Spinal Treatment Devices, Methods, and Systems

• US 20170042717A1
• Filed: 04/24/2015
• Published: 02/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York (Columbia University)
• Original Assignee: Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York (Columbia University)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Sunil K., PARK, Joon-Hyuk, Stegall, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/70 Spinal positioners or stabilisers ; Bone stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/024 having pressure pads connected in a frame for reduction or correction of the curvature of the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0292 for the spinal column A61H1/0218 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/018 By limiting the applied torque or force
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1238 with hydraulic or pneumatic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1246 by piston-cylinder systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/149 rotation-linear or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1619 Thorax
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/501 connected to external computer devices or networks
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5061 Force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5069 Angle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5082 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless

Abstract

Active wearable body brace embodiments provide selectable conformation control of the interface between the trunk of a human subject and the brace, which conformation may be varied over time and responsively to feedback and an updateable prescription. Further active wearable body brace embodiments provide selectable movement control of the interface between the trunk of a human subject and the brace with up to six degrees of freedom between elements to allow a controller to implement operations such as muscle challenges, active support, and passive-like support where actuators mimic springs. Further embodiments may also provide detection functions such as quantifying muscle weakness. The features of these embodiments may be combined in various ways to provide still further embodiments.

Claims

1. A mobile wearable body brace suitable for correcting a spinal deformity, comprising:

at least three members axially offset from and shaped to engage the trunk of a predefined person at different points along the caudal-cranial axis, the members being shaped, or configured to be able to shape, to conform closely with the trunk of the predefined person;

one or more sensors positioned on or between the at least three members and the trunk of the predefined person to provide real-time sensor data, the one or more sensors including pressure, shear, and/or temperature sensors;

actuators selectively controlled by a controller and connecting one of the at least three members to another one of the at least three members, the number and placement of the actuators providing forces tending to displace, rotationally or linearly, at least one of the at least three members relative to another in a combination of multiple degrees of freedom;

a programmable controller connected to the actuators to control them and programmed to generate said forces responsively to predefined parameters according to a treatment to be performed to correct the spinal deformity;

a battery sized to permit the self-sufficient powering of said actuators and said controller for autonomous and mobile use of said body brace.

2. The brace of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to generate said forces responsively to at least ones of the one or more sensors.

3. The brace of claim 1, wherein the at least three members and the actuators are configured to lie close to the body such that a subject wearing the brace is able to walk and move about and such that normal arm swing motion is permitted when walking.

4. The brace of claim 1, wherein the at least three is three and the three members form a stack with one inner and two outer ones, the outer ones being interconnected by adjustable fixed links and the inner one being able to move in three rotational modes and three displacement modes for a total of six degrees of freedom.

5. The brace of claim 1, wherein the at least three is four and the three members form a stack with two inner and two outer ones, the inner ones being interconnected by adjustable fixed links and the outer ones being supported by the actuators as respective Stewart platforms and thus able to move in three rotational modes and three displacement modes for a total of six degrees of freedom.

6. The brace of claim 1, wherein the at least three is three and the three members form a stack, two adjacent ones being interconnected by adjustable fixed links and the third being able to move in three rotational modes and three displacement modes for a total of six degrees of freedom.

7. The brace of claim 1, wherein at least some of the at least three members encircle the trunk.

8. The brace of claim 1, wherein the at least three members are of rigid plastic.

9. The brace of claim 1, wherein the actuators include in-line force transducers and the forces are generated responsively to signals from the force transducers.

10. The brace of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to control selected ones of the actuators in a force mode in which they operate passively but maintain a selected force against forcing of one of said at least three members.

11. The brace of claim 1, further comprising a vibration transducer affixed to one of said at least three members and controlled by the controller as an output device to at least one of prompt the subject to take an action and provide feedback to the user based on signals from the sensors.

13. The brace of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to generate said forces, at least in part, responsively to a time of day.

14. The brace of claim 1, wherein the controller contains a transceiver that enables it to detect location by connecting with fixed transceivers such as an automobile Bluetooth transceiver or a home Wi-Fi network and the controller being programmed to estimate an activity that the subject is engaged in at least in part in response an indication of a connectable network indicated by the transceiver, said forces being generated at least in part responsively to the estimated activity.

15. The brace of claim 1, wherein the actuators are positioned and controlled such that a moment about the caudal-cranial axis is generated in at least one of the at least three members relative to at least another.

16. The brace of claim 1, wherein the actuators are positioned and controlled such that a moment about the anterior-posterior axis is generated in at least one of the at least three members relative to at least another thereby tending to cause a lateral bending force in the trunk of the subject.

17. The brace of claim 1, wherein the actuators are positioned and controlled such that a moment about the transverse axis is generated in at least one of the at least three members relative to at least another thereby tending to cause a lordosis or kyphosis of the trunk of the subject.

18. The brace of claim 1, wherein the actuators are positioned and controlled such that a force along the caudal-cranial axis is generated in at least one of the at least three members relative to at least another thereby tending to create traction in the spine, either stretching or compressing the spine.

22. The brace of claim 1, further comprising a head and/or neck support attached to at least one of the three members.

23. The brace of claim 1, further comprising a head and/or neck support attached to at least one of the three members, the head and/or neck support including sensors positioned to lie adjacent the body of the subject.

24. The brace of claim 1, further comprising a head and/or neck support attached to at least one of the three members, the head and/or neck support including pressure sensors positioned to lie adjacent the body of the subject.

25. The brace of claim 1, further comprising a head and/or neck support with actuators to pivot the head and/or neck support anteriorly or posteriorly, the head and/or neck support being attached to at least one of the three members, the head and/or neck support including pressure sensors positioned to lie adjacent the body of the subject.

27. The brace of claim 1, further comprising a head and/or neck support with actuators to pivot the head and/or neck support in the coronal plane, the head and/or neck support being attached to at least one of the three members, the head and/or neck support including pressure sensors positioned to lie adjacent the body of the subject.

33. The brace of claim 1, wherein the sensors include pressure sensors and further comprising vibrotactile transducers located at different positions on the brace, the controller being programmed to indicate a location of too much pressure or too little pressure according to a prescription at the respective position by generating a vibrotactile feedback at a respective one of the vibrotactile transducers.

12. (canceled)

19-21. -21. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

28-32. -32. (canceled)

34-56. -56. (canceled)

57. A wearable brace mechanism for dynamically modulating corrective forces along a

natural curve of the spine of a person and responding to the effects of the brace on the spine as it adjusts over time, comprising:

at least three orthosis elements conforming to the torso of a predefined person, each orthosis element disposed being positioned at a different axial part of the torso;

a plurality of sensors positioned between the rings and the upper torso to capture sensor data relating to one or more of a pressure, temperature, motion, and/or joint angle; and

one or more closed-loop-controlled actuators attached to adjacent rings to apply a force on each of the orthosis elements responsively to the sensor data received.

58. A method for dynamically modulating corrective forces along a natural curve of the spine of a person and responding to the effects of the brace on the spine as it adjusts over time, the method comprising:

measuring one or more of pressure, temperature, motion, and/or joint angle using a plurality of sensors positioned between a series rings snugly attached to the torso of a user to conform to different cross-sections in the upper torso, and the upper torso; and

actuating one or more actuators, each of which connects a middle ring to an outer ring in said series, to apply a force onto each of the rings based on the sensor data received,

wherein the forces applied are dynamically changed over time.

59-174. -174. (canceled)