Actuator assembly for prosthetic or orthotic joint
First Claim
1. A device configured to be attached to a limb, comprising:
- a first portion;
a second portion, the first and second portions moveable relative to each other to mimic a natural human joint; and
an actuator comprising a rotor operatively coupled to a stator and a motor configured to rotate the rotor, a proximal end of the rotor being axially spaced apart from the stator along a longitudinal axis of the actuator, the stator interconnected with the rotor by a bearing axially interposed on said longitudinal axis between the rotor and the stator, the actuator coupling the first and second portions together and configured to adjust an angle between the first portion and the second portion,wherein the actuator is selectively locked and unlocked during a desired phase of a gait cycle.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method associated with the movement of a limb. In one example, the system, such as a prosthetic or orthotic system, includes an actuator that actively controls, or adjusts, the angle between a foot unit and a lower limb member. The actuator preferably selectively locks during a desired phase in a gait cycle of the limb and minimizes friction against a rotor of the actuator. A processing module may control movement of the actuator based on data obtained from a sensor module. For instance, sensing module data may include information relating to the gait of a user and may be used to adjust the foot unit to substantially mimic the movement of a natural, healthy ankle. The system may further accommodate, for example, level ground walking, traveling up/down stairs, traveling up/down sloped surfaces, and various other user movements. In addition, the processing module may receive user input or display output signals through an external interface. For example, the processing module may receive a heel height input from the user.
283 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A device configured to be attached to a limb, comprising:
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a first portion; a second portion, the first and second portions moveable relative to each other to mimic a natural human joint; and an actuator comprising a rotor operatively coupled to a stator and a motor configured to rotate the rotor, a proximal end of the rotor being axially spaced apart from the stator along a longitudinal axis of the actuator, the stator interconnected with the rotor by a bearing axially interposed on said longitudinal axis between the rotor and the stator, the actuator coupling the first and second portions together and configured to adjust an angle between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the actuator is selectively locked and unlocked during a desired phase of a gait cycle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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9. A device configured to be attached to a limb, comprising:
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a first portion; a second portion, the first and second portion'"'"'s moveable relative to each other to mimic a natural human joint; an actuator comprising a rotor operatively coupled to a stator and a motor configured to rotate the rotor, a proximal end of the rotor being axially spaced apart from the stator along a longitudinal axis of the actuator, the stator interconnected with the rotor by a ball bearing axially interposed on said longitudinal axis between the rotor and the stator, the actuator coupling the first and second portions together and configured to adjust an angle between the first portion and the second portion; and a mechanism configured to apply a friction force to the rotor to selectively lock the rotor and prevent rotation of the rotor during a desired phase in a gait cycle when a force is applied to the actuator. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 28, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A device configured to be attached to a limb, comprising:
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a first portion; a second portion, the first and second portions moveable relative to each other to mimic a natural human joint; and an actuator comprising a rotor operatively coupled to a stator and a motor configured to rotate the rotor, the rotor and stator being axially spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal axis of the actuator, the stator interconnected with the rotor by a bearing axially interposed on said longitudinal axis between the rotor and the stator, the actuator coupling the first and second portions together and configured to adjust an angle between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the rotor is configured to selectively engage a retainer coupled to the stator to generate a locking force therebetween and selectively lock and unlock the actuator during a desired phase of a gait cycle. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification