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US 9,333,097 B2Granted
Artificial human limbs and joints employing actuators, springs, and variable-damper elements
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsHugh M. Herr, Daniel Joseph Paluska, Peter Dilworth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Biomimetic Hybrid Actuators employed in biologically-inspired musculoskeletal architectures employ an electric motor for supplying positive energy to and storing negative energy from an artificial joint or limb, as well as elastic elements such as springs, and controllable variable damper components, for passively storing and releasing energy and providing adaptive stiffness to accommodate level ground walking as well as movement on stairs and surfaces having different slopes.
Claims9
A prosthetic, orthotic or exoskeletal device comprising:
- a mechanical ankle joint;
- a motor adapted to impart a torque on the ankle joint;
- and
- a spring arranged in parallel with the motor;
- wherein the spring only engages when the ankle joint rotates past a predetermined position, wherein the predetermined position is an ankle angle of 90° or less, within the range of angles of the ankle joint where the ankle is in a position of dorsiflexion, and wherein energy stored in the spring during dorsiflexion is released to cause the ankle joint to rotate and propel powered plantarflexion.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.