar venous pump 1 according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the transmission system consists of a toothed wheel 7 at the end of the shaft of the electric motor 6 cooperating with a rack 8 movable in rectilinear translation in the sole, said movable rack 8 being capable of requesting the means for exerting pressure 10 under the arch of the foot. 6. Device for stimulating the plantar venous pump 1 according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the means for exerting a pressure consist of a leaf spring 10 of which a free end 13 moves in a direction of pace. perpendicular to the direction of movement of the rack 8. 7. Device for stimulating the plantar venous pump 1 according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the rack 8 is linked to a pusher 9 which urges the leaf spring 10. 8. Device for stimulating the plantar venous pump 1 according to claim 6, characterized in that the spring blade 10 is in the form of a curved sheet, the base 12 opposite to said free end is immobilized relative to the sole, the stress being effected by pressure between the free end 13 and the base 12, in the vicinity of the latter. 9. Plantar venous pump stimulation device 1 according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that means for supplying electrical energy 4 to the motor means 6 are placed in the sole. 10. Plantar venous pump 1 stimulation device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the energy supply means consist of a battery 4 or a .rechargeable battery connected to a 'connector accessible from the outside of the sole. 11. Device for stimulating the plantar venous pump 1 according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for managing the activation of the motor means 6 consist of an electronic module placed on a printed circuit board 5. 12. Plantar venous pump stimulation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two separate compartments 2, 3, integrated into the sole, a first compartment 2 comprising the energy storage means 4 and the means 5 for managing the activation of the motor means 6, and a second compartment 3 comprising the motor means 6, the transmission system 7, 8, 9, and the leaf spring 10. 1/1