CONTRACTIBLE BAND FOR USE IN A WEARABLE GARMENT COMPRISING A SHAPE MEMORY MATERIAL PART

• Main Authors: FERREIRA SIMÕES, Ricardo João, TEIXEIRA DE BARROS FERREIRA DA SILVA, Alexandre, ALVES DA COSTA GONÇALVES, Carlos Diogo, DE CARVALHO GOMES, João Manuel
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 14.07.2021
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; BLASTING; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HEATING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; PROSTHESES; SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; WEAPONS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS

The present disclosure relates to a textile contractible band for use in a wearable garment for applying pressure to a subject body part, comprising a shape memory material, in particular a shape memory alloy, or shape memory polymer, part. The present disclosure can be use in healthcare treatments for diseases such as lymphedema or venous return. The contractible band for use in a wearable garment for applying pressure to a subject body part, comprises a shape memory material part and a textile part, said parts being successively coupled to form said contractible band, wherein the shape memory material part comprises an electrically-contractible shape memory material and a spring arranged to reverse the contraction of the shape memory material, wherein the textile part comprises an elastic fabric band and an optical fibre strain sensor arranged to sense the strain of the fabric band.