Prosthetics

• US 20150374515A1
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Touch Bionics Limited (Ossur hf)
• Original Assignee: Touch Bionics Limited (Ossur hf)
• Inventors: Meijer, Robertus, Nazarpour, Kianoush
• Granted Patent: US 10,610,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/583 Hands; 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 2002/587 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

Abstract

Methods of operating a prosthesis (10a) having at least one moveable component (12) and an electronic control device (18) are provided, where the at least one moveable component (12) has two or more operating modes (30) and at least one operating parameter (28). The method comprises receiving at least one input control signal (p1,p2,pn) from the wearer of the prosthesis (10a), comparing the at least one input control signal (p1,p2,pn) with an operating profile (26) stored in the electronic control device in order to determine a desired operating mode (30) and operating parameter (28), and instructing the moveable component (12) to move in accordance with the desired operating mode (30) and operating parameter (28). Prostheses are also provided, at least one such prosthesis (10a) comprising at least one moveable component (12) and an electronic device (18) operable to select both an operating mode (30) of the at least one moveable component (12) and at least one operating parameter (28) of the at least one moveable component (12) in response to an input command signal (P) from the wearer of the prosthesis.

Claims

1. A method of operating a prosthesis having at least one moveable component and an electronic control device, the at least one moveable component having two or more operating modes and at least one operating parameter, the method comprising:

receiving at least one input control signal from the wearer of the prosthesis;

comparing the at least one input control signal with an operating profile stored in the electronic control device in order to determine a desired operating mode and operating parameter; and

instructing the moveable component to move in accordance with the desired operating mode and operating parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing input control signals received so as to establish an input control signal pattern; and

predicting a desired operating mode and operating parameter based upon the input control signal pattern upon receiving the at least one control signal from the wearer of the prosthesis.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a final step of sending a feedback signal to the wearer of the prosthesis, the feedback signal indicative of the selected operating mode and operating parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating profile is divided into a plurality of regions, each region representing a separate operating mode and operating parameter, and wherein the comparison step comprises plotting in one of the plurality of regions a resultant input command signal based upon the one or more input control signals, and determining the operating mode and operating parameter associated with that region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one input control signal is generated by one or more sensors attached to the wearer of the prosthesis.

6. A prosthesis comprising:

at least one moveable component, the component having two or more operating modes and at least one operating parameter; and

an electronic control device storing an operating profile;

wherein the control device receives at least one input control signal from a wearer of the prosthesis, compares the at least one input control signal with the operating profile to determine a desired operating mode and operating parameter for the component, and instructs the component to move in accordance with the desired operating mode and operating parameter.

7. The prosthesis of claim 6, wherein the electronic control device includes a memory for storing input control signals received so as to establish an input control signal pattern, and a program which predicts a desired operating mode and operating parameter based upon the input control signal pattern upon receiving the at least one control signal from the wearer of the prosthesis.

8. The prosthesis of claim 6, wherein the electronic control device includes a signal generator which sends a feedback signal to the wearer of the prosthesis, the feedback signal indicative of the selected operating mode and operating parameter.

9. The prosthesis of claim 6, further comprising one or more sensors attached to the wearer of the prosthesis for the generation of the at least one input control signal.

10. A prosthesis comprising:

at least one moveable component, wherein the at least one moveable component has two or more operating modes and at least one operating parameter; and

an electronic device operable to select both an operating mode of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one moveable component in response to an input command signal from the wearer of the prosthesis.

11. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is operable to select both the operating mode of the at least one moveable component and the at least one operating parameter of at least one moveable component in response to a single input command signal from the wearer of the prosthesis.

12. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is operable to select one of a plurality of operating modes of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one moveable component in response to a predetermined input command signal from the wearer of the prosthesis.

13. The prosthesis of claim 12, wherein each predetermined input command signal results in selection of a corresponding predetermined operating mode of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one moveable component.

14. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the input command signal comprises two or more input control signals from the wearer of the prosthesis.

15. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein each input control signal from the wearer of the prosthesis is provided via one or more analogue or digital switches.

16. The prosthesis of claim 15, wherein the switches are actuated by a movement selected from the group comprising:

residual movement of the wearer of the prosthesis, wrist and/or shoulder movement of the wearer of the prosthesis, and movement of the remnant digits and/or knuckles.

17. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein each input signal from the wearer of the prosthesis is selected from the group comprising:

electrophysiological signals derived from the activity of, or from, surface electromyographic (EMG) and intramuscular activity of residual muscle actions of the wearer of the prosthesis, electroneurographic (ENG) activity of residual peripheral nerves of the wearer of the prosthesis, signals derived from one or more neural implants in the wearer of the prosthesis implanted in the brain or spinal cord, and EMG activity from reinnervated muscles, muscles of the feet and/or chest.

18. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein each input signal from the wearer of the prosthesis is provided by one of the group comprising:

non-electrophysiological signals derived from the activity of pressure sensitive resistors on the wearer of the prosthesis, near infrared spectroscopy signal, and bend sensitive resistors on the wearer of the body to capture any residual movement of the digits, wrist, elbow or shoulder of the wearer of the prosthesis.

19. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein each input signal is the result, or signature, of the recorded signal of a mathematical operation on the electrophysiological or non-electrophysiological measurements from the wearer of the prosthesis.

20. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the electronic device includes one or more predetermined operating profiles of the prosthesis.

21. The prosthesis of claim 20, wherein the electronic device is operable to modify each predetermined operating profile of the prosthesis to a modified operating profile.

22. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further operable to produce an output signal indicative of at least one of the operating mode of the at least one moveable component and the operating parameter of the at least one moveable component.

23. The prosthesis of claim 22, wherein the electronic device is further operable to communicate the output signal to the wearer of the prosthesis.

24. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further operable to pre-process each input signal from the wearer of the prosthesis to predict the intended input command signal.

25. The prosthesis of claim 24, wherein the electronic device is further operable to select both an operating mode of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one moveable component in response to the predicted input command signal.

26. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the electronic device includes a processor operable to control the operation of the prosthesis.

27. The prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the electronic device includes firmware operable to control the operation of the prosthesis.

28. A method of operating a prosthesis having at least one moveable component, the at least one moveable component having two or more operating modes and at least one operating parameter, and an electronic device operable to control the operation of the at least one moveable component of the prosthesis, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the electronic device with an input command signal from the wearer of the prosthesis; and

using the electronic device to select both an operating mode of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one moveable component in response to the input command signal from the wearer of the prosthesis.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the electronic device is operable to simultaneously select both the operating mode of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one moveable component in response to the input command signal from the wearer of the prosthesis.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the electronic device is operable to select one of a plurality of operating modes of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one moveable component in response to a predetermined input command signal from the wearer of the prosthesis.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein each predetermined input command signal results in selection of a corresponding predetermined operating mode of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one moveable component.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein each input signal from the wearer of the prosthesis is provided via one or more analogue or digital switches.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the switches are actuated by a movement selected from the group comprising:

residual movement of the wearer of the prosthesis, wrist and/or shoulder movement of the wearer of the prosthesis, and movement of the remnant digits and/or knuckles.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein each input signal from the wearer of the prosthesis is selected from the group comprising:

electrophysiological signals derived from the activity of, or from, surface electromyographic (EMG) and intramuscular activity of residual muscle actions of the wearer of the prosthesis, electroneurographic (ENG) activity of residual peripheral nerves of the wearer of the prosthesis, signals derived from one or more neural implants in the wearer of the prosthesis implanted in the brain or spinal cord, and EMG activity from reinnervated muscles, muscles of the feet and/or chest.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein each input signal from the wearer of the prosthesis is provided by one of the group comprising:

non-electrophysiological signals derived from the activity of pressure sensitive resistors on the wearer of the prosthesis, near infrared spectroscopy signal, and bend sensitive resistors on the wearer of the body to capture any residual movement of the digits, wrist, elbow or shoulder of the wearer of the prosthesis.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein each input signal is in response to the recorded signal of a mathematical operation on at least one of the electrophysiological or non-electrophysiological measurements from the wearer of the prosthesis.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of providing the electronic device with one or more predetermined operating profiles of the prosthesis.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the predetermined operating profile of the prosthesis is based on one or more input signals from the wearer of the prosthesis to produce an input command signal which results in selection of both the operating mode of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one of the moveable component.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the electronic device is operable to modify the predetermined operating profile of the prosthesis to a modified operating profile.

40. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of using the electronic device to produce an output signal indicative of at least one of the operative mode of the at least one moveable component and the operating parameter of the at least one moveable component.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of communicating output signal to the wearer of the prosthesis.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the output signal is communicated to the wearer of the prosthesis visually, kinaesthetically, aurally or neurally.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the output signal is communicated non-invasively to the wearer of the prosthesis via electro-tactile or vibro-tactile stimulation of the body skin.

44. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of using the electronic device to pre-process the input signals from the wearer of the prosthesis to predict the intended input command signal.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising the step of using the electronic device to select both an operating mode of the at least one moveable component and at least one operating parameter of the at least one moveable component in response to the predicted input command signal.