WO2003047475A1

WO2003047475A1 - Diagnostic orthotic wedge

Info

Publication number: WO2003047475A1
Application number: PCT/US2002/038890
Authority: WO
Inventors: Merel Epstein
Original assignee: Merel Epstein
Priority date: 2001-12-05
Filing date: 2002-12-05
Publication date: 2003-06-12
Also published as: AU2002364138A1

Abstract

A wedge (10) for determining the degree of inversion or eversion of the heel of a user is defined by a substantially rectangular wedge having an upper surface (14) and a lower surface (12), the surfaces being inclined with respect to each other by an angle ranging from about 2 to 6 dgrees. A diagnostician places an appropriate wedges beneath the heel of the foot of the user. Preferably, the wedges hereof are packaged as a kit in at least pairs, each pair having angles of inclination varying over the range, i.e. a pair of wedges having a 3 degree inclination, 4 degree inclination, etc. The wedges may be packaged as a kit with circular, balancing, angulated disks (100) and which are secured to an orthotic device.

Description

DIAGNOSTIC ORTHOTIC WEDGE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a completion application of co-pending United

States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/338,338, filed December 5, 2001 for "Diagnostic Orthotic Wedge," the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to orthotic devices. More particularly, the present invention concerns orthotic devices for determining the gait of a patient. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to orthotic devices for determining the proper balancing and gait of a patient and a diagnostic kit using a plurality of such devices.

II. PRIOR ART

[0003] In United States Patent No. 6,098,319 and co-pending U.S.

Patent Application Serial Number, 09/603,222, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference, there is disclosed an orthotic device which, generally, comprises a substantially circular disk having a first substantially planar lower surface and substantially planar upper surface. The upper surface is inclined with respect to the first lower surface by an angle Θ. As disclosed, Θ ranges from about 2° to about 6°. The disk is used to balance the gait of a user when it is applied to either an insole or directly into a footwear item. Because the circular disk is universally rotatable in an arc of 360° about a vertical axis, minute or incremental adjustments to the balance may rapidly be made.

[0004] However, it is to be readily appreciated by one skilled in the art that the necessary angle of inclination for the disk when balancing the gait is not readily apparent. Ordinarily, trial and error is employed to determine the appropriate angulated disk to be used. Thus, and as is described hereinafter, the present invention enables a podiatrist, chiropractor or other service provider or diagnostician the ability to rapidly determine both the positioning and the requisite angle necessary for proper installation of a disk or for post build-up in an insole. Thus, the present invention provides a diagnostic device for readily determining the necessary angle for providing the proper foot balance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a wedge for measuring the eversion or inversion of the heel of a foot of a user. The wedge hereof is a substantially rectangular member having an upper substantially planar surface and a substantially planar lower surface, the upper and lower surfaces being inclined with respect to each other at an angle ranging from about 2° to about 6°. [0006] The wedge is, preferably, a rigid member formed from any suitable material such as a rigid plastic, metal, rubber, and the like and is used to measure the inversion or eversion of the heel of the foot of a use. [0007] Preferably, the wedge hereof is packaged as a kit of pairs of wedges, i.e. a pair of 2° wedges, 3° wedges, etc.

[0008] In use, a diagnostician places an appropriate selected wedge on either the medial or the lateral side of the rear or heel of the foot to determine the degree of inversion or eversion. Thereafter, preferably, a circular disk of the type defined in the above-referred to patent and the co-pending application is selected, in response to the wedge measurement, and placed on an insole, in the footwear item directly, or on another type of orthotic device. The circular disc or discs create the appropriate balance by adhering one or more of them to the insole, footwear item, or other orthotic device. [0009] Furthermore, it is possible to package both a plurality of wedges and plurality of disks as a single kit. Such a kit would comprise at least pairs of wedges and at least pairs of discs, i.e. two or more of 2° wedges, two or more of 3° wedges, etc., and a two or more of 2° discs, two or more 3° discs, etc.

[0010] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, references made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing. [0011] In the drawing, like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a diagnostic balancing device in accordance with the present invention;

[0013] Fig. 2 is a first side elevational view thereof;

[0014] Fig. 3 is a side view of a circular disc which may be used in conjunction with the wedge hereof; and

[0015] Fig. 4 is a top view of the disc of Fig. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [0016] Now, and with reference to the drawing, and in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a substantially rectangular and preferably, square wedge, generally, denoted at 10. The wedge 10 has a lower substantially planar lower surface 12 and a substantially planar upper surface 14, and a pair of opposed sidewalls, only one of which is shown at 15, and opposed end walls or edges 16 and 18.

[0017] The upper surface 14 is inclined with respect to the lower surface 12 by an angle Θ. Preferably, Θ ranges from about 2° to about 6° and, more preferably, from about 3° to about 6°.

[0018] The wedge 10 is formed from a substantially rigid material such as a high density polyethylene, ABS resin, high density polypropylene, polycarbonate, acrylic, rubber, or the like. Similarly, the wedge may be formed from a metal such as steel, aluminum or the like. The criticality to be attached hereto is that the wedge be rigid. It is preferred that the wedge the a wedge.

[0019] In use, a diagnostician initially observes the foot of the user.

Then, a wedge 10 is placed proximate the rear of the foot of the patient and the patient steps on the wedge 10 to determine the degree of inversion or eversion that is required to balance the gait of the patient or user. The wedge 10 is placed from its forward edge 16 to the rearward edge 18 and is utilized on either the medial or the lateral side of the rear or heel of the foot. [0020] After the requisite degree of inversion or eversion is determined then, either a disk, 2 to 100 as described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 6,098,319 and co-pending application, is disposed on an insole at the appropriate place or an insole or orthotic is constructed with the requisite balancing for the eversion or inversion. Alternatively, the disc can be adhered directly to a footwear item. The combination of wedge and disc provides a system for properly gauging and adjusting or balancing. [0021] In practice, the wedge hereof is, preferably, provided to a practitioner as a kit of a plurality of such wedges, the wedges having the varying degrees of inclination of from, preferably, 3° to 6°. In this manner, eversions of greater than 6° can be determined by stacking wedges one atop the other. Further, by providing a kit of, for example, eight wedges in pairs of, for example, 3°, 4°, 5° and 6°, both sides of the foot, the lateral and medial, can be measured at the same time. In the kit, preferably , each wedge is a

3"x3" wedge. Also, a kit comprising both wedges and the aforementioned circular disks may be packaged together. In such a kit there is provided pairs of wedges as well as pairs of disks, i.e. at least a pair of 2° disks, a pair of 3° disks, etc., which generally corresponds in number and angle of inclination to the wedges. Of course this can vary.

[0022] From the above, it is to be appreciated that there has been described a device which accelerates the determination of the degree of inversion or eversion of the foot.

[0023] Having, thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

Claims

1. A device for measuring the inversion or eversion of the foot of a user comprising: a substantially rectangular member having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being inclined with respect to the lower surface by an angle, ranging from about 2° to about 6°.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the angle is from about 3° to about 6°.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the member is a rigid member.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the device is formed from a substantially rigid material selected from the group consisting from high density polyethylene, rubber, ABS resin, acrylic, polycarbonate, high density polypropylene, steel, and aluminum.

5. The wedge of the device of claim 4 wherein the member is a high density polyethylene member.

6. A kit for enabling the measurement of the inversion or eversion of the foot of the user comprising: a plurality of substantially rectangular members, each member corresponding to a member of claim 1.

7. The kit of claim 6 which comprises: a plurality of at least a pair of members, wherein each member of a first plurality pair has an angle of inclination of the upper surface to the lower surface ranging of 3°, each member of a second plurality has an angle of inclination of 4°, each member of a third plurality has an angle of inclination of 5°, and each member of a fourth plurality has an angle of inclination of 6°.

8. The kit of claim 7 which further comprises a plurality of substantially circular disks, each circular disk having an upper circular surface and a lower circular surface, the upper surface being inclined with respect to the lower surface by an angle ranging from about 2° to about 6°.

9. The kit of claim 8 wherein the disks correspond in number and angle of inclination to the wedges in the kit.

10. A method for balancing the gait of the user which comprises:

(a) measuring the degree of inversion or eversion of the heel of the foot of the user with the device of claim 1;

(b) selecting an appropriate circular disk, in response to the measured inversion or eversion, the disk comprising a substantially circular upper surface and a substantially circular lower surface, the upper surface and lower surface being inclined with respect to each other at an angle ranging from about 2° to about 6°;

(c) securing the circular disk to an orthotic device; and

(d) wherein the angle of inclination of the circular disk corresponds to the degree of inversion or eversion determined by the wedged- shaped device.