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EP-4031074-B1 - METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING A PROSTHETIC OR ORTHOTIC DEVICE

EP4031074B1EP 4031074 B1EP4031074 B1EP 4031074B1EP-4031074-B1

Inventors

  • EINARSSON, ARNI
  • LANGLOIS, DAVID

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20200918

Claims (15)

  1. A prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) comprising: a first limb member (220); a second limb member (224) coupled to the first limb member (220) at a joint (222); an actuator (228) coupled to the first limb member (220) and the second limb member (224) and configured to actuate the first limb member (220) relative to the second limb member (224); and a controller (226) configured to control the actuator (228), characterized by the controller (226) further being configured to: based at least in part on a determination that a gait parameter does not satisfy a gait parameter threshold, select a passive mode for a controller mode of the controller, wherein in the passive mode, the controller causes the actuator to exhibit a force rejection behavior during at least a portion of stance phase and exhibits a force following behavior during at least a portion of swing phase, and based at least in part on a determination that the gait parameter satisfies the gait parameter threshold, select an active mode for the controller mode, wherein in the active mode, the controller: causes the actuator to exhibit a force rejection behavior during at least a portion of stance phase and exhibit a force following behavior during at least a portion of swing phase, and dynamically activates at least one of a toe-off assist behavior, a braking behavior, or a bumper avoidance behavior.
  2. The prosthetic or orthotic (100, 900) device of Claim 1, wherein the controller (226) causes the actuator (228) to exhibit at least two behaviors of the toe-off assist behavior, the braking behavior, and the bumper avoidance behavior based on a determination that the gait parameter satisfies the gait parameter threshold.
  3. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein the gait parameter threshold is a first gait parameter threshold, wherein the controller (226) causes the actuator (228) to exhibit at least two behaviors of the toe-off assist behavior, the braking behavior, and the bumper avoidance behavior based on a determination that the gait parameter satisfies a second gait parameter threshold.
  4. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein the controller causes the actuator to exhibit at least one behavior of the toe-off assist behavior, the braking behavior, and the bumper avoidance behavior at a power level based on the determination that the gait parameter satisfies the gait parameter threshold, and wherein the power level varies in proportion with the gait parameter.
  5. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein the gait parameter threshold is a first gait parameter threshold, wherein the controller (226) causes the actuator (228) to: exhibit at least one behavior of the toe-off assist behavior, the braking behavior, and the bumper avoidance behavior at a first power level based on the determination that the gait parameter satisfies the first gait parameter threshold, and exhibit at least one behavior of the toe-off assist behavior, the braking behavior, and the bumper avoidance behavior at a second power level based on a determination that the gait parameter satisfies a second gait parameter threshold.
  6. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein the controller (226) is further configured to determine a first torque at the joint, and wherein to cause the actuator to exhibit the force rejection behavior, the controller causes the actuator to apply a second torque at the joint, wherein the second torque is equal to and opposite the first torque, and wherein the first torque corresponds to a force applied to the prosthetic or orthotic device by a user.
  7. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein in the active mode, the actuator (228) exhibits the force rejection behavior during at least a portion of the stance phase between foot strike and midstance.
  8. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein the controller (226) is further configured to determine a first torque at the joint applied to the joint by a user, and wherein to cause the actuator (228) to exhibit the force following behavior, the controller (226) causes the actuator (228) to apply a second torque at the joint, wherein the second torque is in a same direction as the first torque.
  9. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein in the active mode, the controller (226) causes the actuator (228) to exhibit the force following behavior during at least a portion of the swing phase between toe off and a heel rise target.
  10. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein in the active mode, the controller (226) causes the actuator (228) to exhibit the toe-off assist behavior during at least a portion of the stance phase between midstance and toe off.
  11. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein in the active mode, the controller (226) is configured to: based on a determination that a heel associated with the prosthetic or orthotic device has reached a first heel rise target, control the actuator (228) to decelerate flexion of the prosthetic or orthotic device until the heel reaches a second heel rise target.
  12. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 11, wherein in the active mode, the controller (226) is configured to: based on a determination that the heel has reached the second heel rise target, cause the actuator to exhibit the force following behavior.
  13. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100) of Claim 1, wherein the prosthetic or orthotic device is a powered knee, and wherein in the active mode, the controller (226) is configured to: based on a determination that a knee angle satisfies a first knee extension target, control the actuator (228) to decelerate extension of the joint until the powered knee reaches a second knee extension target.
  14. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein the prosthetic or orthotic device comprises of a sensor module (210) configured to obtain gait parameter data associated with the prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900), and wherein the gait parameter data corresponds to a gait parameter, wherein the gait parameter comprises at least one of user forward speed, walking cadence, stance time, thigh angle excursion amplitude during stance phase, absolute thigh angle at toe-off, absolute thigh angle at foot strike, knee torque amplitude at late stance, number of steps completed while achieving a minimum swing flexion amplitude, thigh or shank sagittal plane rotational or linear acceleration, thigh or shank sagittal plane rotational speed amplitude, ground reaction force amplitude at foot strike, ground reaction force amplitude on toe in late stance, user center of mass linear acceleration, a ground interaction, a shank angle, or a joint angle.
  15. The prosthetic or orthotic device (100, 900) of Claim 1, wherein the controller mode transitions from the passive mode to the active mode based at least in part on a determined activity of a user.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority benefit to U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/902103, entitled "METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING A PROSTHETIC OR ORTHOTIC DEVICE," filed September 18, 2010. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure is related to prosthetic or orthotic systems, in particular to motorized prosthetic or orthotic devices (PODs) and control systems and methods for operating the same. BACKGROUND Over the years, many kinds of PODs have been devised in an effort to replace the limbs that amputees have lost. In particular, efforts have been made to develop PODs that will replace the loss of major limbs, such as legs and arms, in view of the immense impact that such a loss has on the amputee. All these PODs have the difficult task of giving to these amputees as normal of a life as possible. The task is particularly difficult for leg prostheses due in part to the complexity of human locomotion. In some cases, mechanical linkages and braking systems can reproduce at least some of the basic behaviors of the human knee, such as locking the knee during stance phase or freely swinging the knee during aerial or swing phase. However, these systems can be unable to sustain yielding behaviors, such as those desired when going down a set of stairs or sitting down. In some cases, the foregoing yielding management problems can be resolved using more advanced mechanical features or using hydraulic systems. However, even these more advanced systems are generally unable to generate motion of the joint, but for by very basic mechanical means such as a spring. To that end, battery powered electric motors or actuators have been incorporated into some PODs to facilitate the amputee's gait cycle. In patent publication WO2019/148021A2, a prosthetic knee with swing assist is disclosed. A prosthetic knee is disclosed that relies on strictly passive means of providing support during weight bearing and supplements a resistive swing-phase mechanism with a small powered actuator. This actuator adds power to the knee, exclusively during swing phase, to improve swing-phase behavior. In particular, the knee still relies on the resistive swing-phase mechanism to provide nominal swingphase knee motion, but supplements that motion as needed with the small powered actuator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are illustrated and described by example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings, similar elements have similar reference numerals. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the interaction between various controls system layers and building blocks of an active or semi-active POD.FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a POD having an electronically controlled prosthetic joint.FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate example POD.FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an example control loop of a controller of the POD.FIG. 5 depicts an operational map having a set of concentric circles which represent a control system operation space along a gait parameter.FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating phases, actuator behaviors, and gait events for management of a standing activity.FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating phases, actuator behaviors, and gait events for management of a standing/walking activity.FIGS. 8A-8C depict various illustrative examples of operational maps for a hybrid control scheme for a POD.FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of a non-motorized POD. DETAILED DESCRIPTION An active POD (e.g., motor-powered POD) can restore some or all of the physiological behaviors of the human knee. This is made possible due at least in part to the active POD's capacity to manage both positive and negative power exchanges with the user or the environment. For example, an active POD can include an actuator that forms or is connected to a joint, and the active POD can mimic behaviors of the human knee by accelerating or decelerating actuation of the actuator at specific portions of the gait cycle, thereby facilitating flexion, extension, or stiffening of the prosthetic knee. A semi-active POD (e.g., electronically-controlled POD that provides some resistive braking effect, like a magnetorheological POD), can similarly restore some of the physiological behaviors of the human knee by managing movement of the POD (e.g., providing a resistive braking effect during different portions of gait). Such schemes of providing an "actively modified joint behavior" (e.g., modifying the natural behavior of the POD joint, for example, by applying a torque or braking effect at particular times during portions of stance or swing phase) to a user of an active or semi-active POD can advantageously reduce the amount of energy required by the user to perform particular activities (for example, cyclical walking). However, in some instances, an active or semi-active POD may be too proactive in providing the acti