PROSTHETIC APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD

• US 20120123558A1
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Touch Bionics Limited (Ossur hf)
• Original Assignee: Touch Bionics Limited (Ossur hf)
• Inventors: Gill, Hugh
• Granted Patent: US 8,696,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/54 Artificial arms or hands or parts thereof
• 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 2002/705 Electromagnetic data transfer for implantable prostheses A61F2250/0002
• 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 2002/764 for measuring acceleration

Abstract

The invention provides a prosthetic apparatus (10) and method of operating the same. The prosthetic apparatus (10) includes an upper limb prosthesis (12) comprising at least one mechanically operable digit (14) and at least one sensor configured to be disposed on the user. The at least one sensor being operative to sense a path described by the sensor during movement thereof by the user and to provide a sensed path output in dependence upon the path. The apparatus (10) also includes a processor (24) operative to provide for actuation of the at least one digit (14) in dependence on the sensed path output having a predetermined characteristic and such that the at least one digit (14) moves in a predetermined fashion.

Claims

1. Prosthetic apparatus for a user, the apparatus comprising:

an upper limb prosthesis comprising at least one mechanically operable digit;

at least one sensor configured to be disposed on the user, the at least one sensor being operative to sense a path described by the sensor during movement thereof by the user and to provide a sensed path output in dependence upon the path; and

a processor operative to provide for actuation of the at least one digit in dependence on the sensed path output having a predetermined characteristic and such that the at least one digit moves in a predetermined fashion.

3. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the processor is operative to provide for actuation of the at least one digit such that the at least one digit moves in an acyclic fashion.

4. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the at least one sensor is configured to be attached to the upper limb prosthesis.

5. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the at least one sensor is configured to be attached to the user at a location on the user'"'"'s anatomy spaced apart from the location at which the upper limb prosthesis is attached to the user.

6. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the at least one sensor is operative to sense movement of the sensor in each of three mutually orthogonal directions.

8. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the at least one sensor comprises a magnetometer operative to sense the azimuth of movement.

9. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the at least one sensor comprises a gyroscope operative to sense a direction of movement.

10. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the at least one sensor is operative to sense movement with respect to gravity.

11. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the at least one sensor is operative to sense at least one of:

acceleration;

velocity;

deceleration;

distance travelled;

trajectory;

start position;

end position; and

orientation.

12. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the processor is further operative to determine at least one parameter based on the sensed path output, the at least one parameter comprising a plurality of sets of coordinates representing the changing position of the at least one sensor over time.

13. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 5, in which the prosthetic apparatus is configured for wireless communication between the upper limb prosthesis and the at least one sensor.

14. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which movement of the at least one digit in response to actuation by the processor constitutes a discrete movement.

15. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 14, in which the processor is further operative to provide for actuation of the at least one digit to perform at least one further discrete movement.

16. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the upper limb prosthesis further comprises a movable wrist and the processor is further operative to provide for actuation of the movable wrist in dependence on the sensed path output having the predetermined characteristic.

17. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the operation of the processor to provide for actuation of the at least one digit depends on an initiating operation, the initiating operation being user actuated.

18. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 17, in which the initiating operation comprises actuation of at least one part of the upper limb prosthesis.

19. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the prosthetic apparatus further comprises global position determining apparatus operative to provide global position datum for the data provided by the at least one sensor.

20. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the prosthetic apparatus is configured to set a datum position for the at least one sensor.

21. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the processor is operative to analyse the sensed path output to determine if the sensed path output has the predetermined characteristic.

22. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 21, in which analysing the sensed path output comprises determining at least one sensed parameter from the sensed path output and comparing the at least one sensed parameter with at least one stored parameter to determine if the sensed path output has the predetermined characteristic.

23. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim 1, in which the processor stores a plurality of predetermined characteristics and a corresponding different movement for the at least one digit for each predetermined characteristic, the processor being operative to determine if the sensed path output corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined characteristics, and if the sensed path output corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined characteristics the processor being operative to select the corresponding predetermined movement to provide for actuation of the at least one digit in accordance with the selected predetermined movement.

2. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim I , in which the processor is operative in dependence on an acyclic movement of the sensor.

7. Prosthetic apparatus according to claim in which the at least one sensor comprises an accelerometer operative to sense the inclination of movement.

24. A method of operating prosthetic apparatus comprising an upper limb prosthesis, the method comprising:

operating at least one sensor disposed on a user of the prosthetic apparatus to sense a path described by the sensor during movement thereof by the user and to provide a sensed path output in dependence upon the path; and

operating a processor to provide for actuation of at least one digit of the upper limb prosthesis in dependence on the sensed path output having a predetermined characteristic and such that the at least one digit moves in a predetermined fashion.

25. A method according to claim 24, in which the method further comprises:

moving at least one sensor disposed on a user of the prosthetic apparatus such that the at least one sensor describes a predetermined path, the at least one sensor operating to provide a sensed path output in dependence thereon;

operating a processor to determine a predetermined characteristic from the sensed path output and to store the predetermined characteristic;

moving the at least one digit in a predetermined fashion; and

operating the processor to store data corresponding to the movement of the at least one digit in the predetermined fashion.

26. A method according to claim 25, in which the method further comprises putting the prosthetic apparatus in a configuration mode whereby the prosthetic apparatus is configured for at least one pair of:

predetermined characteristic of movement of the sensor; and

movement of the at least one digit in a predetermined fashion.

27. A method according to claim 24, in which the method further comprises actuating the prosthetic limb by means of myoelectric signals.