University of Delaware

Columbia University

Other

Stevens Institute of Technology

Sunil K Agrawal

Sai Banala

Paul Stegall

James Cole Galloway

John L Scholz

Kyle N Winfree

Damiano Zanotto

Abbas Fattah

Sean H McIntosh

Stuart Binder-Macleod

Danielle Stramel

Robert M Carrera

Zachary R Schoepflin

Huanghe Zhang

Sherry Liang

Stephen Dolph

Ying Mao

David Hilgart

Venketesh Dubey

Moiz Khan

John Gangloff

Elizabeth Brackbill

Kalyan K Mankala

Ji-Chul Ryu

Vineet Vashista

Abhishek Agrawal

Zaeem Khan

Sal Banala

Christina B Ragonesi

Shourov Bhattacharya

Xin Jin

Glenn Catlin

Haohan Zhang

Joon-Hyuk Park

Jiyeon Kang

Xi Chen

John Hamnett

A robotic assistant provides active support for disabled users and may take the approximate form of a cane or a walker.

Powered walking assistant and associated systems and methods

A quantitative gait training and/or analysis system includes one or more footwear modules that may include a piezoresistive sensor, an inertial sensor and an independent logic unit. The footwear module functions to permit the extraction of gait kinematics and evaluation thereof in real time, or data may be stored for later reduction and analysis. Embodiments relating to calibration-based estimation of kinematic gait parameters are described.

Wireless and retrofittable in-shoe system for real-time estimation of kinematic and kinetic gait parameters

A wearable neck brace uses, for example, only three actuators but provides natural motion of the head and neck. This is achieved despite the fact that the head has six degrees of freedom including 3 translation and 3 rotation. In embodiments, a wearable neck brace actively controls the head of the wearer responsively to commands from a user interface such as an eye tracking input device. In further embodiments, a force-field is generated by actuators to provide assistance and/or training for weak muscles. Spring compensation may be provided for a passive support with flexibility. Encoders may be provided to generate treatment logs to support analysis of a patient's condition or progress or to provide therapy-facilitating (or athletic training-facilitating) feedback to the user.

Wearable apparatuses, methods, and systems for diagnosis, analysis, therapy and other uses

A Trunk Support Trainer (TruST) is a dynamic device that trains subjects to improve strength and coordination of the upper body, while seated, and facilitates the trunk to safely move beyond the region of stability. In embodiments, the device creates an 'assist-as-needed' force field to support postures beyond stable sitting positions.

Human musculoskeletal support and training system methods and devices

Active wearable body brace embodiments provide selectable conformation control of the interface between the trunk of a human subject and the brace, which conformation may be varied over time and responsively to feedback and an updateable prescription. Further active wearable body brace embodiments provide selectable movement control of the interface between the trunk of a human subject and the brace with up to six degrees of freedom between elements to allow a controller to implement operations such as muscle challenges, active support, and passive-like support where actuators mimic springs. Further embodiments may also provide detection functions such as quantifying muscle weakness. The features of these embodiments may be combined in various ways to provide still further embodiments.

Spinal treatment devices, methods, and systems

Systems for machine-based rehabilitation of movement disorders including gait therapy applications can apply controlled forces to the pelvis and/or other body parts including knee and ankle joints. Cable-driven systems for gait therapy applications can apply controlled forces to, in respective embodiments, the pelvis and the pelvis, knee and ankle joints. In further embodiments, systems for gait therapy can be treadmill-based or walker-based. In embodiments, a controlled downforce is applied to the hip with augmentation including supportive forces. In further embodiments, the technology is activated through cables that provide support and limb-flexing moments with low inertia and friction resistance. In further embodiments, assistance is configured for gait therapy in children. In still further embodiments, methods of rehabilitation and assist-as-needed (AAN) control of the gait therapy systems facilitate a patient's ability to coordinate movement, control balance, achieve strength, and other beneficial outcomes.

Human movement research, therapeutic, and diagnostic devices, methods, and systems

A rehabilitation machine can have a chassis with actuators positioned behind a patient area. The actuators can have supports projecting toward the patient area and can have respective adapters shaped to engage the legs of a patient at the thigh, the calf, and the foot while the patient is in a standing or walking posture. The actuators can also have motors, transition elements, and linkages connected to apply moments through the adapters to achieve, for each leg, hip adduction/abduction, hip flexion/extension, knee flexion/extension, and foot plantar flexion/dorsiflexion according to signals from a controller. The actuators can be confined to a space, largely behind the patient, such that free arm swing is permitted when the patient is attached.

Active movement training devices, methods, and systems

A device and method for assisting a user to articulate a limb. The device has an upper section, a lower section, and at least one joint between the upper and lower section. The device comprises an exoskeleton with a first cuff coupled to the lower section of the user's limb, a second cuff coupled to the upper section of the user's limb and a third cuff coupled to a portion of the user's body above the upper section of the limb. At least one cable is attached to the first cuff and at least one cable is attached to the second cuff. A series of drivers located remotely from the exoskeleton are attached to cables and are connected to a processor. The processor transmits signals to the drivers to vary the lengths of the cables to guide articulation of the user's limb.

Wearable cable-driven exoskeleton for functional arm training

Gait training apparatus and method for use thereof for providing leg swing assistance to a patient. The apparatus comprises a support structure and one or more leg orthoses attached to the support structure, each leg orthosis comprising a thigh member attached to the support structure at a hip joint, and a shank member attached to the thigh member at a knee joint. Both members have respective connectors for securing them to the corresponding body parts of the patient. The hip joint and knee joint are each biased by biasing members. The support structure may comprise a frame defining a patient activity region, including a base, a back support, a pair of support handles, and a weight support member mounted above the activity region. A method of using the device comprises selecting parameters for the biasing members using information about the patient.

Passive swing assist leg exoskeleton

Powered orthosis systems and methods are disclosed. An orthosis system includes a frame, a trunk brace adapted to be secured to a user's trunk, a trunk joint coupling the trunk brace to the frame, an upper leg brace adapted to be secured to a user's upper leg, a hip joint coupling the upper leg brace to the trunk brace, a lower leg brace adapted to be secured to a user's lower leg, a knee joint coupling the lower leg brace to the upper leg brace, and a controller. The hip joint or knee joint includes an actuator operable to rotate the adjacent braces relative to each other. The controller is programmed to operate the actuator. An orthosis method includes securing a user to the orthosis system, enabling the user to walk while secured to the orthosis system, and actuating the hip or knee actuator to rotate the adjacent braces.

Powered orthosis systems and methods

Powered mobility systems and methods are disclosed. A powered mobility system includes a mobile unit, a support frame, a plurality of markers, a motion capture device, and a processor. The mobile unit is operable to move the powered mobility system. The support frame is adapted to support a user. The plurality of markers are configured to be attached to the user. The motion capture device is configured to detect movement of the plurality of markers. The processor is programmed to receive signals from the motion capture device, translate the signals into instructions for moving the mobile unit, and transmit the instructions to the mobile unit. A powered mobility method includes placing a user in a support frame, attaching a plurality of markers to the user, detecting movement of the plurality of the markers, and generating movement of the mobile unit based on the movement of the plurality of the markers.

Powered mobility systems and methods

Vibratory feedback systems and methods are disclosed. A vibratory feedback system includes a shoe adapted to be secured to a user's foot, a plurality of force sensors and vibration actuators mounted on the shoe, and a microprocessor affixed to the shoe. The force sensors are configured to sense forces exerted by the user's foot. The vibration actuators are configured to provide vibrations to the user's foot. The microprocessor is coupled to receive data from the plurality of force sensors, and is programmed to actuate the plurality of vibration actuators to provide a first characteristic vibration to the user's foot based on the sensed forces. A method of improving the gait of a user includes enabling the user to ambulate with the vibratory feedback system secured to the user's foot, and providing a first characteristic vibration to the user's foot based on the sensed forces using the vibratory feedback system.

Vibratory feedback systems and methods

An exoskeleton having a first cuff adapted to be coupled to a user's lower limb is disclosed. The exoskeleton also includes a second cuff adapted to be coupled to the user's upper limb and a third cuff adapted to be coupled to the user's body. A first motor is mounted on the third cuff and has a first motor output coupled to the first cuff. A second motor is mounted on the third cuff and has a second motor output coupled to the second cuff. A processor is operatively coupled to the first and second motors to manipulate the first cuff and the second cuff relative to the third cuff such that the first cuff and the second cuff are able to move the user's lower limb and upper limb. A method of operating the exoskeleton is also disclosed.

Upper arm wearable exoskeleton

A powered orthosis, adapted to be secured to a corresponding body portion of the user for guiding motion of a user, the orthosis comprising a plurality of structural members and one or more joints adjoining adjacent structural members, each joint having one or more degrees of freedom and a range of joint angles. One or more of the joints each comprise at least one back-drivable actuator governed by a controller for controlling the joint angle. The plurality of joint controllers are synchronized to cause the corresponding actuators to generate forces for assisting the user to move the orthosis at least in part under the user's power along a desired trajectory within an allowed tolerance. One embodiment comprises force-field controllers that define a virtual tunnel for movement of the orthosis, in which the forces applied to the orthosis for assisting the user may be proportional to deviation from the desired trajectory.

Powered orthosis

A powered mobility device for advancing cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities of a child lacking natural mobility is disclosed. The device includes a seat sized for the child to be secured therein and a motorized drive assembly coupled to the seat. A local operating instrument is operably coupled to the drive assembly for operating and steering the drive assembly. The local operating instrument is positioned to allow manipulation by the child seated in the seat. A processor is operatively coupled to the motorized drive assembly and to a local steering instrument. The processor is adapted to transmit a signal to the motorized drive assembly and the local steering instrument to control the mobility device. A method for advancing cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities of a child by using the device is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Newark, DE, United States of America

Sunil K Agrawal