Abstract:
A back brace for support of a patient&#39;s back having a pair of belts that together distract the spine.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
       [0001]    The present case claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference in their entirety several U.S. Provisional Applications viz: 61/488438, filed 2011 May 16 entitled “Back Brace and Method”; 61/411669, filed 2012 Mar. 16 entitled “Enhanced Back Brace”; and 61/622204, filed 2012 Apr. 10 entitled “Adjustable Back Brace”. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates to orthotic back braces for treating a patient&#39;s back. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    There are many back braces available however there is a continuing need to improve these devices to meet patient needs for an adjustable, comfortable device that permits patient motion to promote healing while supporting regions of the patients back and distracting the patient&#39;s spine. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The primary brace system comprises two overlapping, connected but independent belts or bands. In use these are wrapped around the patient&#39;s waist. Once donned the two belts may be tensioned separately. The first inner belt or band defines a waist groove on the patient when it is tightened. Typically the inner belt has low area so that it “digs in” to the patient&#39;s waist. Once positioned the inner belt is relatively stable on the patients body, and does not move from its location as the patient moves about. The second outer belt typically overlies most of the inner belt and when cinched it compresses adipose tissue. The relatively larger area of the second outer belt then can compress the displaced tissue and distracts or stretch the spine. The two belts cooperating together serve to apply the right amount of force on the patient&#39;s abdomen at the right areas to effectively relieves back pain from surgery or the like. 
         [0005]    In an alternative embodiment the inner belt or band is used for a short time during fitting of the brace system to form thermal panels or thermally re-formable panels to “fit” lateral panels to the patient defining a waist groove. 
         [0006]    Several optional features may be added to the brace system. For example the small of the back can be fitted with a fixed formed back panel or an adjustable back panel. The adjustable version of this feature may supply a structure that flexes inward toward the back “filling” that space between the belt and that portion of the patient anatomy. In either embodiment the back panel improves transmission of force to the body from the belts and helps to anchor the two belts to a relatively stable position on the patient. 
         [0007]    Another optional feature is the inclusion of a belly panel located between the patient&#39;s abdomen and either the first inner belt or the second outer belt. The preferred version of the belly panel has automatically adjustable area so that it automatically adjust to the patients changes in posture, increasing in area as the patient stands up and reduces in area as the patient returns to a seated position. The optional features may be used in any combination or permutation with the remainder of the belt and brace system. 
         [0008]    For Example in a usual configuration there will be an inner band, an outer belt, a lumbar support structure and an abdominal pad. Each of these items may be used in isolation in an alternative back brace but they work well together to provide an efficient solution to patient indications. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Throughout the figures identical reference numeral indicate identical structure wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a patient; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a patient with an inner belt or band fitted; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the patient with both belts and an abdominal pad fitted; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of an implementation of the brace system as viewed from the inside; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of an implementation of the brace system as view from the outside; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a patient donning a brace system; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a patient wearing a brace system; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a patient wearing a brace system; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is an exploded schematic diagram of a brace system; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a lumbar panel; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a lumbar panel; 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a brace system in isolation; 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a brace system in isolation; 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is a schematic view of an alternate embodiment of the back brace system being fitted; 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  is a schematic view of an alternate embodiment of the brace system being fitted; 
           [0025]      FIG. 16  is a perspective and exploded view of an alternate brace system; 
           [0026]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the brace system assembled; 
           [0027]      FIG. 18  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the brace system on a patient; 
           [0028]      FIG. 19  is a perspective view of an abdominal panel; and, 
           [0029]      FIG. 20  is a perspective view of an abdominal panel. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]      FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 3  illustrate the operation of one version of the system in a schematic form. When the patient  1  of  FIG. 1  dons the inner band  10  and tightens it he displaces tissue as indicated in  FIG. 2  by the arrows at reference numeral  20  and reference numeral  22 . With the outer belt  30  donned over the inner band  10  as seen in  FIG. 3  the patient  1  tightens the complimentary outer belt thereby compressing the displaced tissue of  FIG. 2  as indicated in  FIG. 3  by arrows  32  and  34 . This compressive force on the abdomen distracts the spine that provides comfort and relieves the back pain. For a patient with a pendulous belly an optional abdominal pad  40  may be placed against the belly as well to improve containment, control and distraction. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of an implementation of the brace system  100  laid out flat in the plane of the paper and as seen from the inside, while  FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the brace system  100  as seen from the outside or back while laid out in a plane. In this embodiment the inner belt band  102  is a length webbing attached to and anchored to the lumbar panel  104  by a stitching to a strap  105 . The inner band or belt is then freely threaded through the outer belt  120  at left aperture  108  and right aperture  110 . The inner band  102  once tensioned is fixed to anchor zones on the outer belt. For example a hook and loop clasp pad  112  may mate with pad  114  when the brace is donned by crossing in front of the patient. In a similar fashion pad  116  may mate with pad  118  by crossing in the front of the patient. In prototype form the pads are made from the familiar Velcro style hook and loop material. 
         [0032]    The outer belt  120  is a laminated or composite structure encasing the lumbar panel  104  and terminating in a tensioning member  124 . The tensioning member in this embodiment is length of webbing that may be passed though a loop anchor  126  doubled over and fixed with a hook and loop pad  130  to connect to itself ( 124 ). In essence the length of the tension member passed through the loop anchor  126  sets the size or circumference of the belt. 
         [0033]      FIG. 6  is a schematic figure showing the patient  1  donning the brace system  100 . The left side and right side are wrapped around the torso as indicated by arrows  132  and  134 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of the brace system  100  on a patient  1  as seen from the front. In this figure the tensioning member is closed on itself as indicated at reference numeral  138  and the inner belt  102  has been crossed over the torso and anchored to the anchor points indicated at reference numeral  140  and complimentary reference numeral  142 . This view indicates that the tension in the two belts may be adjusted separately. In use the patient may adjust the two belts in any order to customize the fit. 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view of the brace system of  FIG. 7  as seen from the rear. A tensioning tab  144  is seen in this figure and it is used to activate the lumber panel  104  and further described in connection with  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 9  is an exploded drawing of the parts that make up one representative version of one embodiment of the invention depicted in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . The outer belt  120  is made of several independent piece parts assembled as seen in the figure. For example the outer cover  122  and inner cover  123  are sewn to inner lateral panel. These elements are attached to the lumbar panel  104   125 A and  125  B as well as lateral panel  127 A and  127 B. 
         [0037]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a lumbar panel  104 . In this version of the lumbar support an H-shaped batten  152  may flex out of the plane of the support  154  toward the small of the back. This may be accomplished by a cable and pulley system as depicted in the figure. A reel type winder  150  may take up the cable slack moving the batten  152 . As an alternative the cables may be exteriorized and a Velcro pull tab  144  may be used to set the flex of the batten as seen in other figures. 
         [0038]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a lumbar panel  104 , in a relaxed state and attached to a lateral side panel  125  via a lacing or sewn construction. The remaining structures are omitted for clarity. 
         [0039]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the lumbar panel  104  during the donning process the support panel  154  is sufficiently flexible that it can flex to accommodate the shape of the of the lumbar panel  104 . Which is seen in  FIG. 13  and depicted in the figure by arrow  155  showing curvature of the support panel  154  as the two belts are tensioned as indicated by closure arrows  132  and closure arrow  134 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 14  is a schematic view of an alternate embodiment of the back brace system in the process of fitment. In this example two lateral panels  202  and  204  are formed of a thermally formable or re-formable material and they are positioned around the patients waist as indicated by motion arrows in the figure. A “jump rope” cable  206  is looped around the waist and tensioned as indicated by tension arrows  208  and  210  as seen in  FIG. 15  to draw the panels into close conformity to the patient and make a waist groove seen by indentation  212  in panel  204  in  FIG. 15 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 16  is a perspective and exploded view of an alternate brace system where the panels heated and fitted to the patient in the process described in connection with  FIG. 14  and  FIG. 15  are assembled or connected to a lumbar panel  104  in  FIG. 16  to form the completed brace  200  seen in isolation in  FIG. 17 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the brace  200  as described in  FIG. 14  through  FIG. 17  in place on a patient. 
         [0043]      FIG. 19  and  FIG. 20  are perspective views of an abdominal panel assembly  300  in the assembled configuration in  FIG. 20  and in an exploded view in  FIG. 19 . As seen in the figures the abdominal panel assembly  300  is preferably made from two pieces shown as upper panel  302  and lower panel  304 , that engage each other and are free to move with the patient so that the projected area can have a first value with the patient seated and a second larger value while the patient stands. This motion allows the distraction effects to be more uniform in the standing and seated states.