Vanderbilt University

Hennessy Industries, Inc.

Ekso Bionics Holdings, Inc.

Parker-hannifin Corporation

Don Truex

Michael Goldfarb

Jason E Mitchell

Brian Lawson

Ryan J Farris

Huseyin Atakan Varol

Spencer Murray

Scott Morrison

Charles L Cunningham

David M Carpenter

Brian W LaBorde

Kevin Ha

Amanda Huff Shultz

Brian Edward Lawson

Brian E Lawson

An integrated functional electrical stimulation (FES) system includes a component of a mobility assistance device, and an FES system mounted within the component. The FES system includes an FES stimulator that is embedded within the component, and a plurality of FES jacks that are electrically connected to the FES stimulator and are located on the component. The FES jacks are configured to receive a plurality of FES electrodes, and an electrical stimulation output from the FES stimulator is conducted through the FES jacks to the FES electrodes. In a wireless embodiment, the FES stimulator is configured to wirelessly transmit a control signal for applying an electrical stimulation output to the plurality of FES electrodes, and the FES jacks are eliminated. The FES stimulator may be embedded within a back portion of the hip component of an exoskeleton device, and in the wired embodiment the FES jacks are located on wing portions of the hip component.

Structural integration and enhanced control of functional electrical stimulation in an exoskeleton device

A device includes a first member and a second member disposed in series along a longitudinal axis. The device also includes links coupling first joints of the first member to second joints of the second member. The first and second members and the links arranged to define a planar parallelogram linkage. The devices also include a resilient element disposed between the first member and the second member, the first member and the second member preloaded against the resilient element. The first member and the second member are preloaded to provide an arrangement of the first and the second joints in which a motion of the first joints with respect to the second joints is constrained to a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The devices further include a sensor for generating a signal indicating a separation between the first member and the second member.

Parallelogram load cell

A circuit includes first and second current control sub-circuits connected in series between a DC supply voltage node and a reference voltage node and third and fourth current control sub-circuits connected in series between the DC supply voltage node and the reference voltage node. The circuit also includes a DC/DC converter with a first input terminal coupled to the first load node between the first and second current control sub-circuits, a second input terminal coupled to a second load node between the third and fourth current control sub-circuits, a first output terminal, and a second output terminal. The circuit further includes output electrodes, a routing sub-circuit for selectively coupling the output electrodes to the output terminals, and a controller configured for operating the routing sub-circuit and the current control sub-circuits to cause the DC/DC converter to supply biphasic pulses for at least one of the pairs of output electrodes.

Multichannel biphasic signal generator circuit

Described herein are systems and methods for a powered ankle/foot prosthesis and controller that utilizes piecewise emulated passive impedances to provide for walking at various cadences and on various slopes and for ground slope adaptive standing. A powered prosthesis using these systems and methods is capable of emulating any physical behavior provided by the healthy joint, and additionally describes a control system that utilizes the sensing and actuation system on the prosthesis to provide appropriate ankle joint impedances. Further, the control system incorporates a finite-state-based structure, and within each state, emulates the behavior of the healthy joint with strictly passive impedance functions.

Walking controller for powered ankle prostheses

A double-solenoid directional control valve comprising a valve body and a valve spool within the valve body, where the valve spool is configured to move within the valve body between a first position, a second position and a third position, where the third spool position lies between the first and second spool positions. In certain embodiments, the spool is maintained in the first and third positions by energizing at least a first or a second solenoid actuator, and where the spool is maintained in the second position by de-energizing both solenoid actuators.

Directional control valve with double-solenoid configurations

A wheel balancer for balancing a wheel having a rim and tire. The wheel balancer comprises a chassis and a driven shaft extending away from the chassis for rotating the wheel. An A&D arm, pivotal and axially extendible with respect to the chassis, is also provided. A first laser device is operable to produce a laser spot at a desired weight placement location on an inner surface of the rim. The first laser device is manipulable by an operator to move the laser spot to the desired weight placement location. A second laser device is attached to the A&D arm and movable therewith. The second laser device produces a visible marker on the inner surface of the rim for determining when the A&D arm is in a plane of the desired weight placement location.

Wheel balancer having laser-assisted weight placement system

A wheel balancer utilizing a novel calibration technique in which the operator must only measure and enter one dimension of the tire. By requiring the operator to measure only one dimension of the tire, the probability of introducing measurement error into the system is reduced.

Growing community of inventors

Murfreesboro, TN, United States of America

Don Truex