Adustable Orthopedic Aid For an Extremity
AssigneeOtto Bock Healthcare IP GmbH & Co. KG
InventorMartin Pusch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An orthopaedic aid for an extremity includes at least one adjustable element for positioning the orthopaedic aid relative to the extremity. The detector arrangement includes a plurality of indicators for indicating torques generated by the detector arrangement. The detector arrangement is positionable such that a section of the detector arrangement is torque-free. The detector arrangement generates torques arising in two opposite directions in a measuring plane in response to deviations from a stable load position.
Claims20
1-10. (canceled)
An orthopedic aid for attachment to an extremity, comprising:
- an adjustment element for adjustably positioning the aid relative to the extremity;
- a position detector for indicating the position of the aid relative to the extremity, the position detector including:
- at least one lever positioned with respect to the extremity such that a portion of the lever is moveable in a measuring plane upon the application of a torque force to the lever caused by the extremity;
- and
- at least one force indicator that is adapted to measure movement of the lever in the measuring plane.
The orthopedic aid of claim 23 comprising movement indicators disposed adjacent an upper and lower surface of the second portions of the first and second levers.
A method of adjusting an orthopedic aid relative to an extremity comprising:
- positioning an orthopedic aid relative to the extremity, the orthopedic aid including at least one lever having a fixed end, and a free end which pivots relative to the free end along a measuring plane upon the application of a torque force.
- positioning the extremity to apply a load to the orthopedic aid along a load line;
- measuring the torque applied to the lever by the load based on the movement of the free end in the measuring plane;
- adjusting the position of the orthopedic aid relative to the extremity to minimize the amount of applied torque caused by the load;
- and
- fixing the free-end of the lever from movement after adjustment and prior to using the orthopedic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.