US-20260124063-A1 - DEVICES TO TREAT AND/OR ENHANCE NAIL GROWTH

US20260124063A1US 20260124063 A1US20260124063 A1US 20260124063A1US-20260124063-A1

Abstract

Devices to assist in treatment and/or enhancement of nail growth of a digit for a patient in need thereof are provided with an anchor member adapted to being affixed to a subjacent portion of the nail bed of a patient's digit, an anchor strip and a traction strip. The anchor strip is adapted to being wrapped around the patient's digit proximally of the nail bed. The traction strip is adapted to being connected to the affixed anchor member so as to extend anteriorly around a distal end of the patient's digit and redirected posteriorly under the digit to allow an opposite end thereof to be attached to the anchor strip. The traction strip is thereby capable of exerting a predetermined tension to the nail bed of the patient to assist in treatment and/or enhancement of nail growth by attachment thereof to the anchor member affixed to the nail bed.

Inventors

Christopher B. Stewart

Assignees

Christopher B. Stewart

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251003

Claims (18)

1 . A device to assist in treatment and/or enhancement of nail growth of a digit for a patient in need thereof, the device comprising: an anchor member adapted to being affixed to a subjacent portion of a nail of the digit; an anchor strip having a sufficient length to be wrapped around the digit proximally of the nail; and a flexible traction strip having one end connectable to the anchor member and being of sufficient length so as to be adapted for extension anteriorly around a distal end of the digit and redirected posteriorly under the digit to allow an opposite end of the traction strip to be attached to the anchor strip, wherein the flexible traction strip is capable of exerting a predetermined tension to the nail of the patient to assist in treatment and/or enhancement of nail growth by attachment thereof to the anchor member affixed to the nail.
2 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive material which is adapted to adhesively affix the anchor member to the nail of the patient.
3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the anchor strip and the traction strip is a hook-and-loop fastener strip having hooks on one surface and loops on an opposite surface.
4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the anchor strip and the traction strip is a hook-and-loop fastener strip having hooks on one surface and loops on an opposite surface.
5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the anchor member includes a base element adapted to being affixed to the nail of the patient and a J-shaped anchor element which is oriented posteriorly when the anchor member is affixed to the nail of the patient.
6 . The device according to claim 4 , further comprising an adhesive material which is adapted to adhesively affix the base element of the anchor member to the nail of the patient.
7 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the anchor member is a substantially flat tab having one end adapted to being affixed to the nail of the patient and an opposite unaffixed free end.
8 . The device according to claim 7 , wherein the opposite unaffixed free end of the anchor member defines an opening adapted to being connected to the flexible traction strip.
9 . The device according to claim 8 , wherein the one end of the anchor member includes an adhesive region which is adapted to adhesively affix the one end of the anchor member to a subjacent portion of the nail of the patient.
10 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein anchor member further includes a removable protective release film covering the adhesive region.
11 . A method to treat and/or enhance nail growth of a patient in need thereof, the method comprising: (i) providing the device according to claim 1 ; (ii) affixing the anchor member to a subjacent portion of the nail; (iii) wrapping an anchor strip around the patient's digit posteriorly of the nail; (iv) connecting the one end of the traction strip to the anchor member and extending the traction strip anteriorly around a distal end of the patient's digit and then redirecting the traction strip posteriorly under the patient's digit; and (v) attaching an opposite end of the traction strip to the anchor strip so that the traction strip exerts a predetermined tension force on the nail of the patient through the anchor member affixed thereto.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein each of the anchor strip and the traction strip is a hook-and-loop fastener strip having hooks on one surface and loops on an opposite surface.
13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the anchor member includes a base element adapted to being affixed to the nail of the patient and a J-shaped anchor element which is oriented posteriorly when the anchor member is affixed to the nail of the patient.
14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein step (ii) includes affixing the anchor member to the nail with adhesive.
15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein step (ii) includes applying a liquid adhesive to a portion of the nail, bringing the anchor member into contact with the applied liquid adhesive and allowing the adhesive to solidify.
16 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the anchor member is a substantially flat tab having one end adapted to being affixed to the nail of the patient and an opposite unaffixed free end, and wherein step (ii) includes affixing the one end of the anchor member to the nail of the patient.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein step (ii) includes providing a lower portion of the anchor member with an adhesive region and bringing the adhesive region of the anchor member into contact with the nail.
18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the anchor member includes a removable protective release film covering the adhesive region, and wherein step (ii) includes removing the protecting release film to expose the adhesive region, and thereafter bringing the adhesive region into contact with the nail.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on and claims domestic priority benefits from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/715,697 filed on Nov. 4, 2024, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference. FIELD The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to devices that are especially useful to promote nail health and growth, particularly following trauma or surgical removal of the nail. Specifically, the embodiments of the devices disclosed herein offer a relatively gentle distraction designed to encourage physiological processes that enhance nail regeneration and directional growth. BACKGROUND Following traumatic or surgical nail removal, patients often experience delayed and/or angulated nail growth and discomfort. This period of growth can range from months to greater than one year in some instances. Traditional methods for managing pain and anxiety during recovery include medications and topical treatments, but these do not specifically address the need for physiologic distraction and the encouragement of nail regrowth. Human nails are protective by design. It is well understood that the sooner nails grow back the sooner they can perform their protective function thereby allowing individuals to resume normal activity without pain or hesitation. Various nail corrective devices are known in the art, e.g., from U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,137,297 and 8,262,600, the entire contents of each being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference. While such conventional nail corrective devices may serve their intended purposes, improvements are still desired. It is therefore towards providing such improvements that the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein are directed. SUMMARY Broadly, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed toward devices that are especially useful to promote nail health and growth by exerting a directional tension force onto a patient's nail. The direction tension force may by symmetrical to encourage nail growth in a symmetrical direction coincident to a patient's digit midline or may be angularly asymmetrical to redirect nail growth which is angularly offset relative to the patient's digit midline. The devices disclosed herein may be employed for nail growth enhancement for fingers and/or toes of a patient. The devices of the embodiments disclosed herein are thereby usefully employed so as to, for example, increase nail growth, correct angular deformities of nails and/or treat ingrown nails by redirecting the direction of nail growth. According to exemplary embodiments, devices to assist in treatment and/or enhancement of nail growth of a digit for a patient in need thereof are provided with an anchor member adapted to being affixed to a portion of a nail of the patient's digit. An anchor strip having a sufficient length is adapted to be wrapped around the digit proximally of the nail and is connectable to one end of a traction strip. The traction strip is of sufficient length so as to be extended anteriorly around a distal end of the patient's digit and redirected posteriorly under the digit to allow an opposite end thereof to be attached to the anchor strip. The traction strip is thereby capable of exerting a predetermined tension to the nail of the patient to assist in treatment and/or enhancement of nail growth by attachment thereof to the anchor member affixed to the nail. An adhesive material may be provided which is adapted to adhesively affix the anchor member to the nail of the patient. At least one (preferably both) of the anchor strip and the traction strip may be a conventional flexible hook-and-loop fastener strip (e.g., VELCRO-Brand fastener) having hooks on one surface and loops on an opposite surface thereof. According to some embodiments, the anchor member will include a base element adapted to being adhesively affixed to the nail of the patient and a J-shaped anchor element which is oriented posteriorly when the anchor member is affixed to the nail of the patient. Alternatively, the anchor member the anchor member is in the form of a substantially flat tab having one end adapted to being adhesively affixed to the nail of the patient and an opposite unaffixed free end. The opposite end of the flat anchor tab member may define an opening so as to allow connection to one end of the traction strip. In use, the anchor member is affixed to a subjacent portion of the nail while the anchor strip is wrapped around a patient digit posteriorly of the nail. One end of the traction strip may thereby be connected to the anchor member such that the traction strip extends anteriorly around and over a distal end of the patient's digit and is redirected posteriorly under the patient's digit. An opposite end of the traction strip may then be connected to the anchor strip so that the traction strip exerts a predetermined tension force on the nail of the patient through the anchor member affixed thereto. These and other a