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  Functional glove for the hand of a disabled personUSPTO Application #: 20060048269Title: Functional glove for the hand of a disabled person Abstract: A functional glove for the hand of a disabled person, which comprises at least one optionally flexible restraint for at least one of the fingers of the hand, and removable fastening means for rigid fixing to the wrist. The glove, during use, is worn over the hand by the disabled person in order to improve the quality and number of manual operations, providing consequent greater independence and reduced dependence of the disabled person on other people. (end of abstract) Agent: Modiano & Associati - Milan, IT Inventor: Antonietta Vannini USPTO Applicaton #: 20060048269 - Class: 002161700 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Body Garments, Gloves, Work Glove, Medical Glove The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060048269. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] The present invention relates to a functional glove for the hand of a disabled person. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Quadriplegia compromises manual functionality by reducing the number of motor operations, which are usually required in common activities of everyday life for self-management and for interaction with the microenvironment that surrounds the patient. [0003] Manual disability entails assistance of the patient even for meeting the most basic needs, from personal hygiene to feeding to graphical communication to pushing the wheelchair in all the various transfers. [0004] The severity of manual disability has always promoted research aimed at giving back at least partially to the patient this basic gestural expressiveness. [0005] Highly diversified solutions have thus been obtained which range from the construction of small aids which facilitate manual motor operations to important technologies which propose to animate the hand by means of functional electrical stimulation systems. [0006] The described aids substantially comprise all the commonly used objects to which a particular diversified shape has been given (in order to facilitate their grip even if the patient is unable to close his fist) or which are provided with receptacles in which one or more fingers or the entire hand are accommodated. In practice, the hand and the tool are coupled artificially (i.e., without using the normal grip of the hand). [0007] The hypothetical case of functional electrical stimulation instead entails implanting a plurality of electrodes at the muscle surface in the motor points; said electrodes are driven by a stimulator (which also can be optionally implanted). By way of the presence of a sensor for detecting motion, generally of the shoulder of the injured limb, the simulator provides an electrical signal to the electrodes: for example, a retraction of the shoulder can be interpreted by the stimulator as the command to close the fist. [0008] None of these solutions is easily accepted and used by the patient for various reasons, such as the slowness of the motor operation induced by the aid or the management complexity of the tool (especially in the case of neuroprostheses with electrical stimulation). [0009] The patient in fact needs the manual gesture to be performed even inaccurately but in time with his motor requirements. For this reason, many solutions which are scientifically interesting are not requested and used by the patient in practice. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] The aim of the present invention is to obviate the cited drawbacks and meet the mentioned requirements, by providing a functional glove for the hand of a disabled person by way of which it is possible to prearrange the hand of the patient in order to facilitate the handling of various objects. [0011] An object of the present invention is to mass-produce the glove according to the invention, since it can be adapted to any possible disability of the patient. [0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a glove whose shape and dimensions are similar to those of gloves used for normal sports applications, and which therefore does not have the appearance of an auxiliary apparatus for handicapped individuals and is therefore similar to the gloves normally used by the disabled to make it easier for them to push the wheelchair. [0013] Within this aim, another object of the present invention is to provide a structure which is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and has a relatively low cost. [0014] This aim and this object are achieved by the present functional glove for the hand of a disabled person, characterized in that it comprises at least one optionally flexible restraint for at least one of the fingers of the hand, and removable fastening means for rigid fixing to the wrist, said glove being worn over the hand by the disabled person during use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a functional glove for the hand of a disabled person, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: [0016] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a glove according to the invention, worn on a hand; [0017] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a glove according to the invention in the open configuration, with the wrist free. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0018] With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a functional glove for the hand of a disabled person. [0019] The functional glove 1 is suitable to be fitted over the hand 2, leaving free the tips of the fingers 3, and is then fixed firmly to the wrist 4 by means of a fastening strip 5 made of a hook and loop-fastener known as Velcro.RTM.. [0020] The glove comprises a substantially elastic splint 6, which is arranged on the lateral surface of the glove 1, starting from the wrist 4, along with the lateral surface of the short adductor 7 of the thumb 8, up to the upper portion of the thumb 8. The splint 6 can be fixed directly by sewing it on to the glove 1 (or can be rigidly coupled with other similar solutions), but it is also possible to provide a hollow seat (formed by stitching a flap of fabric onto the glove 1, forming a pocket), in which the splint 6 is inserted. The splint 6 is locked to the wrist because its end that is aligned with said wrist is accommodated below the strip of Velcro 5. Continue reading... Full patent description for Functional glove for the hand of a disabled person Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Functional glove for the hand of a disabled person patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Functional glove for the hand of a disabled person or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Glove Next Patent Application: Heat dissipated high molecular glove Industry Class: Apparel ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Functional glove for the hand of a disabled person patent info. 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