Prosthesis or an orthosis and a method for controlling a prosthesis or an orthosis
AssigneeTouch Bionics Limited
InventorHugh Gill
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A prosthesis or an orthosis and a method of controlling movable components of the same. The prosthesis or orthosis comprises a plurality of movable components, each component being movable by a respective motor and a control device operative to determine when movement of at least a first component is arrested when the at least first component bears against a surface, and to move one or more further components with respective one or more further motors so that each subsequent component is moved upon determination that the movement of the preceding component is arrested when the preceding component bears against a surface.
Claims46
A prosthesis or an orthosis comprising:
- a plurality of movable components each component being movable by a respective motor;
- a current measurement circuit which measures the current drawn by the respective motors;
- and
- a control device which controls movement of the movable components and stores predetermined current values for the respective motors;
- wherein the control device compares the current measured by the current measurement circuit with the predetermined current value stored for a first motor so as to determine when movement of at least a first component moveable by the first motor is arrested when the at least first component bears against a surface;
- and the control device moves one or more further components by means of respective one or more further motors so that each subsequent component is moved upon determination that the movement of the preceding component is arrested when the preceding component bears against a surface.
A method of controlling movable components of a prosthesis or orthosis, the method comprising:
- a) moving at least a first component by means of a first motor;
- b) measuring the current drawn by the first motor;
- c) comparing the current drawn by the first motor with a stored current value so as to determine when movement of the at least first component is arrested when the at least first component bears against a surface;
- and
- d) moving one or more further components by means of respective one or more further motors wherein each subsequent component is moved upon determination that the movement of the preceding component is arrested when the preceding component bears against a surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.