Systems and methods for controlling a prosthetic hand

• US 10,265,197 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Touch Bionics Limited (Ossur hf)
• Original Assignee: Touch Bionics Limited (Ossur hf)
• Inventors: Gill, Hugh, Murphy, Jess
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahena, Christie L
• Application Number:
  US15/307,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20170049586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/583 Hands; Wrist joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/68 Operating or control means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/701 operated by electrically controlled means, e.g. solenoids or torque motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/704 computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/705 Electromagnetic data transfer for implantable prostheses A61F2250/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/707 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7615 Measuring means for implanting artificial joints A61F2/4657
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/765 for measuring time or frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method of controlling a prosthetic hand having at least one motorised component is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing the hand with a first wireless transceiver and a controller in communication with one another, storing at least one manipulation instruction relating to the at least one component, and assigning a code relating to the at least one manipulation instruction to at least one second wireless transceiver. The at least one second transceiver is placed in a location at which the at least one manipulation instruction is to be given, and the controller manipulates the at least one component in accordance with the at least one manipulation instruction when the first transceiver communicates to the controller that the at least one second transceiver is within a predetermined distance of the first transceiver. Related methods and systems for controlling a prosthetic hand are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a prosthetic hand comprising at least one motorized component, a first wireless transceiver, and a controller in communication with the first wireless transceiver, the method comprising:

identifying, using a computing device, at least one manipulation instruction, wherein the at least one manipulation instruction, when executed by the controller of the prosthetic hand, causes the controller to manipulate the at least one motorized component of the prosthetic hand such that the prosthetic hand forms a first grip;

assigning, using the computing device, a code indicative of the at least one manipulation instruction to a second wireless transceiver, wherein the second wireless transceiver is placed in a location at which a manipulation signal indicative of the at least one manipulation instruction is to be communicated;

receiving the manipulation signal indicative of the at least one manipulation instruction from the second wireless transceiver, wherein the controller is configured such that it does not manipulate the at least one motorized component in accordance with the at least one manipulation instruction until an activation signal from a user of the prosthetic hand is detected;

detecting the activation signal from the user of the prosthetic hand; and

manipulating, based at least in part on the manipulation signal indicative of the at least one manipulation instruction and the activation signal, the at least one motorized component in accordance with the at least one manipulation instruction such that the prosthetic hand forms the first grip.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first wireless transceiver or the second wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless transceiver searches for signals from the second wireless transceiver at predetermined time intervals of between 200 ms and 500 ms.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless transceiver communicates the manipulation signal indicative of the at least one manipulation instruction based on a determination that the first wireless transceiver and the second wireless transceiver are less than or equal to 18 cm apart.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one motorized component comprises one or more finger digits of the prosthetic hand, wherein the one or more finger digits are different from a thumb digit of the prosthetic hand.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one motorized component further comprises the thumb digit of the prosthetic hand.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating, using the computing device, a detection mode of the first wireless transceiver, wherein the detection mode of the first wireless transceiver allows the transceiver to receive signals from one or more other wireless transceivers, including the second wireless transceiver.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a control signal from the user of the prosthetic hand, wherein said activating the detection mode is responsive to said detecting the control signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said activating comprises changing a state of the first wireless transceiver from an inactive detection mode state to an active detection mode state, wherein inactive detection mode state prevents the first wireless transceiver from receiving the manipulation signal from the second wireless transceiver.

10. A system for controlling a prosthetic hand having at least one motorized component, the system comprising:

a first wireless transceiver associated with the prosthetic hand;

a controller configured to be in communication with the first wireless transceiver and the at least one motorized component, the controller configured to execute at least one manipulation instruction of a plurality of manipulation instructions to cause the controller to manipulate the at least one motorized component such that the prosthetic hand forms a first grip; and

a second wireless transceiver having an assigned code indicative of the at least one manipulation instruction of the plurality of manipulation instructions, wherein the second wireless transceiver is located in a location at which a signal indicative of the at least one manipulation instruction is to be communicated,

wherein the controller is further configured to manipulate the at least one motorized component in accordance with the at least one manipulation instruction such that the prosthetic hand forms the first grip based at least in part on detection of an activation signal from a user of the prosthetic hand and the signal indicative of the at least one manipulation instruction, wherein the controller is configured such that it does not manipulate the at least one motorized component in accordance with the at least one manipulation instruction until the activation signal from the user of the prosthetic hand is detected.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first wireless transceiver or the second wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second wireless transceiver communicates the signal indicative of the at least one manipulation instruction based on a determination that the distance between the first wireless transceiver and the second wireless transceiver is less than or equal to 18 cm.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one motorized component comprises one or more finger digits of the prosthetic hand, wherein the one or more finger digits are different from a thumb digit of the prosthetic hand.