Device and method for remote maintenance of an electronically controllable prosthesis

• US 20020161451A1
• Filed: 09/11/2001
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA
• Original Assignee: Biedermann Motech GmbH
• Inventors: Matthis, Wilfried, Biedermann, Lutz, Schulz, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 6,679,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5003 having damping means, e.g. shock absorbers for implantable joints A61F2002/30563
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/607 Lower legs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6818 for braking
• 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 2002/7635 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension

Abstract

A device and a method for remote maintenance of an electronically controllable prosthesis (1) are provided. The prosthesis comprises a controller in which operating and/or movement data characterizing the prosthesis are detected and are then transmitted to a remote maintenance device (20) with a storage and evaluation unit (20). Remote maintenance of the prosthesis using the detected data is possible via a remotely located remote control unit (23) that can access the storage and evaluation unit via the telephone network. Corrected operational data are transmitted from the storage and evaluation unit (20 back to the controller of the prosthesis.

Claims

1. Device for remote maintenance of an electronically controllable prosthesis whereby the prosthesis has a controller (11) for detecting movement data characterizing a movement of the prosthesis wearer and for outputting of control data to the prosthesis, wherein the remote maintenance device (20) comprises a first data transmission device (21), which can be linked to the controller (11) of the prosthesis (1), through which movement and/or control data can be transmitted bidirectionally between the controller (11) of the prosthesis and the first data transmission device (21), a second data transmission device (22) for transmitting movement and/or control data to a remotely located remote control unit (23) and for receiving data from the remote control unit (23) and a storage device (24) for storing movement and/or control data and wherein the remote control unit (23) is linked to the second data transmission device (22) via a data transmission network.

2. Device in accordance with claim 1 characterized by a controller (24) that controls an evaluation and/or transmission of the movement and/or control data in dependence of a preset program.

3. Device in accordance with claim 1 or 2 characterized by the prosthesis (1) comprising one or more rechargeable batteries and the remote maintenance device (20) comprising a device (27) for charging the batteries when the prosthesis is connected to the device (20).

4. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 3 characterized by an externally controllable clock (25) to enable synchronization with a clock provided in the prosthesis.

5. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 4 characterized by a display/input unit (26) for displaying the data concerning the prosthesis and for entering commands.

6. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 5 characterized by the controller being designed so that it initiates communication via the second data transmission device (22) with the remote control unit (23) it the movement and/or control data deviate from default data.

7. Method for remote maintenance of an electronically controllable prosthesis with the steps:

a) detecting data characterizing the operation of the prosthesis while the prosthesis is being worn;

b) transmitting the detected data to a remote maintenance device (20) comprising a storage and evaluation device;

c) accessing the data stored in the storage and evaluation device through a remote control unit (23) via a data transmission network;

d) assessing and where necessary updating the detected data, and

e) transmitting the updated data to the storage and evaluation device via the data network;

f) transmitting the updated data from the storage and evaluation device (20) to the prosthesis.

8. Method in accordance with claim 7 characterized by the remote maintenance taking place via the telephone network.

9. Method in accordance with claim 7 or 8 characterized by the prosthesis detecting movement data over a preset period of time and these movement data being evaluated in the storage and evaluation device (20) and the data characterizing the operation of the prosthesis being corrected using the movement data.

10. Method in accordance with one of the claims 7 to 9 characterized by the remote maintenance being carried out when the prosthesis has been removed.