SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROL OF A PROSTHETIC DEVICE

• US 20110264238A1
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Guay, Gerald Michael, van der Merwe, Dirk Albertus, Lanier, Gregory Randall JR., Dastous, Susan D., Kerwin, John Matthew, Perry, N. Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,114,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/54 Artificial arms or hands or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/581 Shoulder joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/582 Elbow joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/583 Hands; Wrist joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/585 Wrist joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/586 Fingers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5018 for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5021 for adjusting a position by translation along an axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/543 Lower arms or forearms
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/546 Upper arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/587 Thumbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6827 Feedback system for providing user sensation, e.g. by force, contact or position
• 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 2002/762 : for measuring dimensions, e.g. a distance
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7625 : for measuring angular position
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7635 : for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/764 : for measuring acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7645 : for measuring torque, e.g. hinge or turning moment, moment of force
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7685 : located on natural or sound-site limbs, e.g. comparison measuring means

Abstract

A control system for control of a prosthetic device having a plurality of actuators receives an orientation signal indicative of a desired movement. The control system evaluates whether the prosthetic device may move as desired with a current angle of rotation and commands at least one actuator to move the prosthetic device as desired by maintaining the current angle of rotation or by adjusting the angle of rotation if the prosthetic device cannot move as desired with the current angle. The control system may alternate between commanding a first subset of actuators and a second subset of actuators each time the orientation signal is indicative of a neutral position. The control system may include a position sensor and a compliance sensor and may command at least one actuator based on a combination of positional control using the position sensor and force control using the compliance sensor.

Claims

1. A prosthetic device having a plurality of actuators and a control module for commanding the plurality of actuators, the control module in communication with at least one sensor module adapted to detect orientation changes, the control module configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving at least one orientation signal from the sensor module, the orientation signal being indicative of a commanded direction of movement of the prosthetic device;

evaluating whether the prosthetic device may move in the commanded direction with a current angle of rotation of the prosthetic device; and

commanding at least one actuator of the plurality of actuators to move the prosthetic device in the commanded direction.

2. The prosthetic device according to claim 1, wherein the control module maintains the current angle of rotation of the prosthetic device when commanding the at least one actuator to move the prosthetic device in the commanded direction.

3. The prosthetic device according to claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to perform operations comprising:

adjusting the angle of rotation of the prosthetic device if the prosthetic device cannot move in the commanded direction with the current angle of rotation.

4. The prosthetic device according to claim 3, wherein the control module adjusts the angle of rotation of the prosthetic device in accordance with joint limits of the plurality of actuators.

5. The prosthetic device according to claim 4, wherein the control module adjusts the angle of rotation of the prosthetic device in accordance with at least one position limiting boundary of the prosthetic device.

6. A control system for a prosthetic device comprising:

at least one sensor module adapted to detect orientation changes;

at least one device module in communication with the at least one sensor module, the at least one device module determining user input commands based on the orientation changes;

at least one actuator of the prosthetic device configured to receive commands from the device module;

at least one position sensor detecting a position of the at least one actuator, the position sensor in communication with the at least one device module; and

at least one compliance sensor detecting a compliance of the at least one actuator, the compliance sensor in communication with the at least one device module;

wherein the device module commands the at least one actuator based on a combination of positional control using the at least one position sensor and force control using the at least one compliance sensor.

7. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the device module determines the combination of positional control and force control by calculating a measured impedance using the at least one position sensor and the at least one compliance sensor.

8. The control system according to claim 6, additionally comprising:

a second compliance sensor detecting a second compliance of a second actuator, the second compliance sensor in communication with the at least one device module;

wherein the device module maintains a first force measured by the first compliance sensor to be substantially equal to a second force measured by the second compliance sensor.

9. The control system according to claim 8, wherein the first compliance sensor detects compliance of a thumb structure of the prosthetic device.

10. The control system according to claim 9, wherein the second compliance sensor detects compliance of an index structure of the prosthetic device.

11. A control system for a prosthetic device comprising:

at least one sensor module adapted to detect orientation changes, the at least one sensor module having a neutral position at a first orientation;

at least one device module in communication with the at least one sensor module; and

a plurality of actuators of the prosthetic device configured to receive commands from the device module, the plurality of actuators including a first subset of actuators and a second subset of actuators;

wherein the device module alternates between commanding the first subset of actuators and the second subset of actuators each time the at least one sensor module is returned to the neutral position at the first orientation.

12. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the first subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for at least one finger structure of the prosthetic device.

13. The control system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one finger structure is a thumb structure, an index structure, a middle structure, a ring structure or a pinky structure.

14. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the second subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for at least one finger structure of the prosthetic device.

15. The control system according to claim 14, wherein the at least one finger structure is a thumb structure, an index structure, a middle structure, a ring structure or a pinky structure.

16. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the first subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for a middle structure, a ring structure and a pinky structure.

17. The control system according to claim 16, wherein the second subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for a thumb structure and at least one actuator for an index structure.

18. The control system according to claim 16, wherein the first subset additionally includes at least one actuator for an index structure;

and

wherein the second subset includes at least one actuator for a thumb structure.

19. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the first subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for a thumb structure and at least one actuator for a middle structure, a ring structure and a pinky structure.

20. The control system according to claim 19, wherein the second subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for an index structure.