Intelligent prosthetic socket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11497630-B2
Application number	US-201916378762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2019
Priority date	Apr 9, 2018
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A system can be used to record real-time pressure and/or shear force data within a socket for a prosthetic device. The system includes a socket for a prosthetic device that can be designed to fit a patient's residual limb. The system also includes a sensor array that can be placed within the socket for the prosthetic device to detect pressure and/or shear force on the patient's residual limb. The sensor array includes a piezo-electric material and a uniform distribution of a plurality of metal pads on either side of the piezo-electric material. Each of the plurality of metal pads on either side of the piezo-electric material comprises at least one wire connected to a common port.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. A system comprising:
a socket for a prosthetic device, wherein the socket is configured to fit a patient's residual limb; and
an inner socket sensor array configured to be positioned within the socket for the prosthetic device and to detect pressure of the socket on the patient's residual limb and/or shear force of the socket on the patient's residual limb, the inner socket sensor array comprising:
a first plurality of uniformly distributed metal pads distributed on a first flexible substrate,
a second plurality of uniformly distributed metal pads distributed on a second flexible substrate, the second plurality of uniformly distributed metal pads having an equal number to the first plurality of uniformly distributed metal pads and configured so a metal pad of the first plurality of uniformly distributed metal pads opposes a metal pad of the second plurality of uniformly distributed metal pads,
a thin sheet of piezo-electric material comprising a zinc oxide nanowall structure having a hollow hexagonal morphological structure, configured to be sandwiched between the first plurality of uniformly distributed metal pads and the second plurality of uniformly distributed metal pads, wherein data related to the pressure and/or the shear force is based on a resistance of at least a portion of the thin sheet of piezo-electric material; and
a common port connected to each of the metal pads of the first and second pluralities of uniformly distributed metal pads by at least one wire.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a signal processing circuit to receive the data related to the pressure and/or shear force from the inner socket sensor array through the common port and processes the data related to the pressure and/or shear force to facilitate creation of a pressure map based on the data related to the pressure and/or shear force for visualization on a mobile computing device.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the signal processing circuit is connected to at least one of the inner socket sensor array and the mobile computing device by a wireless connection.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the wireless connection is a short-range wireless connection.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the signal processing circuit comprises at least one multiplexer, a voltage divider circuit, an analog-to-digital convertor, a control unit, a power management unit, and a data transmission unit.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure and/or shear force are detected continuously.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner socket sensor array is customizable to different sizes depending on a socket size.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the metal pads in the first and second pluralities of uniformly distributed metal pads comprises copper.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a liner configured to be worn over the patient's residual limb to separate the patient's residual limb and the socket.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the liner comprises at least one of an electrically active polymer (EAP) and a moisture-wicking material.

Assignees

• Univ Case Western Reserve

Inventors

• Huang Ming-Chun
• Zhao Hongping

Classifications

• A61F2/80 Primary

  Sockets, e.g. of suction type · CPC title

• A61B5/1032

  Determining colour of tissue for diagnostic purposes · CPC title

• A61F2/60 Primary

  Artificial legs or feet or parts thereof · CPC title

• A61F2002/7665

  for measuring temperatures · CPC title

• A61F2002/7635

  for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension · CPC title