FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROSTHETIC OR ORTHOTIC DEVICES

• US 20100324698A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ossur hf
• Original Assignee: Ossur hf
• Inventors: Sverrisson, Ragnar, Clausen, Arinbjörn V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,387,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/58 Elbows; Wrists ; Other joints; Hands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/60 Artificial legs or feet or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/64 Knee joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems are used for monitoring a global position or location of a prosthetic or orthotic device and to provide feedback control of the device. Certain methods may employ remote transmitting devices and receivers to recognize when a prosthetic or orthotic device user is in a moving vehicle and, therefore, initiate automatic shut-off, driving mode, or relaxed mode. Other methods may employ remote transmitting devices and receivers to identify the global position of the prosthetic or orthotic device, compare the global position to a stored terrain mapped database and output feedback control instructions and/or alerts to the prosthetic or orthotic device based at least in part on the stored terrain mapping information.

Claims

1. A method for automatically adjusting a prosthetic or orthotic device, the method comprising:

detecting a stationary position of a user of a prosthetic or orthotic device;

identifying with control circuitry operatively coupled to the prosthetic or orthotic device a first location of the prosthetic or orthotic device based on information received at a first time from a transmitting source located remotely to the prosthetic or orthotic device;

identifying with the control circuitry a second location of the prosthetic or orthotic device based on information received at a second time from the transmitting source;

calculating a velocity of the prosthetic or orthotic device based on a distance between the first and second locations over a duration of time between the first time and the second time;

comparing the calculated velocity to a threshold velocity; and

when the calculated velocity of the prosthetic or orthotic device exceeds the threshold velocity, automatically adjusting a state of operation of the prosthetic or orthotic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stationary position is a seated position.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold velocity is greater than 5 miles per hour.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the threshold velocity is greater than 20 miles per hour.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically adjusting a state of operation of the prosthetic or orthotic device comprises initiating at least one of an automatic shut-off, a driving mode, or a relaxed mode of the prosthetic or orthotic device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein initiating the driving mode comprises automatically restricting movement by a knee joint of the prosthetic or orthotic device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein initiating the relaxed mode comprises automatically restricting movement of both a knee joint and an ankle joint of the prosthetic or orthotic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying the first and second locations with the control circuitry comprises detecting the first and second locations with at least one global positioning system (GPS) sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first location comprises identifying at least one of a longitude, latitude and elevation of the prosthetic or orthotic device.

10. A method for actively adjusting a prosthetic or orthotic device, the method comprising:

determining a location of the prosthetic or orthotic device user based on data wirelessly received from a transmitter remotely located to the prosthetic or orthotic device;

comparing the location to environmental data stored in a memory, wherein said environmental data is indicative of environmental variables corresponding to a plurality of known locations; and

actively adjusting with at least one actuator movement of the prosthetic or orthotic device based at least in part on said comparison.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the environmental data comprises at least one of terrain information and population density information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the terrain information comprises stable and unstable terrain mapping information.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining comprises wirelessly receiving the data via at least one sensor operatively coupled to the prosthetic or orthotic device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a radio frequency (RF) sensor.

16. A prosthetic or orthotic system comprising:

an actively-adjustable prosthetic or orthotic device;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver disposed on the prosthetic or orthotic device, wherein the GPS receiver is configured to identify a location of the prosthetic or orthotic device;

a processor in communication with the GPS receiver; and

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory is configured to store environmental information corresponding to a plurality of predetermined locations,

and wherein the processor is configured to identify the environmental information associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined locations corresponding to the location of the prosthetic or orthotic device and to control movement of the prosthetic or orthotic device based at least in part on the identified environmental information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the actively-adjustable prosthetic or orthotic device comprises a prosthetic knee joint.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the actively-adjustable prosthetic or orthotic device comprises an actively-adjustable prosthetic ankle joint.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein environmental information comprises population information.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to control movement of the prosthetic or orthotic device based on a speed of the device measured through a change in position detected by the GPS receiver.

21. An prosthetic or orthotic system comprising:

means for wirelessly receiving data from a remote transmitting device, the data indicative of at least one of an absolute location of a prosthetic or orthotic device, said receiving means being disposed on the prosthetic or orthotic device; and

means for processing the data and instructing the prosthetic or orthotic device to initiate at least one of a power-off mode, a driving mode and a relaxed mode to restrict movement of the prosthetic or orthotic device based at least in part on the data.