System for control of a prosthetic device

• US 9,114,030 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: van der Merwe, Dirk Albertus, Lanier, Gregory Randall Jr., Kerwin, John Matthew, Guay, Gerald Michael, Perry, N. Christopher, Dastous, Susan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Watkins, Marcia
• Application Number:
  US13/088,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 623/57, 623/58, 623/59, 623/60, 623/61, 623/62, 623/63, 623/64, 623/65
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/54 Artificial arms or hands or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/581 Shoulder joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/582 Elbow joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/583 Hands; Wrist joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/585 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 2002/5018 for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5021 for adjusting a position by translation along an axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/543 Lower arms or forearms
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/546 Upper arms
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/705 Electromagnetic data transfer for implantable prostheses A61F2250/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/707 : Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/762 : for measuring dimensions, e.g. a distance
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7625 : for measuring angular position
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7635 : for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/764 : for measuring acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7645 : for measuring torque, e.g. hinge or turning moment, moment of force
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7685 : located on natural or sound-site limbs, e.g. comparison measuring means

Abstract

A control system for control of a prosthetic device having a plurality of actuators receives an orientation signal indicative of a desired movement. The control system evaluates whether the prosthetic device may move as desired with a current angle of rotation and commands at least one actuator to move the prosthetic device as desired by maintaining the current angle of rotation or by adjusting the angle of rotation if the prosthetic device cannot move as desired with the current angle. The control system may alternate between commanding a first subset of actuators and a second subset of actuators each time the orientation signal is indicative of a neutral position. The control system may include a position sensor and a compliance sensor and may command at least one actuator based on a combination of positional control using the position sensor and force control using the compliance sensor.

Claims

1. A control system for a prosthetic device comprising:

at least one sensor module adapted to detect orientation changes of the sensor module, the at least one sensor module having a neutral position at a first orientation;

at least one device module in communication with the at least one sensor module; and

a plurality of actuators of the prosthetic device configured to receive commands from the device module based on orientations of the at least one sensor module that are different than the neutral position at the first orientation, the plurality of actuators including a first subset of actuators and a second subset of actuators;

wherein the device module commands one of the first subset of actuators or the second subset of actuators at a time based on said orientations of the at least one sensor module that are different than the neutral position at the first orientation and alternates between commanding the first subset of actuators and the second subset of actuators based on said orientations of the at least one sensor module that are different than the neutral position at the first orientation each time the at least one sensor module is returned to the neutral position at the first orientation so that during use of the prosthetic device, every time the device module is commanding the first subset of actuators, the device module switches to commanding the second subset of actuators when the sensor module is returned to the neutral position at the first orientation and, conversely, every time the device module is commanding the second subset of actuators, the device module switches to commanding the first subset of actuators when the sensor module is returned to the neutral position at the first orientation.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the first subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for at least one finger structure of the prosthetic device.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one finger structure is a thumb structure, an index structure, a middle structure, a ring structure or a pinky structure.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the second subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for at least one finger structure of the prosthetic device.

5. The control system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one finger structure is a thumb structure, an index structure, a middle structure, a ring structure or a pinky structure.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the first subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for a middle structure, a ring structure and a pinky structure.

7. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the second subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for a thumb structure and at least one actuator for an index structure.

8. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the first subset additionally includes at least one actuator for an index structure;

and

wherein the second subset includes at least one actuator for a thumb structure.

9. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the first subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for a thumb structure and at least one actuator for a middle structure, a ring structure and a pinky structure.

10. The control system according to claim 9, wherein the second subset of actuators includes at least one actuator for an index structure.