Brace having integrated remote patient monitoring technology and method of using same
AssigneeDjo, LLC
InventorMichael Wayne Moore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A brace configured for attachment to a joint of a subject is provided. The brace includes a first arm having a first end and a second end. The brace includes a second arm having a first end and a second end. The brace includes a hinge assembly coupling the first end of the first arm with the first end of the second arm such that the first arm and the second arm are movable to different relative angular orientations. The brace includes a potentiometer coupled to the hinge assembly. A method of monitoring a relative angular orientation of a first arm of a brace relative to a second arm of the brace is also provided. The method includes monitoring an output of a potentiometer coupled to one of the first arm and the second arm.
Claims13
A brace configured for attachment to a joint of a subject, the brace comprising:
- a first arm having a first end and a second end;
- a second arm having a first end and a second end;
- a hinge assembly coupling the first end of the first arm with the first end of the second arm such that the first arm rotates about a first axis and the second arm rotates about a second axis, parallel to and spatially separated from the first axis, when the first arm and the second arm are moved to different relative angular orientations relative to the hinge assembly;
- and
- a potentiometer coupled to the hinge assembly and configured to generate signals indicative of the different relative angular orientations of the first arm with respect to the second arm;
- and
- wherein a rotatable shaft of the potentiometer is fixed to the first arm along the first axis, and the potentiometer is mounted to a printed circuit board, such that rotating the first arm relative to the second arm about the first and second axes, respectively, is configured to adjust a rotational position of the rotatable shaft with respect to a resistive element of the potentiometer, changing a resistance thereof, and adjust an orientation of the printed circuit board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.