Anti-carpal tunnel device (ACTD) for computer operators

Claim 1

A computer mouse assembly for reducing hand and wrist fatigue and for preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome comprising: a computer mouse having a substantially integral upper surface and a length; and a substantially spherical palm support having a rounded upper surface, said palm support being detachably and adjustably mounted on a piece of hook and loop material on said upper surface of said computer mouse; wherein a user may detach said palm support from said mouse and may then reposition and reattach said palm support forwardly or backwardly along at least a portion of the length of said mouse, and wherein the palm support serves to prevent the wrist from significantly bending when the palm of the hand rests upon the palm support, even when the user is moving the mouse, and wherein a user may quickly and inexpensively convert an ordinary computer mouse to a mouse having enhanced support for the palm that prevents bending of the wrist, by mounting said piece of hook and loop material onto said upper surface of said computer mouse for use in conjunction with said palm support.

Claim 13

A method for easily and inexpensively configuring any of a wide variety of standard computer mice with an assembly for reducing hand and wrist fatigue, the method comprising the steps of: providing a computer mouse having an upper surface, said computer mouse being any of a wide variety of standard, off-the shelf computer mice; providing a styrofoam palm support having a convex upper surface and a substantially flat lower surface, said styrofoam palm support comprising the major portion of a sphere and having a height of at least one inch; providing a palm support attachment system comprising a strip of hook and loop-type material and a piece of hook and loop-type material; attaching said strip of hook and loop-type material to said computer mouse, such that said strip extends along at least the major portion of the length of the mouse; attaching said piece of hook and loop-type material to said lower surface of said palm support; mounting said palm support onto said upper surface of said computer mouse by interconnecting said strip of hook and loop-type material attached to the upper surface of said computer mouse to said piece of hook and loop-type material attached to said palm support; adjusting the position of the palm support on said upper surface of said computer mouse, by pulling on said palm support to unattach it from said strip of hook and loop material, moving said palm support along the length of said palm support to a new position, and reattaching said palm support at the new position; wherein the position of the palm support is adaptable to the differing hand sizes and configurations of a variety of users, with the palm support serving to prevent a user's wrist from significantly bending when the user's palm rests on the palm support, and wherein said palm support attachment system permits a user to use said palm support with a variety of different brands and configurations of computer mice.

Claim 14

A method for easily and inexpensively configuring any of a wide variety of standard computer mice with an assembly for reducing hand and wrist fatigue, the method comprising the steps of: providing a computer mouse having an upper surface, said computer mouse being any of a wide variety of standard, off-the shelf computer mice; providing a styrofoam palm support having a convex upper surface and a substantially flat lower surface, said styrofoam palm support comprising the major portion of a sphere and having a height of at least one inch; providing a palm support attachment system comprising a strip of hook and loop-type material and a piece of hook and loop-type material; attaching said strip of hook and loop-type material to said computer mouse, such that said strip extends along at least the major portion of the length of the mouse; attaching said piece of hook and loop-type material to said lower surface of said palm support; mounting said palm support onto said upper surface of said computer mouse by interconnecting said strip of hook and loop-type material attached to the upper surface of said computer mouse to said piece of hook and loop-type material attached to said palm support; adjusting the position of the palm support on said upper surface of said computer mouse, by pulling on said palm support to unattach it from said strip of hook and loop material, moving said palm support along the length of said palm support to a new position, and reattaching said palm support at the new position; wherein the position of the palm support is adaptable to the differing hand sizes and configurations of a variety of users, with the palm support serving to prevent a user's wrist from significantly bending when the user's palm rests on the palm support, and wherein said palm support attachment system permits a user to use said palm support with a variety of different brands and configurations of computer mice.