Cushioning insole adjustment kit

Abstract

Insole adjustment kit, the kit comprising an upper, elastic cushioning insole layer and a lower, liquid filled insole layer under the upper layer and at least one pocket between the upper layer and the lower layer, the kit further comprising a number of inserts dimensioned for insertion into the pocket, the inserts having mutually different degrees of hardness.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to insoles with wound healing zones, predominantly for diabetes patients. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Diabetes patients face a large risk to develop foot ulcers (decubitus) due to reduced blood circulation in the legs and the foot. Such wounds often lead to loss of job and social contact, and for the society it implies large costs. Investigations have shown that foot ulcers in the case of diabetics take on average 60 days to heal and with correspondingly large costs for wound healing medication and personnel during the healing period. Some wounds are not able to heal and develop in such a way that amputation of the foot or part of it is necessary. In Denmark, there are registered in the order of 10,000 open wounds among diabetics every year, and about 400 amputations are performed due to this cause. [0003] U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,705 discloses a footgear with an inner sole having a grid of removable, resilient elements t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] It is, therefore, the purpose of the invention to provide an insole for support of painful foot areas that is easy and fast to adjust in accordance with the needs of the patient and which can be provided at low cost. This purpose is achieved by an insole adjustment kit comprising an upper, elastic, cushioning insole layer and a lower, liquid filled insole layer under the upper layer and at least one pocket between the upper layer and the lower layer. The kit further comprising a number of inserts which are dimensioned for insertion into the pocket. The inserts have mutually different degrees of hardness.

[0010] An insole adjustment kit according to the invention has a number of advantages. First of all, the different number of inserts allows an individual adaptation to the needs of the user. Harder or softer inserts may be used in order to distribute the load on the foot over a larger or a smaller area. The liquid filled insole, typically filled with water, is constructed such that, during load, a hydraulic pressure is provided under the foot. This hydraulic pressure reduces the pressure load on the foot sole by distributing the pressure over a bigger area. In addition, the liquid filled insole under the foot of the patient causes relatively large movements of the foot, even during very small changes of the point of gravity of the diabetic patient. As a consequence, the critical kind of load on exposed local areas on the foot is reduced, which is especially important if the diabetic patient has neoropathy.

[0011] The cushioning upper layer and the inserts with adoptable cushioning inserts provide a three dimensional surface against the foot sole, when the foot is standing on the insole, which results in a larger supporting surface and a pressure equilibrium. Furthermore, this three dimensional supporting surface acts on the liquid filled layer, such that the pressure from the foot is distributed over an even larger area, resulting in a relief of the load against the foot sole, which is much larger by this combination than the sum of the pressure relief by the cushioning upper layer, the inserts or the liquid layer alone.

Problems solved by technology

In addition, the liquid filled insole under the foot of the patient causes relatively large movements of the foot, even during very small changes of the point of gravity of the diabetic patient.

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