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Artificial ankle-foot system with spring, variable-damping, and series-elastic actuator components

  • US 9,339,397 B2
  • Filed: 05/21/2014
  • Issued: 05/17/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A prosthetic, orthotic or exoskeletal ankle joint device comprising:

  • a) a motor adapted to exert a torque about an ankle joint;

    b) an artificial sensory system comprising at least one gyroscope and at least one accelerometer; and

    c) a processor linking the motor and the sensory system, wherein the processor computes, based on signals from the at least one gyroscope and the at least one accelerometer, an elevation of the device relative to an absolute position of a foot associated with the ankle joint, andd) wherein the processor outputs a control sequence for stair descent in which during a swing phase an angle of the ankle joint is reoriented for toe-first contact upon detection of an elevation below zero relative to the absolute position of the foot associated with the ankle joint, and wherein the processor causes, subsequent to toe-first contact and during a stance phase of stair descent, a damping response to be applied to the ankle joint to thereby control ankle dorsiflexion movement.

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