Dynamic support apparatus and system

• US 8,956,421 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Streeter, Alexander D., Altobelli, David E., Perry, N. Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): SNOW, BRUCE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US13/088,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20110247321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 623 32- 37, 623/26, 623/57, 603/29
• US Class Current: 623/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/5044 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/54 Artificial arms or hands or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/74 fluid , i.e. hydraulic or pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/741 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors or solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/748 Valve systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/76 Means for assembling, fitting or testing prostheses, e.g. for measuring or balancing, e.g. alignment means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/78 Means for protecting prostheses or for attaching them to the body, e.g. bandages, harnesses, straps, or stockings for the limb stump
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/7812 Interface cushioning members placed between the limb stump and the socket, e.g. bandages or stockings for the limb stump
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/7843 Inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5083 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/704 computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7635 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7655 for measuring fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/006 of gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/012 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/34 Pressure pads filled with air or liquid valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; valves per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 39/00 Joints or fittings for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A dynamic support system includes a control system for controlling inflation and deflation of at least one actuator having an inlet connectable to the a control unit of the dynamic support system. The control unit may be in communication with a sensor and may control inflation and deflation of the at least one actuator in response to information provided by the sensor.

Claims

1. A control unit for a dynamic support apparatus having at least one actuator, the control unit comprising:

a pump connected to the at least one actuator for causing actuation thereof;

a detachable manifold fluidly coupling the at least one actuator to the pump through an interior channel;

a sensor detecting a pressure of the at least one actuator; and

a control system for controlling the pump, the control system in communication with the sensor and receiving a signal indicative of the pressure of the at least one actuator therefrom;

at least a first magnet disposed within at least one of the control unit and the detachable manifold;

wherein the first magnet interacts with the other of the control unit and the detachable manifold to secure the detachable manifold to the control unit; and

wherein the control system controls the pump to actuate the at least one actuator at least in response to the pressure detected by the sensor.

2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the detachable manifold fluidly couples a plurality of actuators to the pump through a plurality of interior channels.

3. The control unit according to claim 2, additionally comprising a valve in fluid communication with each interior channel for controlling flow therethrough.

4. The control unit according to claim 3, wherein control system controls activation of the valves.

5. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the other of the control unit and the detachable manifold includes at least a second magnet for interacting with the first magnet to secure the detachable manifold to the control unit.

6. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the other of the control unit and the detachable manifold includes a metal feature for interacting with the first magnet to secure the detachable manifold to the control unit.

7. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control system commands the pump to increase the pressure of the at least one actuator if the pressure detected by the sensor drops below a current pressure setpoint by more than a prescribed deadband.

8. The control unit according to claim 7, wherein the control system commands venting of the at least one actuator if the pressure detected by the sensor exceeds the current pressure setpoint by more than the prescribed deadband.

9. The control unit according to claim 7, wherein the control system commands the pump at a fixed time interval.

10. A control unit for a dynamic support apparatus having at least one actuator, the control unit comprising:

a pump connected to the at least one actuator for causing actuation thereof;

a sensor detecting a pressure of the at least one actuator; and

a control system for controlling the pump, the control system in communication with the sensor and receiving a signal indicative of the pressure of the at least one actuator therefrom;

wherein the control system controls the pump to actuate the at least one actuator at least in response to the pressure detected by the sensor; and

wherein the control system commands the pump to deliver brief and uniform-width pulses of air to the at least one actuator, said pulses separated by a calculated interval Δ

t defining an idle time between pulses.

11. The control unit according to claim 10, wherein the calculated interval Δ

t is determined according to the magnitude of an error parameter E defining a difference between the pressure of the at least one actuator and a desired pressure setpoint.

12. The control unit according to claim 11, wherein the calculated interval Δ

t is bounded between a predefined Δ

t_min and Δ

t_max; and

wherein Δ

t_min corresponds to the calculated interval Δ

t for a pre-defined maximum value E_max of the error parameter E, and Δ

t_max corresponds to the a value of zero for the error parameter E.

13. The control unit according to claim 12, wherein the relationship between the error parameter E and the calculated interval Δ

t is a linear relationship described by;

14. The control unit according to claim 12, wherein the relationship between the error parameter E and the calculated interval Δ

t is an exponential relationship described by;

15. The control unit according to claim 11, where the error parameter E is a linear combination of one or more of:

a. a current pressure setpoint minus a low-pass filtered pressure data of the actuator pressure provided by the sensor;

b. a time-integral of (a), with a leakage factor between zero and one applied thereto; and

c. a time-derivative of (a).

16. The control unit according to claim 11, wherein the control system commands the at least one actuator to have one or more uniform-duration pulses of venting when a time-integral of the error parameter E reaches a predefined threshold.

17. The control unit according to 10, wherein a duration of the air pulse is allowed to vary directly with a setpoint pressure of the at least one actuator.

18. The control unit according to 10, wherein the control system records a pulse rate for the at least one actuator.

19. The control unit according to 18, wherein the control system compares the pulse rate to a nominal rate and provides an alert that the actuator may be leaky when the pulse rate is significantly higher than the nominal rate.

20. The control unit according to 18, wherein the control system compares the pulse rate of the at least one actuator to a second pulse rate of at least a second actuator and provides an alert that the actuator may be leaky when one pulse rate is significantly higher than another.

21. A control unit for a dynamic support apparatus having at least one actuator, the control unit comprising:

a pump connected to the at least one actuator for causing actuation thereof;

a sensor detecting a pressure of the at least one actuator; and

a control system for controlling the pump, the control system in communication with the sensor and receiving a signal indicative of the pressure of the at least one actuator therefrom;

wherein the control system controls the pump to actuate the at least one actuator at least in response to the pressure detected by the sensor;

wherein the control system evaluates a user activity level based at least on the signal from the sensor indicative of the pressure of the at least one actuator;

wherein the control system evaluates the user activity level based on at least data representing loading obtained from at least one sensor incorporated into a prosthetic device supported by the dynamic support apparatus; and

wherein the control system evaluates the user activity level based also on a time derivative of the data representing loading obtained from the at least one sensor.

22. The control unit according to claim 21, wherein the evaluation of the user activity level is based on a pressure variability of the pressure of the at least one actuator as determined by processing the signal from the sensor through a high-pass filter.

23. The control unit according to claim 22, wherein the evaluation of the user activity level is also based on a time integral of said pressure variability.

24. The control unit according to claim 21, wherein the evaluation of the user activity level is made with respect to an activity reference pressure indicative of typical activity.

25. The control unit according to claim 24, wherein the control system varies the activity reference pressure directly with a pressure setpoint of the at least one actuator.

26. The control unit according to claim 24, wherein the activity reference pressure includes a deadband comprising a range of pressures indicative of typical activity.

27. The control unit according to claim 26, wherein the control system varies an upper reference pressure and a lower reference pressure of the deadband directly with a pressure setpoint of the at least one actuator.

28. The control unit according to claim 21, wherein the control system controls the pump to increase the pressure of the at least one actuator if a high activity threshold is exceeded.

29. The control unit according to claim 28, wherein the control system varies the high activity threshold directly with a pressure setpoint of the at least one actuator.

30. The control unit according to claim 21, additionally comprising a valve controlled by the control system and in fluid communication with the at least one actuator;

wherein the control system controls the valve to decrease the pressure of the at least one actuator if a low activity threshold is exceeded.

31. The control unit according to claim 30, wherein the control system varies the low activity threshold directly with a pressure setpoint of the at least one actuator.

32. A control unit for a dynamic support apparatus having at least one actuator, the control unit comprising:

a pump connected to the at least one actuator for causing actuation thereof;

a sensor detecting a pressure of the at least one actuator; and

a control system for controlling the pump, the control system in communication with the sensor and receiving a signal indicative of the pressure of the at least one actuator therefrom;

wherein the control system controls the pump to actuate the at least one actuator at least in response to the pressure detected by the sensor;

wherein the control system evaluates a user activity level based at least on the signal from the sensor indicative of the pressure of the at least one actuator;

wherein the dynamic support apparatus includes at least one sensor for measuring loading at an interface between said dynamic support apparatus and a prosthetic device supported by the dynamic support apparatus;

wherein the control system evaluates the user activity level based on at least loading measured by the at least one sensor at the interface between said dynamic support apparatus and the prosthetic device; and

wherein the control system evaluates the user activity level based also on a time derivative of the loading measured by the at least one sensor.