Abstract:
The invention relates to an orthesis ( 2 ) comprising at least one plate-shaped part which is adapted to a body part ( 3 ). A deformable plate-shaped support ( 4 ) is provided with a curable material ( 5, 9 ) and, after adapting the shape of the support ( 4 ) by direct deformation onto the body part ( 3 ), the curable material ( 5, 9 ) present on the support ( 4 ) is cured in the shape of the support. The invention allows adaption of the orthesis to the body part ( 3 ) without production of a template.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a method for producing an orthosis with at least one plate-shaped part which is adapted to a body part. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Orthoses are used to support and hold body parts whose function is impaired by disease or accident. The orthosis bears with at least one plate-shaped part on the body part. Particularly in the case of orthoses that are to be worn permanently or over a long period of time, it is important that the plate-shaped part is well adapted to the body part. 
     DE 195 06 912 C2 discloses a method for producing a knee-joint orthosis composed of an upper leg part and a lower leg part that are connected to each other by means of joints and that can be produced individually according to a plaster cast. A plate made of thermoplastic and assigned to the upper leg, and another assigned to the lower leg, are cut to a shape defined by the model produced according to a plaster cast. The cut plates are heated to a predetermined temperature that permits deformation. The heated and cut plates are shaped on the produced model and secured by bandages. In this way, an upper leg part and a lower leg part are formed. Joint adapters are fitted to the model, and the joints are secured thereon. Thermoplastic linkage arms provided on the joints are heated and fixed by bandages. Bridge elements in the form of connecting strips of thermoplastic are shaped on the upper leg part and lower leg part in such a way that they extend between the ends of the linkage arms. After cooling, the bandages are removed, and the individual parts of the complete orthosis structure are bonded together by a plastic adhesive. This method is complicated and requires that a model, on which the orthosis is then secured, be produced by means of a plaster cast. 
     SUMMARY 
     The object of the present invention is to make available a method that simplifies the adaptation of the plate-shaped parts to the body part. 
     In a method according to the invention, this object is achieved by the fact that a deformable plate-shaped support is provided with a curable material and, after the shape of the support has been adapted by deformation directly on the body part, the curable material present on the support is cured in the shape of the support. 
     The method according to the invention is therefore based on the concept that the curable material is deformed along with the deformable plate-shaped support by deformation of the plate-shaped support directly on the body part, and the plate-shaped support retains the shape by virtue of its dimensional stability, such that the curable material is cured in the shape of the deformed support, namely the support adapted to the shape of the body part. 
     The plate-shaped support can, during curing, remain in the orthosis as part thereof or can be removed from the curable material after the latter has been cured. For removal, it is obviously necessary that the curable material has no form-fit connection to the plate-shaped support, which can also be formed by a lattice material. For this purpose, it may be expedient to incorporate a separating means or a separating film between the support and the curable material. 
     The curable material can be applied on the side of the plate-shaped support directed away from the body part, on the side directed toward the body part or on both sides. This applies in particular when the curable material used is in the form of carbon fibers pre-impregnated by means of resin, a plastic-coated fiber composite material or a thermoplastic fiber composite material. The use of carbon fibers pre-impregnated with resin is preferred, preferably in the form of known prepreg tissue layers with which a laminate layer of predetermined thickness can be obtained by arrangement in a stack comprising a suitable number of layers. The resin used can be a thermoplastic or a thermosetting plastic. Whereas the thermosetting plastic is in practice no longer deformable after crosslinking, in particular by heat, the use of a thermoplastic permits remodeling of the plate-shaped part of the orthosis by local application of heat, as can be achieved in a known manner by warm air, ultrasound, high frequency, infrared radiation, etc. 
     In another embodiment, the curable material contains a fiber material enclosed by a film or a tube, and a casting resin is introduced into the space enclosed by the tube or the film. After the plate-shaped support has been shaped, the casting resin is then cured with the fiber material as laminate. The curing can be by a chemical reaction, by application of heat, etc. In these cases, it is therefore expedient if a heat-insulating material is applied on the side of the plate-shaped support directed toward the body part. In this case, the curing can take place directly after the deformation of the plate-shaped support on the body part itself. Preferably, the heat-insulating material can be removed again after the curable material has been cured. A pad can then be applied in its place, which improves the wearing comfort of the orthosis. 
     The introduction of the casting resin into the space enclosed by the film or the tube can be made easier by generating an underpressure in the space. In this way, an inclusion of air bubbles can in particular be avoided. Alternatively, the film or the tube can be pressed onto the laminated plate before the casting resin is cured. 
     The fiber material can be in the form of loose, woven or knitted fibers or fibers connected to form a nonwoven, in particular of carbon, glass, polyamide, Kevlar and other plastics. 
     A heat-shrinkable tube can preferably be used as the tube. 
     If the orthosis needs a joint, the latter is preferably fixed by an external frame and then connected to the produced plate-shaped parts. 
     The plate-shaped support according to the invention must be able to deform easily on the body part, but must retain the adopted shape, such that the curable material, in particular the fiber-reinforced material, adopts the shape of the plate-shaped support and retains this shape during curing. The plate-shaped support can be formed by a thin plate of light metal, for example aluminum. It is also possible to use a lattice structure, which is preferably made of metal. 
     The plate-shaped support can also be formed from at least two layers with mutually facing surface topographies which, for example under vacuum, are pressed onto each other and, after deformation, hook onto each other with their surface profiles and thus retain the shape adapted to the body part. Suitable surface topographies are ribbed profiles, but also irregular profiles, for example of the kind found on coarse abrasive paper. 
     The plate-shaped support can also be in the form of bandages that are made deformable by a binder with dimensional stability. The laminating material can in this case be placed onto the body part, if appropriate with a pad therebetween, and pressed against the body by means of the bandage, such that the shape of the body part is adopted by the laminating material. The bandages can then be fixed with their binder, which binder can be a hardening plastic or a drying plaster. The laminating material can then be cured in the shape fixed by the bandages, so as to adapt to the shape of the body part. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       An embodiment of an orthosis produced according to the invention is shown schematically in the attached drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic structure of the layers of an orthosis according to the invention, and 
         FIG. 2  shows a section through a body part, for example a thigh, with the orthosis according to  FIG. 1  applied. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the figures of the drawing, identical and corresponding structural parts are designated by the same reference signs. 
     The drawing shows a schematic depiction of an orthosis  2  which, with a plate-shaped part, can be adapted in terms of size and shape to a body part  3 , for example a thigh. 
     The orthosis  2  comprises a plate-shaped support  4 , here in the form of a thin plate of aluminum, onto whose side directed away from the body part a material or substance, for example carbon fibers or the like, is laminated. For this purpose, fiber material  5 , for example a carbon fiber layer, is draped onto the plate and impregnated with a resin, for example epoxy resin. To do so, the plate  4 , with the fiber material  5  applied thereon, is first of all tightly covered by a tube or a film  6  whose edge engages under the plate  4  and is connected to the plate  4 , for example bonded to it by means of an adhesive  17 . Casting resin  9  is then introduced, for example injected by means of a syringe, into the space  8  enclosed by the film  6  and impregnates the fiber material  5 . The plate  4  treated in this way is then adapted to the body part  3  in order to shape the orthosis. Thereafter, the casting resin  9  is cured and adopts the shape of the deformed plate  4 . 
     The lamination and the introduction of the casting resin can take place before the orthosis has been applied and adapted in shape. 
     The lamination with casting resin and carbon fibers can also take place directly onto the body part  3 , in which case, however, after the material  5  to be laminated has been applied on the side of the plate  4  directed away from the body part or on both sides of the plate  4 , a heat-insulating material is first applied on the side of the plate  4  directed toward the body part or on both sides of the plate  4 , in order to avoid a situation where heat resulting from a chemical reaction, during curing of the casting resin, acts on the skin of the body part  3 . 
     Thereafter, as in the first-described method, the prepared plate  4  is covered by a film  6 , and casting resin  9  is then introduced into the space  8  enclosed by the film  6 . Thereafter, the plate  4  which has been prepared thus far and is still malleable is adapted to the body part  3  to form the orthosis. Thereafter, the casting resin  9  cures, and a pad  10  is applied on the side of the orthosis directed toward the body part, with the heat-insulating material preferably being removed beforehand. 
     After the material to be laminated, i.e. fiber material  5 , has been applied on the side of the plate  4  directed away from the body part, and after the plate  4  thus treated has been covered by the film  6 , it is also possible to first of all apply a pad  10  to the side of the plate  4  directed toward the body part and then to adapt the plate  4 , thus far prepared, to the body part  3  so as to form the orthosis. Thereafter, the orthosis  2  shaped on the body part  3  is removed, and casting resin  9  for saturating the fiber material is introduced into the space  8  enclosed by the film  6  and is cured. 
     By pressing the film  6  onto the laminated plate  4  before the casting resin  9  is cured, air can be removed from the space B, in order in this way to produce a uniform laminate. This is achieved even more effectively if an underpressure is generated in the space  8  filled with the casting resin  9 , by means of which underpressure the composite made up of film  6 , laminate and plate  4  is pressed together, as a result of which any air and excess resin that may be present is drawn off before the casting resin  9  is cured. This underpressure can be generated by a pump, which is attached to a suitable opening  14  (indicated by broken lines in  FIG. 1 ) of the film envelope  6 . Air and excess casting resin  9  can then flow off upward through a second opening  16  (indicated by broken lines in  FIG. 1 ) arranged at the top part. Instead of the above-described film  6  and the pump for generating an underpressure, a heat-shrinkable tube can also be used. 
     The pressure can alternatively be generated with the aid of elastic magnetic plates (not shown). 
     In the presence of a joint, for example a knee joint, the latter is fixed by an external frame (not shown). 
     For particularly secure orthoses, it is recommended to incorporate a core (not shown) into the middle of the material  5  to be laminated, and this core can also be chosen such that it is able to take over the function of the plate  4  by virtue of slight and dimensionally stable deformability. 
     The pad  10  can be applied to the side of the orthosis  2  directed toward the body part either before or after the casting resin is cured. 
     Instead of the fiber material  5 , which is saturated by the casting resin  9 , a fiber material pre-impregnated with a resin, for example epoxy resin, can also be used, for example a carbon fiber layer  5  pre-impregnated with resin or epoxy resin. This eliminates the step of introducing casting resin  9  into the space  8  enclosed by the film  6 . If a pre-impregnated fiber material is used, the film  6  is also no longer required. 
     The material  5  to be laminated can also be applied on the side of the plate  4  directed toward the body part or on both sides of the plates  4 . The laminating with the material pre-impregnated with resin, or the carbon fiber layer pre-impregnated with resin, can take place directly on the body part  3 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a schematic section through a body part  3 , for example a thigh, with an orthosis  2  according to the invention in the form of a plate-shaped shell, composed of an aluminum shell  4  which is laminated on the outside or on both sides by means of carbon fibers  5  and whose inner face (side directed toward the body part) is provided with a padding material  10  and is covered by a resilient film  6 , the edge of which engages under the aluminum shell  4  and is connected to the aluminum shell  4 , for example bonded to it (adhesive  17 ). The space  8  enclosed by the film  6  contains casting resin  9  which, in the cured state, provides the dimensional stability of the orthosis  2 . The orthosis  2  can be mounted on the body part  3 , for example the thigh, by means of a closure element  18 , for example a velcro-type closure. 
     The use of carbon fibers  5  pre-impregnated with resin has the effect that the orthosis  2 , which is otherwise of the same design, differs in terms of the fact that a film  6  is no longer required. 
     As material to be laminated, or instead of material pre-impregnated with resin, it is also possible to use plastic-coated fiber composite material or thermoplastic fiber composite material. The curing preferably takes place by applying heat.