Prosthetic or exoskeleton component, prosthesis or exoskeleton, and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10624766-B2
Application number	US-201615575213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A prosthetic or exoskeleton component for a prosthesis or exoskeleton includes a shock-absorbing unit. The shock-absorbing unit contains a damping device that can be controlled by way of a control device. A detection device has a sensor unit for receiving a signal. The detection device is configured to detect uneven ground depending on the acquired signal and to control the damping device in response to the detected uneven ground such that a damping property of the damping device can be adjusted on the basis of a signal of the detection device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A component for a prosthesis or an exoskeleton, the component comprising:
a shock absorber device with a damper device that is controllable by way of a control device;
an identification device with a sensor that includes a receiver for contactless acquisition of a signal influenced by an area of uneven ground and related to an area in front of said sensor in a direction of movement of the prosthesis or exoskeleton;
wherein said identification device is configured to identify the area of uneven ground in dependence on the signal captured by said receiver and to control said damper device in dependence on the identified area of uneven ground so that a damping property of said damper device is adjusted by a signal of said identification device before the prosthesis or exoskeleton reaches the area of uneven ground.

2. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor comprises a transmission unit for emitting a signal and wherein said reception unit is configured to capture at least one reflection of the emitted signal, originating from the area of uneven ground, as a signal.

3. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said damper device comprises at least one first damper chamber, at least one second damper chamber, and at least one controllable damping valve coupling said first and second damper chambers to one another, and wherein a field generating device that is controllable by said identification device is assigned to said damping valve, said field generating device serving to generate and control a field strength in at least one damping duct of said damping valve, wherein a field-sensitive rheological medium is provided in the damping duct.

4. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said identification device is configured to only take account of areas of uneven ground in a predetermined near region for controlling said damper device.

5. The component according to claim 4 , wherein said identification device is configured to predetermine the near region depending on a walking speed of the prosthesis and wherein the near region extends over a distance which the prosthesis wearer covers in one second on a basis of a walking speed.

6. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said identification device is configured to adjust the damping property of said damper device in less than 30 milliseconds as a consequence of an identified area of uneven ground in the near region.

7. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said identification device is configured to ascertain a height of the area of uneven ground over the ground and/or an angle of at least one region of the area of uneven ground with respect to the ground and to take account of the height and/or the angle for controlling said damper device.

8. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said control device is configured to adjust the damping property of said damper device to be stiffer until the area of uneven ground is reached.

9. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said identification device is configured to take account of at least one preset threshold for a maximum and/or a minimum damping when controlling said damper device.

10. The component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one sensor module for capturing a damper load is assigned to said damper device and wherein said identification device is configured to read said sensor module and register the damper load as a consequence of an adjustment of the damper property carried out in response to an identified area of uneven ground and to adapt a control of said damper device in a case of a deviation of the registered damper load from a predetermined measure for the damper load.

11. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said identification device comprises at least one storage device for recording identified areas of uneven ground.

12. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor is arranged on a pivotally supported head.

13. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor is pivotally mounted on a holder device, enabling a transmission angle and/or reception angle in relation to the ground to be adjustable.

14. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor is at least one sensor device selected from the group consisting of an ultrasound sensor, an infrared sensor, and a radar sensor.

15. The component according to claim 1 , wherein said identification device is configured to control at least two said shock absorber devices.

16. A method for operating a prosthesis or exoskeleton component of a prosthesis or of an exoskeleton, the component having at least one shock absorber device with a damper device that is controlled by way of a control device, the method comprising:
contactlessly capturing at least one signal with an identification device and identifying an area of uneven ground in front of the prosthesis or exoskeleton in a direction of movement thereof on a basis of the contactlessly captured signal; and
controlling the damper device in dependence on the identified area of uneven ground and adjusting a damping property of the damper device on a basis of the identified area of uneven ground before the prosthesis or exoskeleton reaches the area of uneven ground.

17. The method according to claim 16 , which comprises emitting at least one signal with the identification device, receiving a reflection of the emitted signal originating from the area of uneven ground, and capturing the reflection as the at least one signal.

18. The method according to claim 16 , which comprises adjusting the damper device to be stiffer after identifying the area of uneven ground until the area of uneven ground is reached.

Assignees

• Inventus Eng Gmbh

Inventors

• Battlogg Stefan

Classifications

• A61F2/70 Primary

  electrical · CPC title

• A61F2002/7615

  Measuring means · CPC title

• A61F2002/5004

  operated by electro- or magnetorheological fluids · CPC title

• A61F2002/6881

  optical · CPC title

• A61F2002/705

  Electromagnetic data transfer · CPC title