US 2016/0107309 A1Published application

Soft Exosuit for Assistance with Human Motion

AssigneePresident and Fellows of Harvard College

InventorsConor Walsh, Alan Thomas Asbeck, Ye Ding, Ignacio Galiana Bujanda, Stefano Marco Maria De Rossi

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A motion control system includes an actuator having an actuation member, the actuation member having a proximal end attached to the actuator on a first side of a joint and a distal end attached to an anchor element attachment point on a second side of the joint. A first sensor is configured to output signals defining a gait cycle and a second sensor is configured to output signals representing a tensile force in the at least one actuation member. A controller receives the output signals from the sensors and actuates the actuator, during a first portion of the gait cycle, to apply a force greater than a predetermined threshold tensile force to the anchor element attachment point via the actuation member to generate a beneficial moment about the joint and to automatically actuate the actuator.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A motion control system, comprising:

at least one actuator comprising at least one actuation member, the at least one actuation member having a proximal end attached to the at least one actuator on a first side of a joint and having a distal end attached to an anchor element attachment point on a second side of the joint;
a first sensor configured to output signals correlated with or correlatable to a timing of a gait cycle;
a second sensor configured to output signals representing a tensile force in the at least one actuation member;
and
at least one controller configured to receive the signals output from the first sensor and the second sensor and, responsive thereto, automatically actuate the at least one actuator, during a first portion of the gait cycle, to apply a force greater than a predetermined threshold tensile force to the anchor element attachment point via the at least one actuation member to generate a beneficial moment about the joint and to automatically actuate the at least one actuator, during at least a second portion of the gait cycle, to reduce a tensile force at the anchor element attachment point to a level at or below the predetermined threshold tensile force to avoid generating a detrimental moment about the joint,
wherein the at least one controller is configured to use the signals output from the first and second sensors from only the current step to determine a timing at which the tensile force crosses the predetermined threshold and to determine a timing at which a peak tensile force is achieved during a first phase of the gait cycle.

3 more elements

A motion control system, comprising:

at least one actuator comprising at least one actuation member, the at least one actuation member having a proximal end attached to the at least one actuator on a first side of a joint and having a distal end attached to an anchor element attachment point disposed on a second side of the joint;
a first sensor configured to measure tension in the at least one actuation member and output signals relating to the measured tension;
a second sensor configured to detect a heel strike or another gait timing event;
a memory device configured to store average gait percentage data and an average step time;
at least one controller configured to monitor the signals output by the first and second sensors and, following detection of a heel strike, wait for the measured tension in the at least one actuation member to rise to a threshold level, following both of which events the at least one controller calculates gait percentage within the step using the relation
Gait


Percentage
=
(
t
-
t
0

%
)
×
36
(
t
36

%
-
t
0

%
)
and triggers the at least one actuator to output to the anchor element attachment point via the at least one actuation member a position assistive force profile based on the gait percentage, the application of the position assistive force profile generating a beneficial moment about the joint, and
wherein the at least one controller is further configured to calculate a new average gate percentage, to update the average gait percentage stored in the memory device using the heel strike and an average step time, to monitor the measured tension in the at least one actuation member at an average gait percentage of about 36% and peak force for the step, and to initiate a corrective assistive position profile to adapt subsequent actuator output.

30 more elements

A method of controlling a wearable robotic system comprising the acts of:

using a controller, detecting a heel strike using a first sensor of the wearable robotic system;
responsive to the detecting of the heel strike, using the controller to start monitoring a second sensor of the wearable robotic system to determine when a passively generated force in the second sensor rises to a predetermined threshold level;
using the controller to calculate gait percentage in accord with the following relation
Gait


Percentage
=
(
t
-
t
0

%
)
×
36
(
t
36

%
-
t
0

%
)
responsive to the detecting of the heel strike, the rise of the passively generated force in the second sensor to the predetermined threshold level, and a calculated gait percentage of 36%, using the controller to trigger at least one actuator to deliver a position assistive profile to a joint based on the calculated gait percentage.

27 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/893,934Filed 30 May 2014
Priority: 31 May 2013
Published: 21 Apr 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification57 codes

A61H 1/024
For the lower limbs: knee
A61B 5/112
Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb: gait analysis
A61B 5/6831
Means for maintaining contact with the body: straps, bands or harnesses
A61H 1/0244
For the lower limbs: hip

Family

Application61/829,686Us provisional application · filed 31 May 2013
Application61/873,433Us provisional application · filed 4 Sep 2013
Application61/913,863Us provisional application · filed 9 Dec 2013
Application61/928,281Us provisional application · filed 16 Jan 2014
Application61/936,162Us provisional application · filed 5 Feb 2014
Application61/977,880Us provisional application · filed 10 Apr 2014
Application61/980,961Us provisional application · filed 17 Apr 2014
Application14/893,934Continuation
US 10,843,332 B2Related patent
US 2016/0107309 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.