# US 7,544,155 B2 · Gravity balanced orthosis apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,544,155 B2 - Document ID: US7544155B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/113,729 - Filed: 2005-04-25 - Published: 2006-10-26 - Granted: 2009-06-09 - Earliest claimed: 2005-04-25 - Assignees: University of Delaware - Inventors: Sunil K. Agrawal; Abbas Fattah; Sal Banala - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7544155B2 ## CPC - A61H 1/024: {Knee (A61H1/0255 takes precedence)} - A61H 1/0244: {Hip (A61H1/0255 takes precedence)} - A61H 1/0262: {Walking movement; Appliances for aiding disabled persons to walk (A61H3/00 takes precedence)} - B25J 9/0006: {Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure} - A61H 3/00: Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about (apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04 {; applying electrical currents by contact electrodes for stimulating motor muscles, e.g. walking assistance A61N1/36003}) - A61H 3/008: {using suspension devices for supporting the body in an upright walking or standing position, e.g. harnesses} - A61H 2201/0192: Specific means for adjusting dimensions - A61H 2201/1621: Holding means therefor - A61H 2201/1626: Holding means therefor - A61H 2201/1642: Holding means therefor - A61H 2201/165: Wearable interfaces - A61H 2201/1676: Pivoting - A63B 22/0235: {driven by a motor} - A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract Passive gravity balancing orthosis apparatus for assisting and training patients suffering from muscle weakness by relieving the patients afflicted member of its weight using a plurality of articulated supporting members. Relief is obtained by identifying and fixing the center of mass of the combined articulated equipment members and supported weight of the patient's member in space using a defined parallelogram mechanism and once so identified making the total potential energy for any configuration of the articulated members of the system constant. At least one zero free length spring is used to connect the center of mass to a support outside the articulated members. Additional springs connect the center of mass to the articulated members. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for transferring a weight of an articulated system comprising a plurality of pivotally connected members from a first support to which said pivotally connected members are directly attached to a primary support, the apparatus comprising: (1) a parallelogram arm structure connecting a scale length on each of said plurality of pivotally connected members to a combined center of mass of said plurality of pivotally connected members; (2) a first connecting spring connecting said center of mass to said primary support, and (3) a second connecting spring connecting said center of mass to said plurality of pivotally connected members, wherein said first and second springs are selected such that the total potential energy of the articulated system is invariant with member configuration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said articulated system pivotally connected members are each adapted to attach to and support an external weight and wherein the scaled length of each member is calculated to include the attached weight. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein both the first support and the primary support are located on a harness adapted to be worn by a human and the articulated system forms an exoskeleton adapted for attachment to at least one human limb. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the human limb is one of a human leg or a human arm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the primary support is located on a fixed structure external to the harness. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the fixed structure further includes a treadmill. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the articulated system comprises three degrees of freedom and is adapted for mounting on a person forming an exoskeleton having pivoting members attached to a person's torso, thigh, and calf and wherein said first supporting point is said person's ankle and said primary point is located external to said exoskeleton. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a counterweight attached to said exoskeleton. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said members have a length and said length is adjustable. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method for using the apparatus of claim 1 for transferring the weight of the system comprising the plurality of articulated members from the first support to the primary support, the method comprising: (i) determining the combined center of mass of the plurality of articulated supporting members for any member configuration and any attached weight using auxiliary scaled length parallelograms; and (ii) selecting the springs to connect the combined center of mass to said primary support and to said plurality of articulated members such that the total potential energy of the system is invariant with member configuration. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10 wherein at least one of said springs is a zero free length spring. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10 further comprising attaching said articulated members to a person's body to form a passive exoskeleton supporting at least a part of said person's body. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12 further comprising a harness supporting said exoskeleton on said person's body and wherein the method comprises placing said second support point on a structure external to both said harness and said exoskeleton. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method for using the apparatus of claim 1 for transferring the weight from the first support to the primary support, said weight supported on a pivoting support and comprising weight of at least two interconnected articulated members pivotally attached to said pivoting support, the method comprising: I. identifying a center of mass for each of the articulated members, together with any additional weight supported by such articulated members; II. calculating a scale length for each of the articulated members; III. deriving a parallelogram comprising said scale length and identifying a system center of mass representing the combined center of mass for the articulated members regardless of an articulated members configuration on said parallelogram; IV. connecting said parallelogram to said at least two members; V. selecting springs to connect the combined center of mass to said primary supporting point and to said plurality of articulated members such that the total potential energy of the system is invariant with member configuration; and VI. connecting the system center of mass: (a) to the primary support with at least one of said selected springs; and (b) to the articulated members with at least another of said selected springs. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14 wherein said articulated members support an attached weight and wherein the system center of mass includes the weight supported by each of said members respectively. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15 wherein said selected at least one spring is a zero free length spring. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of attaching said articulated members to a person. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17 wherein said articulated members are attached to said person's leg.