Patient monitoring apparatus and method for orthosis and other devices

A physical therapy apparatus comprising:

• an orthosis device including a first carriage member, a second carriage member pivotally connected to the first carriage member, a control assembly operably connected to the first and second carriage members such that an operation of the control assembly rotates the first carriage member with respect to the second carriage member about an axis intermediate to the first and second carriage members, and an electrical identification;
• a monitor system including a memory having a plurality of control programs for directing operation of different orthodic devices stored therein and for storing patient use data, and a micro-controller being operable for executing at least one of the control programs and for monitoring use of the orthosis device by a patient, wherein the micro-controller utilizes the electrical identification to identify the orthosis device and select the at least one control program;
• and
• a plurality of sensors operable connected to the monitoring system and including device sensors, for monitoring the orthosis device, and patient sensors, for monitoring a patient,
• a computer having applications software for processing patient use data from the memory, wherein the monitoring system includes a data communications interface to electrically coupled to the micro-controller and the memory to the computer,
• wherein the monitor system is operable between a first mode, data transfer mode, and a second mode, operations mode, in the first mode operating parameters are downloadable from the computer to the memory and the patient use data is uploadable from the memory to the computer, in the second mode the operation of the orthosis device is controllable by the monitor system based on the operating parameters and the use of the orthosis device is monitorable by the monitor system and storable in the memory for downloading at a later date.