Machine to Human Interfaces for Communication from a Lower Extremity Orthotic

A method of using a lower extremity orthosis coupled across at least one joint of a person for gait assistance, with the lower extremity orthosis including, in combination, two or more of:

• a) a knee orthosis including a waist link configured to be coupled to the person, a thigh link, a shank link, configured to be coupled to the person, a knee joint and a torque generator, with said thigh link being rotatably connected both to said waist link at a hip joint and at the knee joint, said shank link being rotatably connected at the knee joint;
• b) a thigh orthosis including left and right, interconnected thigh structures configured to be coupled to the person and a single actuator;
• c) a hip orthosis including a thigh link, a waist link, and an actuator, with said thigh link and said waist link being configured to be coupled to the person, said thigh link being rotatably connected to said waist link at a hip joint;
• and d) an ankle orthosis including a shank structure configured to couple to a shank of the person and a foot structure configured to couple to a foot of the person, said shank structure and said foot structure being interconnected, said method comprising:
• when employing the knee orthosis, exerting a torque, with the torque generator, about the knee joint resulting in flexion or extension of a leg of the person, with forces generated by the torque generator being reacted at said waist link and the shank link;
• when employing the thigh orthosis, utilizing the single actuator to drive the left and right thigh structures equally and in opposite directions;
• when employing the hip orthosis, providing a force with said actuator on the thigh link during late stance and early swing;
• and
• when employing the ankle orthosis, preventing foot drop of the foot during a swing phase of a gait cycle through the ankle orthosis.