Systems and methods for adjusting the angle of a prosthetic ankle based on a measured surface angle
First Claim
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1. A method for operating a prosthetic ankle worn by a user, comprising:
- providing a prosthetic ankle comprising a foot unit, a lower limb member, and at least one actuator having a first end connected to the foot unit and a second end connected to the lower limb member, the at least one actuator configured to adjust an ankle angle between the foot unit and the lower limb member, the foot unit and lower limb member configured to rotate at about a location of a natural human ankle;
measuring a degree of a surface angle of a surface upon which the user moves with the prosthetic ankle; and
actuating the at least one actuator to move the foot unit relative to the lower limb member to an ankle response angle, wherein the ankle response angle is determined by,applying the measured surface angle degree to a first formula when the measured surface angle degree is less than zero degrees, andapplying the measured surface angle degree to a second formula when the measured surface angle degree is greater than zero degrees, the first formula being different than the second formula.
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Abstract
System and method for adjusting the angle of a prosthetic ankle are disclosed. In one example, the system, such as an actuated prosthetic ankle joint, detects the surface angle and actively adjusts the members of the ankle to a preferred angle according to the respective slope of the incline/decline.
291 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for operating a prosthetic ankle worn by a user, comprising:
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providing a prosthetic ankle comprising a foot unit, a lower limb member, and at least one actuator having a first end connected to the foot unit and a second end connected to the lower limb member, the at least one actuator configured to adjust an ankle angle between the foot unit and the lower limb member, the foot unit and lower limb member configured to rotate at about a location of a natural human ankle; measuring a degree of a surface angle of a surface upon which the user moves with the prosthetic ankle; and actuating the at least one actuator to move the foot unit relative to the lower limb member to an ankle response angle, wherein the ankle response angle is determined by, applying the measured surface angle degree to a first formula when the measured surface angle degree is less than zero degrees, and applying the measured surface angle degree to a second formula when the measured surface angle degree is greater than zero degrees, the first formula being different than the second formula. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 22, 23)
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5. A method for operating a prosthetic ankle worn by a user, comprising:
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providing a prosthetic ankle comprising a foot unit and a lower limb member, the foot unit and lower limb member configured to rotate at about a location of a natural human ankle; measuring a degree of a surface angle of a surface upon which the user moves with the prosthetic ankle; and adjusting an angle between the foot unit and the lower limb member to an ankle response angle based on the measured surface angle degree, wherein the ankle response angle is determined by, applying the measured surface angle degree to a first formula when the measured surface angle degree is less than a predetermined angle, and applying the measured surface angle degree to a second formula when the measured surface angle degree is greater than the predetermined angle, the first formula being different than the second formula. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for operating a prosthetic ankle worn by a user, comprising:
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providing a prosthetic ankle comprising a foot unit and a lower limb member, the foot unit and lower limb member configured to rotate at about a location of a natural human ankle; measuring a surface angle of a surface upon which the user moves with the prosthetic ankle; calculating a desired angle between the foot unit and the lower limb member for moving upon the surface, wherein the calculation is based at least in part on the measured surface angle, wherein said calculating further comprises, applying the measured surface angle to a first formula when the surface comprises a declined surface, and applying the measured surface angle to a second formula when the surface comprises an inclined surface, the first formula being different than the second formula; and adjusting an angle between the foot unit and the lower limb member to the desired angle. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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24. A method for operating a prosthetic ankle worn by a user, the method comprising:
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measuring a surface angle of a surface upon which a user moves with a prosthetic ankle comprising a foot unit and a lower limb member, the foot unit and lower limb member configured to rotate at about a location of a natural human ankle; calculating a desired angle between the foot unit and the lower limb member for moving upon the surface, wherein the calculation is based at least in part on the measured surface angle, wherein an amount of ankle adjustment to achieve the desired angle changes approximately according to the formula y=−
0.017x2+0.1501x, wherein x is the surface angle and y is the desired angle between the foot unit and the lower limb member; andadjusting an angle between the foot unit and the lower limb member to the desired angle.
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Specification