Rick Howell, president of KneeBinding, Inc., announced Friday that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has allowed the company’s utility patent for a new “knee-friendly” alpine ski binding.

RICK HOWELL, president of KneeBinding, Inc., announced Friday that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has allowed the company’s utility patent for a new “knee-friendly” alpine ski binding.
    The patent has been allowed with no changes to the claims – which means that the level of monopoly protection granted to the company will be broad.
    “We’re pretty confident that a knee-friendly ski binding that’s backed with this much patent protection will have an industry-changing impact,” said Howell, a former FIS-ranked downhiller. “We think it’s the wave of the future. The breadth of the protection creates a tipping point for a new paradigm in skiing safety.”
    The technology specifically protects against injuries to the ACL, without causing skiers to experience inadvertent pre-release. The technology features a simple mechanical “binary filter” that causes the binding to sense and respond only to the special load conditions that cause ACL injuries, while preventing the binding from being “confused” about other controlled-skiing events.
    The technology is simple, light and robust – and will meet the DIN/ISO requirements as tested by TÜV when production bindings become available. "Knee injuries", Howell noted, "are by far the No. 1 injury in alpine skiing, comprising 23 percent of all skiing injuries. Last ski season, it is estimated that there were 70,000 skiing ACL injuries, worldwide, at an average cost of $15,000 per injury for diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation – which equals over $1-billion per year. These costs do not include lost work, long-term pain and the attrition of skiers who don't return to the sport."
    KneeBinding technology has been developed over the past 5 years – and is based upon advanced Axiomatic Engineering Principles developed by MIT.
    KneeBinding ski bindings will be introduced at the trade level to a small, select group of specialty ski retailers in Europe, the United States and Japan in January. Roland Böhme of Leonberg, Germany, is director of international sales.
    KneeBinding, Inc. is based in Stowe, Vermont, with currency exchange advantage for shipping to Europe.