Adjustable toe separator device and method of improving foot functioning
View Patent ↗A toe separator system for improving foot functionality. The toe separator system provides a toe separator shell circumscribing a plurality of toe wedges spaced apart to define a plurality of toe slots. Each toe wedge may have a pill-receiving interior volume for removably receiving a separator pill of different shapes, sizes and densities so that a user can selectively increase the resulting width and form factor of each toe wedge based on the comfort level and desired foot functioning improvement a wearer desires.
1. A toe separator system comprising:
a toe separator shell comprising a leading edge configured to be adjacent a distal end of a user's toes, and a trailing edge configured to be adjacent a proximal end of the user's toes defining an area intended for adjacent placement of the toes, where a shell direction from the leading edge to the trailing edge defines a longitudinal direction of the toe separator shell;
the area having a plurality of toe wedges, wherein a space between each two adjacent toe wedges of the plurality of toe wedges defines a toe slot;
each toe wedge of the plurality of toe wedges defines a U-shape, wherein legs of the U-shape extend in the longitudinal direction so as to define a pill-receiving volume and an opening which faces the trailing edge of the toe separator shell that communicates an external environment with the pill-receiving volume; and
a plurality of separator pills dimensioned and shaped to be removably received in the pill-receiving volume via the opening so that a maximum width of the toe wedge is localized at a midportion of the toe wedge that extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction between the adjacent toe slots.
2. The toe separator system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of separators pills has an oval plane section.
3. The toe separator system of claim 2 , wherein no more than five percent of the oval plane section protrudes from the pill-receiving volume when received therein in a nested condition.
4. The toe separator system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of separator pills has a fish shape having a caudal fin portion.
5. The toe separator system of claim 4 , wherein the caudal fin portion substantially protrudes from the opening in a nested condition.
6. The toe separator system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of separator pills have a plurality of densities, respectively.
7. A method of improving foot functionality, the method comprising:
providing the toe separator system of claim 6 ;
urging a separator pill into each pill-receiving volume, respectively;
sliding the toe separator shell over a set of toes of a patient; and
swapping out a separator pill of at least one pill-receiving volume based on feedback from the patient.
8. The toe separator system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of toe wedges has elastic properties for snugly accommodating one of the plurality of separator pills.
9. The toe separator system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of separator pills has an internal bracing element disposed at a maximum width of the separator pill so that the bracing element aligns with said maximum width of the toe wedge.