ORTHOPEDIC INSOLE
The invention relates generally to an orthopedic insole arrangement comprising a bottom insole (110), a top insole (112) and a set of overload tactile feedback elements, e.g. pins (115, 116, 117, 118, 119) forming an orthopedic insole kit. The assembled insole arrangement gives a tactile overload feedback to patients during rehabilitation, such as during walking, allowing an optimised healing process. The insole (913) may comprise a bottom insole (110) having at least one hole (120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185), and a top insole (112) with matching hole/s (121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 166, 171, 176, 181, 186), wherein at least one pin (115, 116, 117, 118, 119) is installed to slide vertically inside the hole (121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 166, 171, 176, 181, 186), thereby protruding from the insole (913) at some compression of the insole (913).
The invention relates to an insole as defined in the preamble of claim 1, and a bottom insole as defined in the preamble of claim 10, a top insole as defined in the preamble of claim 12 and an insole kit as defined in the preamble of claim 14.
BACKGROUNDThe rehabilitation period for healing injuries in the lower extremities is normally several weeks or even months, e.g. after bone fractures, sprains, chirurgical operations, diseases etc. Apart from physical and psychological suffering, and thus a decreased quality of life for the patients, these relatively long rehabilitation periods give rise to substantial costs for society, mainly in form of a fall in production. There is a long felt need to find effective and efficient means and methods for shortening these rehabilitation periods. A leg/foot should normally be used to some extent for optimal tissue recovery while a too heavy work load on a leg/foot during rehabilitation may give severe negative, and even catastrophic, consequences for the healing process. There is a problem to find efficient and effective means which allow patients to use and physically stimulate their legs/feet for optimal tissue recovery, and which at the same time guarantee that there is no risk of over-stimulation, i.e. overload, of the injured part/s in question with possible negative/catastrophic consequences for the healing process. Various aids are used today for helping patients to provide optimal load stimulation of a leg/foot during rehabilitation.
The patent document DE 4116124 C1 discloses an overload alarm arrangement to be installed in a heel sole of a shoe. A resilient member is compressed by the foot during walking and thereby exposes a tactile feedback member, which in turn provides a tactile feedback to the patient in case of overload.
The document DE 10038446 A1 discloses a sole arrangement exploiting pressure sensors which provide acoustic/tactile feedback in case of overload. The pressure sensors are arranged in a bottom sole which is covered by a top insole.
The patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,081 discloses a force monitoring shoe for monitoring the force being applied to a patient's leg, as during walking. The device is contained within a shoe-like enclosure and an alert system notifies the patient when a certain pre-established force value has been reached.
The article “A new ambulatory foot pressure device for patients with sensory impairment. A system for continuous measurement of plantar pressure and a feed-back alarm”, by Z. Pataky et al, published in the Journal of Biomechanics 33 (2000), page 1135-1138, ISSN:0021-9290, discloses a device for solving problems concerning neuropathic ulcers on feet. The device comprises pressure sensors positioned under a patient's foot which sensors provide an alarm at a certain pressure allowing the patient to lower the work load on the foot when a certain threshold load has been reached.
The patent document U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,863 discloses an adaptive weight bearing monitoring system for rehabilitation of injuries of the lower extremities, e.g for orthopedic patients, which compare weight forces applied to patient with set input weight range based on which stimulation signal is applied to patients.
The patent document JP 2004141275 A2 discloses a sole pressure-distribution hearing biofeedback system for rehabilitation medical treatment, which system outputs sound corresponding to audio data generated with respect to detected sole pressure of person during walking.
Problems with these state of the art gait correction aids mainly concern an unsatisfactory user friendliness, a too high production cost and/or usage cost and that they are generally not very versatile. Therefore, they are not very effective or efficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention seeks to mitigate/solve above problems.
It is an object of the present invention to optimize the healing process of injuries in the lower extremities during rehabilitation, thereby increasing the quality of life for the patients concerned and shortening the rehabilitation period for such injuries.
This object is achieved according to a first aspect of the invention by providing a compressible insole comprising at least one hole wherein said insole comprises at least one tactile overload feedback element being anchored in the insole and being arranged to slide inside the hole in a substantially perpendicular direction relative a foot during normal operation when the insole is being compressed at weight bearing, as during walking, thereby protruding from the insole at some compression of the insole (913).
In this way the invention thus provides an orthopedic insole which gives a tactile overload feedback to patients during rehabilitation, such as during walking, whenever said tactile overload feedback element protrudes from the insole at some weight load during walking and contacts the patient's foot, thus providing the tactile overload feedback to the patient. The orthopedic insole of the invention is user friendly, i.e. easy to use both for patients and health care organizations, cost effective and versatile, i.e. applicable for many different patient groups in various environments and conditions, e.g. being applicable for patients in plaster and non in plaster etc.
In one embodiment, said hole is positioned vertically under the forefoot, or the heel of the foot, during normal operation, as during walking. This provides for good tactile feedback characteristics since the hole, and thereby also the tactile overload feedback element, during normal operation is positioned at a relatively high weight load area where the nerve distribution of the foot is also relatively dense.
In one embodiment, said hole is positioned under a first metatarsal head of the foot or under the third metatarsal head of the foot or under the fifth metatarsal head of the foot or under the calcaneus bone of the foot during normal operation, as during walking. This provides for particularly good tactile feedback characteristics of the insole.
In one embodiment, the insole comprises five holes perpendicularly oriented relative the foot, and five tactile overload feedback elements, each tactile overload feedback element being arranged to slide in one of the respective holes during weight bearing, as during walking, wherein two of the holes are positioned under the calcaneus bone, one hole is positioned under the first metatarsal head, one hole is positioned under the third metatarsal head and one hole is positioned under the fifth metatarsal head during normal operation, as during walking. This provides for effective tactile overload feedback to the patient during the entire ground contact phase of the gait cycle when the lower extremities are under stress.
In one embodiment, the insole comprises a bottom insole and a top insole arranged on top of the bottom insole wherein the bottom insole is made of a firm material, such as a thermoplastic polyamide material, and said tactile overload feedback element is anchored in said bottom insole; and wherein said top insole is made of a compressible material, such as a cellular plastic material, a cellular urethane material, a polyether material or a cellular rubber material, and comprises said at least one hole in which the tactile overload feedback element is arranged to slide during normal operation. This provides a cost efficient insole realisation wherein the bottom insole may be re-used by a plurality of patients. Furthermore, separate top/bottom insoles makes it possible to use the insole for both the left and the right foot by simply turning the bottom insole upside down and installing the pins in an opposite direction and then mount the top insole (also reversed upside down) on top of the bottom insole. This also provides a cost efficient solution for updating the tactile feedback characteristics of the insole by simply replacing the top insole of the insole with another top insole having other compression properties.
In one embodiment, the bottom insole comprises at least one through hole matching said at least one through hole of the top insole during normal operation, wherein the at least one tactile overload feedback element is snapped onto the bottom insole through said through hole of the bottom insole. This is a cost efficient solution for which it is possible to use the insole for both the left and the right foot by simply turning the bottom insole upside down and simply snap “off” and “on” the tactile overload feedback element/s from/to the bottom insole in an opposite direction and then mount the top insole (also reversed upside down) on top of the bottom insole.
In one embodiment, the top insole is made of a compressible material having a hardness shore “0” value in the range of A 4-30. This assures that the tactile overload feedback element will slide in said hole and protrude at some stress load during normal operation.
In one embodiment, the insole, when being aligned with a sagittal plane of a foot during normal operation, and further being associated with an imaginary system of coordinates defining a first and second region of the insole; said system of coordinates having an Y-axis being parallel with said sagittal plane and substantially directed in a frontal direction of the insole, and having an X-axis directed in a medial direction, and having its origin of coordinates positioned at the backmost edge end of the insole when so aligned; the X-axis and Y-axis defining coordinates of length in mm; said regions being defined by the following:
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- a first set of coordinates fulfilling the criteria of y<117 and having a minimum distance to an outer edge of the insole of 12 mm, wherein the first set of coordinates define the first region of the insole, and,
- a second set of coordinate points being defined by fulfilling the criteria of 157.5<y<273 and having a minimum distance to an outer edge of the insole of 12 mm, wherein the second set of coordinates define the second region of the insole,
wherein the insole have a total length of about 299 mm from the back edge end to a front edge end, a heel region width of about 70 mm and a front foot region width of about 100 mm, and wherein the at least one through hole of the bottom insole and the at least one through hole of the top insole lead to said first region or to said second region of the insole. This allows for the production of one standard size insole adaptable to fit patients with different shoe sizes which standard size insole has good tactile feedback characteristics.
In one embodiment, the top insole and the bottom insole each comprise 10 respective matching through holes, each respective through hole being positioned as follows:
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- a first respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=0, y=31),
- a second respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−0.7, y=46),
- a third respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−1.2, y=58),
- a fourth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−1.7, y=70),
- a fifth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−23, y=198),
- a sixth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=0, y=205),
- a seventh respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=22, y=195),
- an eighth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−25, y=210),
- a ninth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=0, y=220),
- a tenth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=30, y=208), and wherein five tactile overload feedback elements are being arranged to slide vertically in a respective hole of the top insole during normal operation. This provides for effective tactile overload feedback to the patient during the entire ground contact phase of the gait cycle when the lower extremities are under stress.
In one embodiment, the top insole has a thickness of about 6 mm at rest and, at least in some region, is compressed at least about 1 mm during normal operation, as during walking. This makes the insole not so bulky and provides a possibility to use it in a conventional shoe.
In one embodiment, the top insole resumes its substantial rest thickness of about 6 mm within about 3 seconds after foot pressure release. This assures that the insole will give substantially the same tactile feedback response for a plurality of ground contact phases.
In one embodiment, the bottom insole has a thickness of about 0.5 mm and the diameter of the at least one through hole of the bottom insole is about 4 mm and the diameter of the at least one through hole of the top insole is about 5 mm. This assists in providing a not so bulky insole in which an effective tactile overload feedback of suitable dimensions may easily be installed.
In one embodiment, said tactile overload feedback element is made of a firm material, such as plastic or a metallic material, and is realised as a pin element or a half disk element or a half spherical element. This assures good tactile stimulation to the foot.
According to a second aspect, the invention provides a bottom insole as defined according to the first aspect of the invention.
In on embodiment, the bottom insole has at least one shoe size number contour line printed or otherwise outlined on it which contour line corresponds to a shoe number size in the size number range of 35-47 according to a Swedish shoe size standard. This facilitates a correct size adjustment of a standard size insole to fit patients with different shoe sizes.
According to a third aspect, the invention provides a top insole as defined according to the first aspect of the invention.
In on embodiment, the top insole has at least one shoe size number contour line printed or otherwise outlined on it which contour line corresponds to a shoe number size in the size number range of 35-47 according to a Swedish shoe size standard. This facilitates a correct size adjustment of a standard size insole to fit patients with different shoe sizes.
According to a fourth aspect, the invention provides a bottom insole according to the second aspect of the invention and a top insole according to the third aspect of the invention.
In one embodiment, the kit further comprises a tactile overload feedback element being made of a firm material, such as plastic or a metallic material, and realised as a pin element or a half disk element or a half spherical element, wherein the tactile overload feedback element, when installed in the insole, penetrates about 5 mm into the at least one through hole of the top insole.
Even though the invention has been summarized above, the invention is defined by the accompanying claims 1-19.
The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein;
Now, with reference to
In the
The invention is based on the concept to provide accurate tactile feedback to patients during walking at specific foot weight loads allowing them to auto-control, and thereby limit, the load on bones, ligaments etc. during walking, thereby optimising the healing/recovery process of injured/traumatised tissue in the lower extremities, e.g. after bone fractures, sprains etc. The tactile feedback is provided by means of an orthopedic insole arrangement.
Table 1 illustrates suitable positions for the pins. “Length of Foot” in table 1 corresponds to “LENGTH” in
The various foot positions for the pins, as indicated in table 1, are then translated into suitable positions for the holes 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185 of the bottom insole 110 and corresponding matching holes 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 166, 171, 176, 181, 186 of the top insole 112, in
a first set of coordinates fulfilling the criteria of y<117 and having a minimum distance to the outer edge of the insole 498 of 12 mm, wherein the first set of coordinates define the first region 452 of the insole, and,
a second set of coordinate points being defined by fulfilling the criteria of 157.5<y<273 and having a minimum distance to an outer edge of the insole 498 of 12 mm, wherein the second set of coordinates define the second region 453 of the insole. This means that no part of the cross section area of the through holes extend outside region/s 452 and/or 453. The through holes 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185 of the bottom insole 110, or holes 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 166, 171, 176, 181, 186 of the top insole 112 are preferably circular, i.e their respective cross section area is circular in shape, but the invention is not restricted hereto. Circular cylindrical pins 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, are advantageous since they can be produced with high accuracy at low cost, and provide good tactile feedback characteristics. Circular holes are preferably used with circular pins, for obtaining the best tactile feedback characteristics. Furthermore, for obtaining useful tactile feedback characteristics, the foot contact area of the pins, and consequently also the cross section area of the throughholes 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 166, 171, 176, 181, 186, of the top insole, should normally neither be too small, giving rise to risk of penetration through the skin of the foot, nor too large, giving rise to risk of loosing the sensation of distinct tactile feedback of discomfort and in the worst case may give a positive stimulation effect, i.e. the patient obtains an erroneous comfortable tactile sensation when the actual weigh load on the leg/foot is too high for providing optimal healing. The holes 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, of the bottom insole 110 are arranged to provide good snap on and support characteristics for the pins 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, and are therefore preferably circular cylinders having a diameter being less than the diameter of the holes of the top insole and in agreement with the diameter of a waist section of a pin 115 allowing the waist section to be firmly supported by the bottom insole. The diameter of the waist section of the pin 115 must not be too small due to structural strength requirements. Therefore, the cross section area of the throughholes 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 166, 171, 176, 181, 186, is at least 3 mm2 and does not exceed 300 mm2, according to the invention. Preferably, the through holes 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 166, 171, 176, 181, 186, are circular cylinders having a diameter in the range of 3-10 mm, and more preferably, a diameter in the range of 3.5-8 mm. In a most preferred embodiment, the diameter of the through holes 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 166, 171, 176, 181, 186 of the top insole is 5 mm, and exceeds the diameter of the pin heads with 0.5 mm, and the diameter of the through holes 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185 of the bottom insole is 4 mm and equals the diameter of a waist section 8220 of the pin 115.
a first hole (520, 521) positioned at the coordinate point (x=0, y=31),
a second hole (530, 531) positioned at the coordinate point (x=−0.7, y=46),
a third hole (540, 541) positioned at the coordinate point (x=−1.2, y=58),
a fourth hole (550, 551) positioned at the coordinate point (x=−1.7, y=70),
a fifth hole (560, 561) positioned at the coordinate point (x=−23, y=198),
a sixth hole (565, 566) positioned at the coordinate point (x=0, y=205),
a seventh hole (570, 571) positioned at the coordinate point (x=22, y=195),
an eighth hole (575, 576) positioned at the coordinate point (x=−25, y=210),
a ninth hole (580, 581) positioned at the coordinate point (x=0, y=220),
a tenth hole (585, 586) positioned at the coordinate point (x=30, y=208).
Theoretically, an unlimited number of pins/holes can be used, however using too many pins takes away the tactile feedback characteristics of the insole assembly that the invention seeks to provide. The choice of using exactly 5 pins and 10 holes for the bottom insole 510 and top insole 512 has proven to give a well functioning insole during tests. The choice of providing 10 through holes in the bottom insole 510 and top insole 512, and being positioned as illustrated in
Urethane materials provided by PORON MEDICAL®, which are commercially available e.g. from Rogers Corporation, High Performance Foams Division, Chicago, USA, are suitable for the top insole 612 according to the invention. Table 2 specifies some suitable PORON® materials for the top insole according to a preferred embodiment. Apart from providing well functioning elastic/compressibility/resilience characteristics to the insole 612, these PORON® materials also provide long term comfort and good hygiene, since they “breathe”, are fungal resistant, have a relatively low water absorption and have a relatively smooth surface.
The materials specified on rows 2-4 and 6 in table 2 worked very well during practical tests in the foot weight load range of about 15-55 Kg for a group of test patients. Each PORON® material in table 2 is associated with a specific weight load limit, which is individual and varies to some extent for different patients. The materials indicated on rows 1 and 2 constitute alternatives for substantially the same weight threshold and the materials indicated on rows 4 and 5 constitute alternatives for substantially the same weight threshold. A person skilled in the art realises that other PORON® materials may be used, e.g. for other foot weigh loads. For low foot weight loads, e.g. 10 Kg or less, the top insole 612 may be made of a polyether material.
Table 3 specifies various cellular rubber materials, which the top insole 612 is made of, according to an alternative embodiment. These cellular rubbers are commercially available e.g. from National Gummi AB, Fagerdala Cellplaster, Sweden. Shore “0” and Shore “00” are different hardness scales.
Now, with reference to
Assuming that a patient with shoe size number 45 and weighing about 85 Kg needs to stimulate the right foot/knee for optimising the healing process, e.g. after a sprain of the right foot or after a surgical operation of the right knee. A bottom insole and a top insole of size 45 is then first cut out from a bottom insole 710 and a top insole 712. The 5 pins 115, 116, 117, 118 and 119 are then snapped into the bottom insole 710, in through holes 720, 740, 775, 780 and 785 respectively. The top insole is then fastened on top of the bottom insole, e.g. by means of adhesive tape or similar, and the so created insole arrangement is installed in a right shoe, which normally is a shoe of the patient. The patient then puts this shoe on. Thereafter, the patient in an upright normal walking position puts the right foot/shoe on a balance without putting any weight load on the foot. In this position, the right foot 9400 is not in contact with any of the pins, illustrated by the pin 915 in
The insole according to the invention can be used for both left and right feet, i.e. there is no need to produce “left” and “right” variants. The bottom insole and pins may be washed/sterilised and reused, even by a plurality of patients. The top insole is normally discarded after being used due to hygienic reasons.
The insole arrangement according to the invention may be used by a wide range of patient groups, wherein some minor modifications may be necessary, e.g. it may be used in a plaster, it may be used by patients who tend to put a too high lateral or medial load on the foot, i.e. suffering from pronation or supination as illustrated in
The described insole arrangement according to the invention provides accurate tactile feedback allowing an efficient auto load control of the lower extremities during rehabilitation, and thereby an improved healing and a shortened rehabilitation period. The insole arrangement is versatile and cost effective, both to produce and to use. It is user friendly and intuitive in its use. It may be used without notice, which may be of importance to some patient groups. as a person skilled in the art understands.
The principles of the present invention have been described in the foregoing by means of examples and/or embodiments and/or modes/examples of operation. However, as already stated, many modifications and/or combinations are possible, e.g. regarding the choice of material and the absolute and relative dimensions of different parts of the insole arrangement described above. Furthermore, the insole according to the invention need not necessarily be formed by separate top/bottom insoles as described above, but may instead have a completely integrated design with the bottom/top insole designed as one integrated insole, and with integrated pins etc. Therefore, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments/working examples discussed above, and it should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments/working examples by persons skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1-19. (canceled)
20. A compressible insole comprising a bottom insole, a top insole arranged on top of the bottom insole and having at least one hole, and at least one tactile overload feedback element anchored in the insole, wherein the bottom insole comprises at least one through hole matching said at least one through hole of the top insole during normal operation, wherein the at least one tactile overload feedback element is snapped onto the bottom insole through said through hole of the bottom insole, and is arranged to slide inside the hole of the top insole in a substantially perpendicular direction relative a foot during normal operation when the insole is compressed at weight bearing, as during walking, thereby protruding from the insole at some compression of the insole.
21. The insole according to claim 20 wherein the hole is positioned vertically under the forefoot, or the heel of the foot, during normal operation, as during walking.
22. The insole according to claim 21, wherein the hole is positioned under a first metatarsal head of the foot or under the third metatarsal head of the foot or under the fifth metatarsal head of the foot or under the calcaneus bone of the foot during normal operation, as during walking.
23. The insole according to claim 3, wherein it comprises five holes perpendicularly oriented relative the foot, and five tactile overload feedback elements, each tactile overload feedback element being arranged to slide in one of the respective holes during weight bearing, as during walking, wherein two of the holes are positioned under the calcaneus bone, one hole is positioned under the first metatarsal head, one hole is positioned under the third metatarsal head and one hole is positioned under the fifth metatarsal head during normal operation, as during walking.
24. The insole according to claim 1, wherein the bottom insole is made of a firm material, such as a thermoplastic polyamide material, and said tactile overload feedback element is anchored in said bottom insole; and wherein said top insole is made of a compressible material, such as a cellular plastic material, a cellular urethane material, a polyether material or a cellular rubber material, and having said at least one hole in which the tactile overload feedback element is arranged to slide during normal operation.
25. The insole according to claim 24, wherein the top insole is made of a compressible material having a hardness shore 0 value in the range of A 4-30.
26. The insole according to claim 24, wherein the insole, when being aligned with the sagittal plane of a foot during normal operation, and further being associated with an imaginary system of coordinates defining a first and second region of the insole; said system of coordinates having an Y-axis being parallel with said sagittal plane and substantially directed in a frontal direction of the insole, and having an X-axis directed in a medial direction, and having its origin of coordinates positioned at the backmost edge end of the insole when so aligned; the X-axis and Y-axis defining coordinates of length in mm; said regions being defined by the following: wherein the insole has a total length of about 299 mm from the back edge end to a front edge end, a heel region width of about 70 mm and a front foot region width of about 100 mm, and wherein the at least one through hole of the bottom insole and the at least one through hole of the top insole lead to said first region or to said second region of the insole.
- a first set of coordinates fulfilling the criteria of y<117 and having a minimum distance to an outer edge of the insole of 12 mm, wherein the first set of coordinates define the first region of the insole, and
- a second set of coordinate points being defined by fulfilling the criteria of 157.5<y<273 and having a minimum distance to an outer edge of the insole of 12 mm, wherein the second set of coordinates define the second region of the insole,
27. The insole according to claim 26, wherein the top insole and the bottom insole each comprise 10 respective matching through holes, respectively, each respective through hole being positioned as follows: wherein five tactile overload feedback elements are being arranged to slide vertically in a respective hole of the top insole during normal operation.
- a first respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=0, y=31),
- a second respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−0.7, y=46),
- a third respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−1.2, y=58),
- a fourth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−1.7, y=70),
- a fifth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−23, y=198),
- a sixth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=0, y=205),
- a seventh respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=22, y=195),
- an eighth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=−25, y=210),
- a ninth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=0, y=220),
- a tenth respective through hole positioned at the coordinate point (x=30, y=208), and
28. The insole according to claim 24, wherein the top insole has a thickness of about 6 mm at rest and at least in some region is compressed at least about 1 mm during normal operation, as during walking.
29. The insole according to claim 24, wherein the top insole resumes its substantial rest thickness of about 6 mm within about 3 seconds after foot pressure release.
30. The insole according to claim 24, wherein the bottom insole has a thickness of about 0.5 mm and wherein the diameter of the at least one through hole of the bottom insole is about 4 mm and the diameter of the at least one through hole of the top insole is about 5 mm.
31. The insole according to claim 1, wherein said tactile overload feedback element is made of a firm material, such as plastic or a metallic material, and is realised as a pin element or a half disk element or a half spherical element.
32. A bottom insole according to claim 1, wherein it has at least one shoe size number contour line printed or otherwise outlined on it which contour line corresponds to a shoe number size in the size number range of 35-47 according to a Swedish shoe size standard.
33. A top insole according to claim 1, wherein it has at least one shoe size number contour line printed or otherwise outlined on it which contour line corresponds to a shoe number size in the size number range of 35-47 according to a Swedish shoe size standard.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 19, 2006
Publication Date: Feb 19, 2009
Inventors: Peter Kohler (Stocksund), Leif LInd (Akersberga)
Application Number: 12/158,218
International Classification: A43B 13/38 (20060101);