PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS

• US 20140324189A1
• Filed: 08/17/2012
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Touch Bionics Limited (Ossur hf), University of Edinburgh
• Original Assignee: Touch Emas Limited
• Inventors: Gill, Hugh, Vijayakumar, Sethu, Saunders, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 10,398,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/583 Hands; Wrist joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/588 Hands having holding devices shaped differently from human fingers, e.g. claws, hooks, tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6827 Feedback system for providing user sensation, e.g. by force, contact or position
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6836 Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears
• 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: B25J 15/0009 comprising multi-articulated fingers, e.g. resembling a human hand

Abstract

A prosthesis (1) or an orthosis and method of operating the same. The prosthesis or orthosis comprising a moveable component (2), a motor (7) operable to move the component, wherein the motor has at least one operating parameter, the application of which to the motor results in the component having at least one operating condition; and an electronic device (28) operable to: determine at least one operating parameter of the motor and determine at least one instantaneous operating condition of the component from a predetermined operating profile of the motor and component and the determined at least one operating parameter of the motor, the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component being based on one or more operating parameter inputs to the motor and one or more resulting operating condition outputs of the component.

Claims

1. A prosthesis or an orthosis comprising:

a moveable component;

a motor operable to move the component, wherein the motor has at least one operating parameter, the application of which to the motor results in the component having at least one operating condition; and

an electronic device operable to;

determine at least one operating parameter of the motor; and

determine at least one instantaneous operating condition of the component from a predetermined operating profile of the motor and component and the determined at least one operating parameter of the motor, the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component being based on one or more operating parameter inputs to the motor and one or more resulting operating condition outputs of the component.

2. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is operable to determine at least one instantaneous operating parameter of the motor.

3. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component is based on a plurality of operating parameter inputs to the motor and a plurality of resulting operating condition outputs of the component.

4. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the motor is an electric motor and the at least one operating parameter is electrical current and/or voltage.

5. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating condition of the component includes one or more of the group consisting of:

initial movement, contact of the component with a surface, slipping or sliding of the component with a surface, acceleration, deceleration, average speed, instantaneous speed, amount of extension, amount of flexion, and force applied by the component to a surface.

6. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes firmware operable to compare the determined at least one instantaneous operating parameter of the motor to the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component.

7. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes firmware operable to determine the at least one instantaneous operating condition of the component from the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component.

8. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component includes one or more data sets representative of one or more operating parameter inputs to the motor and one or more resulting operating condition outputs of the component.

9. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component is determined by a mathematical model based on the one or more operating parameter inputs to the motor and the one or more resulting operating condition outputs of the component.

10. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is further operable to produce an output signal indicative of the determined at least one instantaneous operating condition of the component.

11. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further operable to use the output signal together with the operating parameters of the motor in a control strategy for the operation of the component.

12. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further operable to communicate the output signal to the wearer of the prosthesis or orthosis.

13. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 12, wherein the output signal may be communicated to the wearer of the prosthesis or orthosis visually, kinaesthetically, aurally or neurally

14. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 13, wherein the mode of feedback to the wearer of the prosthesis or orthosis includes vibrotactile or electrotactile.

15. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 12, wherein output signal is fed back to the wearer of the prosthesis or orthosis at a stump, arm or healthy hand, shoulder, neck, foot, or tongue.

16. A prosthesis or an orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the prosthesis or orthosis comprises a plurality of moveable components, with each component having a motor and either the prosthesis or orthosis comprising a single electronic device, or each component having an electronic device.

17. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis having a moveable component, a motor operable to move the component, wherein the motor has at least one operating parameter, the application of which to the motor results in the component having at least one operating condition, and an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

applying at least one operating parameter to the motor; and

using the electronic device to;

determine at least one operating parameter of the motor; and

determine at least one instantaneous operating condition of the component from a predetermined operating profile of the motor and component and the determined at least one operating parameter of the motor, the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component being based on one or more operating parameter inputs to the motor and one or more resulting operating condition outputs of the component.

18. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17, wherein the electronic device is operable to determine at least one instantaneous operating parameter of the motor.

19. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component is based on a plurality of operating parameter inputs to the motor and a plurality of resulting operating condition outputs of the component.

20. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17, wherein the motor is an electric motor and the at least one operating parameter is electrical current and/or voltage.

21. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17, wherein the at least one operating condition of the component includes one or more of the group consisting of:

initial movement, contact of the component with a surface, slipping or sliding of the component with a surface, acceleration, deceleration, average speed, instantaneous speed, amount of extension, amount of flexion, and force applied by the component to a surface.

22. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17 wherein the electronic device includes firmware operable to compare the determined at least one instantaneous operating parameter of the motor to the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component.

23. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17, wherein the electronic device includes firmware operable to determine the at least one instantaneous operating condition of the component from the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component.

24. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component includes one or more data sets representative of one or more operating parameter inputs to the motor and one or more resulting operating condition outputs of the component.

25. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined operating profile of the motor and component is determined by a mathematical model based on the one or more operating parameter inputs to the motor and the one or more resulting operating condition outputs of the component.

26. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17, wherein the electronic device is further operable to produce an output signal indicative of the determined at least one instantaneous operating condition of the component.

27. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device is further operable to use the output signal together with the operating parameters of the motor in a control strategy for the operation of the component.

28. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device is further operable to communicate the output signal to the wearer of the prosthesis or orthosis.

29. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 28, wherein the output signal may be communicated to the wearer of the prosthesis or orthosis visually, kinaesthetically, aurally or neurally

30. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 28, wherein the mode of feedback to the wearer of the prosthesis or orthosis includes vibrotactile or electrotactile.

31. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 28, wherein output signal is fed back to the wearer of the prosthesis or orthosis at a stump, arm or healthy hand, shoulder, neck, foot, or tongue.

32. A method of operating a prosthesis or orthosis according to claim 17, wherein the prosthesis or orthosis comprises a plurality of moveable components, with each component having a motor and either the prosthesis or orthosis comprising a single electronic device, or each component having an electronic device.