Gait orthotic system and method for achieving hands-free stability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10159620-B2
Application number	US-201414774536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2014
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A gait orthotic system includes a balance aid and a gait orthotic device. The gait orthotic device has a rigid attachment mechanism configured to securely and releasably couple the balance aid to the gait orthotic device. When the balance aid is coupled to the gait orthotic device, the gait orthotic device is supported in a standing position so that a user of the gait orthotic device is able to use his/her hands freely. When the balance aid is not coupled to the gait orthotic device, the user is able to use the balance aid for locomotion. In certain embodiments, the balance aid is a forearm crutch, a walker or a cane, while the rigid attachment mechanism is a clamp with an over-center latch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gait orthotic system comprising:
a balance aid; and
a gait orthotic device including:
a rigid attachment mechanism configured to securely and releasably couple the balance aid to the gait orthotic device, whereby a user of the gait orthotic device is able to use his/her hands freely when the balance aid is coupled to the gait orthotic device and the user is able to use the balance aid for locomotion when the balance aid is not coupled to the gait orthotic device, wherein the rigid attachment mechanism is configured to prevent relative movement between the balance aid and the gait orthotic device at the rigid attachment mechanism when the balance aid is coupled to the gait orthotic device.

2. The gait orthotic system of claim 1 , wherein: if the rigid attachment mechanism is movable between a first position and a second position;
the rigid attachment mechanism is configured to retain the balance aid in a first orientation, to support the gait orthotic device from a first direction, when the rigid attachment mechanism is in the first position; and
the rigid attachment mechanism is configured to retain the balance aid in a second orientation, to support the gait orthotic device from a second direction, when the rigid attachment mechanism is in the second position.

3. The gait orthotic system of claim 2 , wherein:
the balance aid supports the gait orthotic device from in front of the user when the rigid attachment mechanism is in the first position; and
the balance aid supports the gait orthotic device from behind the user when the rigid attachment mechanism is in the second position.

4. The gait orthotic system of claim 2 , wherein the rigid attachment mechanism constitutes an upper rigid attachment mechanism and the gait orthotic device further includes a lower rigid attachment mechanism that is movable between a first position and a second position;
the lower rigid attachment mechanism is configured to retain the balance aid in the first orientation when the lower rigid attachment mechanism is in the first position; and
the lower rigid attachment mechanism is configured to retain the balance aid in the second orientation when the lower rigid attachment mechanism is in the second position.

5. The gait orthotic system of claim 2 , wherein the rigid attachment mechanism constitutes an upper rigid attachment mechanism and the gait orthotic device further includes a first lower rigid attachment mechanism and a second lower rigid attachment mechanism, and further wherein:
the first lower rigid attachment mechanism is configured to retain the balance aid in the first orientation; and
the second lower rigid attachment mechanism is configured to retain the balance aid in the second orientation.

6. The gait orthotic system of claim 1 , wherein the gait orthotic device further includes a controller, the controller being configured to release the balance aid from the rigid attachment mechanism upon receiving a signal.

7. The gait orthotic system of claim 1 , wherein the gait orthotic device further includes a sensor, the sensor being configured to detect:
whether the balance aid is coupled to the rigid attachment mechanism; or
an orientation of the balance aid.

8. The gait orthotic system of claim 1 , wherein the gait orthotic device further includes:
a sensor configured to detect:
a force applied to the balance aid or to the rigid attachment mechanism; or
an orientation of the balance aid; and

a controller configured to maximize stability for the gait orthotic device based on:
the force applied to the balance aid or to the rigid attachment mechanism; or
the orientation of the balance aid.

9. The gait orthotic system of claim 1 , wherein the balance aid is a forearm crutch, a walker or a cane.

10. The gait orthotic system of claim 1 , wherein the rigid attachment mechanism is a clamp with an over-center latch.

11. A method for achieving hands-free stability for a user of a gait orthotic device comprising:
securely and releasably coupling a balance aid to the gait orthotic device using a rigid attachment mechanism, wherein securely and releasably coupling the balance aid to the gait orthotic device includes preventing relative movement between the balance aid and the gait orthotic device at the rigid attachment mechanism;
supporting the gait orthotic device in a standing position with the balance aid when the balance aid is coupled to the gait orthotic device; and
allowing a user of the gait orthotic device to use the balance aid for locomotion when the balance aid is not coupled to the gait orthotic device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
moving the rigid attachment mechanism to a first position to retain the balance aid in a first orientation and support the gait orthotic device from a first direction; and
moving the rigid attachment mechanism to a second position to retain the balance aid in a second orientation and support the gait orthotic device from a second direction.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein supporting the gait orthotic device from the first direction includes supporting the gait orthotic device from in front of the user and supporting the gait orthotic device from the second direction including supporting the gait orthotic device from behind the user.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the rigid attachment mechanism constitutes an upper rigid attachment mechanism and the gait orthotic device further includes a lower rigid attachment mechanism, said method further comprising:
moving the lower rigid attachment mechanism to a first position to retain the balance aid in the first orientation; and
moving the lower rigid attachment mechanism to a second position to retain the balance aid in the second orientation.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the rigid attachment mechanism constitutes an upper rigid attachment mechanism and the gait orthotic device further includes a first lower rigid attachment mechanism and a second lower rigid attachment mechanism, said method further comprising:
retaining the balance aid in the first orientation using the first lower rigid attachment mechanism; and
retaining the balance aid in the second orientation using the second lower rigid attachment mechanism.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
sending a signal to a controller to release the balance aid from the rigid attachment mechanism.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting, with a sensor:
whether the balance aid is coupled to the rigid attachment mechanism; or
an orientation of the balance aid.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting, with a sensor:
a force applied to the balance aid or to the rigid attachment mechanism; or
an orientation of the balance aid; and

maximizing stability, with a controller, based on:
the force applied to the balance aid or to the rigid attachment mechanism; or
the orientation of the balance aid.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein securely and releasably coupling the balance aid to the gait orthotic device using the rigid attachment mechanism includes securely and releasably coupling a forearm crutch, a walker or a cane to the gait orthotic device using a clamp with an over-center latch.

Assignees

• Ekso Bionics Inc

Inventors

• Sandler Reuben
• Strausser Katherine
• Zoss Adam
• Swift Tim

Classifications

• A61H2201/165

  Wearable interfaces · CPC title

• A61H3/02 Primary

  Crutches · CPC title

• A61H2201/1623

  Back · CPC title

• A61H1/0255

  Both knee and hip of a patient, e.g. in supine or sitting position, the feet being moved together in a plane substantially parallel to the body-symmetrical plane (A61H1/0214 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61H3/0244

  Arrangements for storing or keeping upright when not in use · CPC title