Upper extremity prosthetic with energy return system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11969362-B2
Application number	US-202117242632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2021
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

An upper-extremity prosthetic is adapted to engage with an athletic ball. The prosthetic includes one or more springs that provide energy return as a user is throwing the ball using the prosthetic. The springs can have a conductivity that changes in relation to an amount of strain or deformation of the spring. The change in conductivity can be used to provide haptic feedback to the user so the user can sense the amount of force being applied to throw the ball. In some embodiments, the springs are made by a multi-material 3D printing (additive manufacturing) process and include a first material that is electrically non-conductive and a second material that electrically conductive. In some embodiments, the prosthetic also includes one or more cantilevered springs that are also adapted to engage with the ball and to provide energy return while throwing the ball.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An upper-extremity prosthetic comprising:
a first member having a surface adapted to engage with an athletic ball;
a first spring coupled to the first member, the first spring arranged to absorb energy and to provide energy return in response to movement of the first member, wherein the first spring comprises a coil spring including a first portion made of a first material and a second portion made of a second material that is electrically conductive, wherein the second portion comprises a portion of an outer surface of the first spring and is at least partially encapsulated within the first material along a length of the coil spring, and wherein the second portion has an electrical conductivity that: (i) is greater than an electrical conductivity of the first portion and (ii) changes in response to deflection of the first spring; and
electrical circuitry configured to measure the electrical conductivity of the second portion and to output a signal responsive to the measured electrical conductivity.

2. The prosthetic of claim 1 , further comprising a base member coupled to the first spring and pivotably coupled to the first member, wherein pivoting the first member relative to the base member deflects the first spring.

3. The prosthetic of claim 2 , further comprising:
a sleeve coupled to the base member and defining an interior space configured to receive a residual limb of a user of the prosthetic; and
a haptic device arranged to receive the signal responsive to the electrical conductivity from the electrical circuitry, wherein the haptic device is a vibratory motor arranged to vibrate against a residual limb in the interior space.

4. The prosthetic of claim 1 , further comprising a first cantilever spring coupled to the first member and including a surface arranged to engage with an athletic ball engaged with the first member.

5. The prosthetic of claim 1 , further comprising a first cantilever spring coupled to the first member and a second cantilever spring coupled to the first member, wherein the first and second cantilever springs each include a surface arranged to engage with an athletic ball engaged with the first member.

6. The prosthetic of claim 5 , wherein the surfaces of the first member, the first cantilever spring, and the second cantilever spring are each contoured to engage with an athletic ball.

7. The prosthetic of claim 1 , wherein the first spring is a multi-material 3D printed device, and wherein the first and second portions are 3D printed in a single print process.

8. The prosthetic of claim 7 , wherein the first spring and the first member are 3D printed in the single print process.

9. An upper-extremity prosthetic comprising:
a first member having a surface adapted to engage with an athletic ball;
a first spring coupled to the first member and arranged to deflect and to provide energy return in response to movement of the first member, wherein the first spring comprises a coil spring including a first portion made of a first material and a second portion made of a second material that is electrically conductive, wherein the second portion comprises a portion of an outer surface of the first spring and is at least partially encapsulated within the first material along a length of the coil spring, and wherein the second portion has an electrical conductivity that: (i) is greater than an electrical conductivity of the first portion and (ii) changes in response to deflection of the first spring;
a base member coupled to the first spring and pivotably coupled to the first member at a revolute joint, wherein the revolute joint comprises a pair of conical protrusions that movably reside within a pair of conical recesses;
a guide sleeve defining an internal space;
a shaft slidably extending within the internal space, wherein the first spring winds around the guide sleeve and the shaft, wherein the shaft and the internal space are each curved to match an arc defined by rotation of the revolute joint between the first member and the base member; and
a first cantilever spring extending from the first member and having a surface adapted to engage with an athletic ball while the athletic ball is also engaged with the surface of the first member.

10. The prosthetic of claim 9 , further comprising a second cantilever spring extending from the first member and having a surface adapted to engage with an athletic ball while the athletic ball is also engaged with the surface of the first member.

11. The prosthetic of claim 9 , further comprising a second spring coupled to the first member and arranged to deflect and to provide energy return in response to movement of the first member.

12. The prosthetic of claim 11 , wherein the first and second springs are spring is a coil spring.

13. The prosthetic of claim 9 , wherein pivoting the first member relative to the base member deflects the first spring.

14. The prosthetic of claim 13 , further comprising a sleeve coupled to the base member and defining an interior space configured to receive a residual limb of a user of the prosthetic.

15. The prosthetic of claim 13 , wherein the base member, the first member, the first spring, and the first cantilever spring member are each 3D printed in a single print process.

16. The prosthetic of claim 15 , wherein the first spring is a multi-material 3D printed device and comprises:
a first electrical contact connected to the second portion 3D printed material; and
a second electrical contact connected to the second portion.

17. The prosthetic of claim 16 , further comprising electrical circuitry configured to detect the electrical conductivity of the first spring between the first and second electrical contacts and to output a signal responsive to the electrical conductivity.

18. The prosthetic of claim 17 , further comprising a haptic device arranged to receive the signal responsive to the electrical conductivity from the electrical circuitry, and wherein the haptic device is a vibratory motor arranged to vibrate against a limb of a user of the prosthetic.

19. The prosthetic of claim 9 , wherein the shaft has a polygonal cross-sectional shape and the internal space has a corresponding polygonal cross-sectional shape to prevent rotations of the shaft relative to the guide sleeve.

Assignees

• Accenture Global Solutions Ltd

Inventors

• Greenspan Mark Benjamin
• Danielescu Lavinia Andreea

Classifications

• A61F2/68 Primary

  Operating or control means · CPC title

• A61F2/5044

  Designing or manufacturing processes · CPC title

• A61F2/583

  Hands; Wrist joints · CPC title

• A61F2/70

  electrical · CPC title

• F16F1/3605

  characterised by their material (F16F1/362, F16F1/364, F16F1/366, F16F1/37 take precedence; composition of macromolecular compounds in general C08L) · CPC title