ROBOTIC PROSTHESIS ALIGNMENT DEVICE AND ALIGNMENT SURROGATE DEVICE

• US 20100161077A1
• Filed: 07/13/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orthocare Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Orthocare Innovations, LLC
• Inventors: Boone, David Alan, Macomber, Ben Gilbert
• Granted Patent: US 8,409,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/38
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/60 Artificial legs or feet or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/76 Means for assembling, fitting or testing prostheses, e.g. for measuring or balancing, e.g. alignment means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/80 Sockets, e.g. of suction type
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5018 for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5023 along two perpendicular axes
• 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 2002/7615 Measuring means for implanting artificial joints A61F2/4657
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7635 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7645 for measuring torque, e.g. hinge or turning moment, moment of force
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7695 Means for testing non-implantable prostheses for testing implantable prostheses A61F2240/008; for implanting artificial joints A61F2/468
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement

Abstract

A robotic prosthesis alignment device is disclosed that may automatically move the alignment of a prosthesis socket in relation to a prosthesis shank. The robotic prosthesis alignment device provides automatic translation in two axes. The robotic prosthesis alignment device includes angulation mechanics that automatically provide for plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, inversion, and eversion of the foot and shank with respect to the prosthesis socket. A surrogate device is also disclosed that can replicate the alignment achieved with the robotic prosthesis alignment device.

Claims

1. A robotic prosthesis alignment device, comprising:

a translation assembly comprising a first slide deck and a second slide deck that translates in a different direction to the first slide deck;

an angulation assembly comprising a first wedge and a second wedge, each wedge being separately capable of rotation; and

one or more drivers to move the first and second slide decks and rotate the first and second wedges.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the translation assembly provides displacement of an object attached to the translation assembly along a two dimensional plane.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the angulation assembly provides displacement by tilting an object attached to the angulation assembly.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the movement of the first and second slide decks is linear.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein each wedge comprises a circular member that varies in height around the circumference.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising, a driver having a revolution counter and, a processor that correlates a translational position to the number of revolutions.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising, a driver having a revolution counter and, a processor that correlates an angular position to the number of revolutions.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising, a sensor for each slide deck that measures the position of the slide deck and, a processor that determines the translational position from the sensor measurement.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising, a sensor for each wedge that measures the position of the wedge and, a processor that determines the angular position from the sensor measurement.

10. A prosthesis system, comprising:

a prosthesis socket for receiving an amputated limb;

a prosthesis shank attached to the prosthesis socket;

a prosthesis foot attached to the lower end of the prosthesis shank; and

a robotic prosthesis alignment device of claim 1 attached at the joint between the prosthesis socket and the prosthesis shank and/or at the joint between the prosthesis shank and the prosthesis foot, the robotic prosthesis alignment device comprising encoders that provide a translational position and angular position of the prosthesis.

11. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the robotic prosthesis device comprises a translation assembly that displaces the prosthesis socket in relation to the prosthesis foot along a two dimensional plane.

12. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the robotic prosthesis device comprises an angulation assembly that tilts the prosthesis socket in relation to the prosthesis foot.

13. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the robotic prosthesis device comprises, a driver having a revolution counter and, a processor that correlates a translational position to the number of revolutions.

14. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the robotic prosthesis device comprises, a driver having a revolution counter and, a processor that correlates an angular position to the number of revolutions.

15. The prosthesis of claim 10, comprising a driver having a revolution counter and a processor that correlates an angular position to the number of revolutions.

16. The prosthesis of claim 10, comprising a sensor that measures the linear position of the translation assembly.

17. The prosthesis of claim 10, comprising a sensor that measures the angular position of the angulation assembly.

18. The prosthesis of claim 10, further comprising a computer in communication with the robotic prosthesis alignment device, wherein the computer computes a gait cycle profile from the translational and angular position.

19. The prosthesis of claim 18, further comprising a memory device having stored therein correlations of linear positions and angular positions to a plurality of gait cycle profiles.

20. The prosthesis of claim 18, further comprising a torque sensor attached to the prosthesis that provides torque measurements to generate a profile of a gait cycle.

21. The prosthesis of claim 18, wherein the computer compares a gait cycle profile generated from translational and angular positions to a gait cycle stored in a database and, computes a translational position and angular position that approximately matches the gait cycle profile stored in the database.

22. A method for automatically controlling the alignment of a prosthesis, comprising:

measuring a first translational and angular position of a mechanical joint on a prosthesis and providing the measurements to a computer;

determining via the computer, a first gait cycle profile from the first translational and angular position of the mechanical joint;

obtaining via the computer, a second gait cycle profile stored in a computer memory;

comparing via the computer, the first gait cycle profile to the second gait cycle profile and determining differences;

calculating via the computer, a second translational position and angular position calculated to reduce the differences between the first and second gait cycle profiles; and

moving the mechanical joint to the second translational position and angular position.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising counting the revolutions of a driver to determine the translational position of the mechanical joint.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising counting the revolutions of a driver to determine the angular position of the mechanical joint.

25. The method of claim 22, comprising electronically sensing the translational position and angular position of the mechanical joint.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first gait cycle profile is determined by searching a database having stored therein profiles of gait cycles correlating to translational positions and angular positions.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the first gait cycle profile is determined by torque forces measured along the posterior/anterior plane and right/left planes.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the mechanical joint attaches a prosthesis socket to a prosthesis shank or a prosthesis shank to a prosthesis foot.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the mechanical joint comprises a robotic prosthesis alignment device, comprising:

a translation assembly comprising a first slide deck and a second slide deck that translates in a different direction to the first slide deck;

an angulation assembly comprising a first wedge and a second wedge, each wedge being separately capable of rotation; and

one or more drivers to move the first and second slide decks and rotate the first and second wedges.

30. A surrogate device for transferring an alignment to a prosthesis, comprising:

a first wedge comprising marks, wherein the marks are determinative of a position on the wedge; and

a second wedge comprising marks, wherein the marks are determinative of a position on the wedge, wherein the first and second wedge are rotationally positionable with respect to each other such that aligning a mark of the first wedge with a mark on the second wedge results in a predetermined angular position.

31. The surrogate device of claim 30, wherein each wedge generally defines a first and a second side tilted at an angle with respect to each, wherein the side of one wedge is positionable on a side of the other wedge, the combined heights of the wedges resulting in an angle of tilting.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the first wedge further comprises interlocking projections on the side facing the second wedge, and the second wedge comprises interlocking projections on the side facing the first wedge.

33. The device of claim 31, further comprising a first deck comprising marks and a second deck comprising marks, wherein the marks are determinative of a position on the decks, wherein the first and second decks are translationally positionable with respect to each other such that aligning a mark of the first deck with a mark on the second deck results in a predetermined translational position.

34. A method for maintaining the alignment of a prosthesis, comprising:

setting the angular alignment of a prosthesis, wherein the angular alignment is controlled by a robotic device having first and second wedges that are automatically and rotationally positionable with respect to each other;

moving the wedges with respect to each other to achieve an alignment;

taking a measurement of the positions of the two wedges in the alignment; and

assembling a surrogate device having first and second wedges that are assembled to correlate with the measured positions of the wedges of the robotic device to achieve an alignment achieved with the robotic device.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising setting the translational alignment of the prosthesis, wherein the translational alignment is controlled by a robotic device having first, second and third slide decks that are automatically and translationally positionable with respect to each other and taking a measurement of the positions of the slide decks, and assembling the surrogate device having two decks that are assembled to correlate with the measured positions of the slide decks of the robotic device.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the position of the wedges is taken by visually viewing the wedges.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the position of the wedges is taken by an encoder and computer providing the positions.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the position of the slide decks is taken by visually viewing the slide decks.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the position of the slide decks is taken by an encoder and computer providing the positions.