The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 09, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 27, 1998
Thomas D Darcey, Mooresville, NC (US);
Smith & Nephew, Inc., Charlotte, NC (US);
Abstract
An ankle splint product including an ankle splint for being custom-formed to the shape of an ankle while flexible and upon hardening providing a rigid, supporting custom fit. The ankle splint product includes an outer container formed of moisture-impervious material and first and second flexible ankle splint segments positioned in the container in substantially moisture-free conditions and sealed against entry of moisture until use. Each of the first and second ankle splint segments has an elongate substrate, a reactive system impregnated into or coated onto the substrate, the system remaining stable when maintained in substantially moisture-free conditions and hardening upon exposure to moisture to form a rigid, self supporting structure, an elongate, flexible protective pad positioned on one side of the substrate along its length to provide a cushioning barrier between the substrate and the skin of a patient when the ankle splint is in use, and an elongate outer cover covering the substrate on the side opposite the protective pad. The substrate, protective pad and outer cover are connected together into a unitary structure for being molded while flexible to an aspect of the ankle. First attaching members are secured to one end of the first splint segment, and second attaching members are secured to one end of the second splint segment for cooperating with the first attachment means for releasably attaching the first and second splint segments together into a splint and to form a heel stirrup for stabilizing the splint on the lateral and medial aspects of the ankle.