US-12616591-B1 - Method and system to monitor and design prosthetics

US12616591B1US 12616591 B1US12616591 B1US 12616591B1US-12616591-B1

Abstract

An illustrative prosthesis and orthosis testing system includes a platform that receives a prosthesis or orthosis. A motor or a weight are configured to apply a load to the prosthesis or orthosis, and one or more load cells are configured to measure a magnitude of the load on the prosthesis or orthosis. The system also includes one or more encoders configured to measure one or more positions and one or more orientations of the prosthesis or orthosis in response to the applied load.

Inventors

Matthew Justin Major
Josh Caputo
Tianyao Chen

Assignees

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
U.S. Govt as rep by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Human Motion Technologies LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20221003

Claims (10)

1 . A prosthesis and orthosis testing system comprising: a platform that receives a prosthesis or orthosis; a motor or a weight configured to apply a load to the prosthesis or orthosis through a pylon; one or more load cells configured to measure a magnitude of the load on the prosthesis or orthosis; one or more encoders configured to measure one or more positions and one or more orientations of the prosthesis or orthosis in response to the applied load, wherein the one or more encoders are configured to calculate a deformation of the prosthesis or orthosis based on the one or more positions and the one or more orientations of the prosthesis or orthosis, and wherein a characteristic of the prosthesis or orthosis is determined based on the deformation; and a processor in communication with the one or more encoders, wherein the processor is configured to determine a center of pressure location on the prosthesis or orthosis based at least in part on data from the one or more encoders.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a linear actuator attached to the platform, wherein the motor is configured to manipulate the linear actuator to move the pylon.
3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an accelerometer configured to measure an acceleration of the prosthesis or orthosis in response to the applied load.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more load cells comprise an integrated 3-axis load cell.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more encoders comprise one or more linear encoders and one or more rotational encoders.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pylon is attached to the platform, and wherein the prosthesis or orthosis is mounted to the pylon.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a roll-over shape of the prosthesis or orthosis based at least in part on the data from the one or more encoders.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a torque-ankle curve of the prosthesis or orthosis based at least in part on the data from the one or more encoders.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the motor or the weight moves the pylon through a range of angles under the load.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pylon is constrained at a fixed angle such that the load is axially applied to the pylon by the motor or the weight.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 63/251,771 filed on Oct. 4, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND A prosthesis refers generally to any type of artificial body part, such as a limb, a heart, an implant, etc. For individuals with limb loss (e.g., arm loss or leg loss), prosthetics manufacturers produce various modular prosthetic components that can be used to help improve quality of life. These components come in different shapes, sizes, and stiffness levels, and are generally prescribed to patients based on their stature, weight, and activity level. However the mechanical function and properties of these devices are not disclosed by manufacturers, leaving researchers and clinicians in the dark regarding information on how each device performs compared to others, and manufacturer quality control. SUMMARY An illustrative prosthesis and orthosis testing system includes a platform that receives a prosthesis or orthosis and a motor or a weight configured to apply a load to the prosthesis or orthosis through a pylon. The system also includes one or more load cells configured to measure a magnitude of the load on the prosthesis or orthosis. The system further includes one or more encoders configured to measure one or more positions and one or more orientations of the prosthesis or orthosis in response to the applied load. In an illustrative embodiment, the system includes a linear actuator attached to the platform, and the motor is configured to manipulate the linear actuator to move the pylon. The system can also include an accelerometer configured to measure an acceleration of the prosthesis or orthosis in response to the applied load. In one embodiment, the one or more load cells comprise an integrated 3-axis load cell. In some embodiments, the one or more encoders comprise one or more linear encoders and one or more rotational encoders. In another embodiment, the one or more encoders are configured to calculate a deformation of the prosthesis or orthosis based on the one or more positions and the one or more orientations of the prosthesis or orthosis. A characteristic of the prosthesis or orthosis can be determined based on the deformation. In another embodiment, the system includes a processor in communication with the one or more encoders, where the processor is configured to determine a center of pressure location on the prosthesis or orthosis based at least in part on data from the one or more encoders. In another embodiment, the pylon is attached to the platform, and the prosthesis or orthosis is mounted to the pylon. In yet another embodiment, the load applied to the prosthesis or orthosis is controlled such that the prosthesis or orthosis deforms without over constraint. In some embodiments, the system further includes a processor in communication with the one or more encoders, where the processor is configured to determine a roll-over shape of the prosthesis or orthosis based at least in part on the data from the one or more encoders. In another embodiment, the processor is configured to determine a torque-ankle curve of the prosthesis or orthosis based at least in part on the data from the one or more encoders. In some embodiments, the motor or the weight moves the pylon through a range of angles under the load. In other embodiments, the pylon is constrained at a fixed angle such that the load is axially applied to the pylon by the motor or the weight. An illustrative method of testing a prosthesis or orthosis includes applying, by a motor or a weight that applies force to a pylon, a load to a prosthesis or orthosis that is mounted to the pylon. The method also includes measuring, by one or more load cells or one or more strain gauges, a magnitude of the load on the prosthesis or orthosis. The method also includes measuring, by one or more encoders, one or more positions and one or more orientations of the prosthesis or orthosis in response to the applied load. The method further includes determining, by a processor in communication with the one or more encoders and the one or more load cells or strain gauges, a characteristic of the prosthesis or orthosis based at least in part on the one or more positions and the one or more orientations of the prosthesis or orthosis. In one embodiment, applying the load comprises applying the load through a range of angles of the pylon. In another embodiment, applying the load comprises applying the load at a fixed angle such that the load is axially applied to the pylon. The method can also include determining, by the processor, a roll-over shape of the prosthesis or orthosis based at least in part on the data from the one or more encoders. The method can also include determining, by the processor, a torque-ankle curve of the prosthesis or orthosis based at least in part on the data from the one or more encoders. The method c