US 11,666,501 B2
Devices and methods for assisting pronation and/or supination
Thomas P. Branch, Atlanta, GA (US); Shaun Kevin Stinton, Chamblee, GA (US); Edward Dittmar, Marietta, GA (US); and Nathaniel Kinsey DeJarnette, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to Ermi LLC, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by ERMI, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Mar. 19, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/358,151.
Application 16/358,151 is a continuation of application No. 14/569,627, filed on Dec. 13, 2014, granted, now 10,278,881.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/915,264, filed on Dec. 12, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2019/0274910 A1, Sep. 12, 2019
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61H 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61H 1/0274 (2013.01) [A61H 1/0277 (2013.01); A61H 2001/0203 (2013.01); A61H 2001/0207 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1676 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for manipulating a hand of a user to provide pronation or supination assistance, the device comprising:
an anchor;
a hand engagement member operatively coupled to the anchor and configured to receive and engage the hand of the user;
a non-rigid force applicator comprising a member portion and an anchor portion opposite the member portion, the force applicator operatively coupled to the hand engagement member proximate its member portion and operatively coupled to the anchor proximate its anchor portion; and
a force application mechanism operatively coupled to the anchor and configured to apply a force to the non-rigid force applicator causing the hand engagement member to manipulate the hand of the user to provide the pronation or supination assistance.
 
20. A method for manipulating a hand of a user to provide pronation or supination assistance, the method comprising:
engaging the hand of the user using a hand engagement member; and
applying a force to the hand engagement member using a non-rigid force applicator to urge the hand engagement member to rotate about a longitudinal axis of an arm of the user, using a force application mechanism to apply force to the non-rigid force applicator operatively coupled with the force application mechanism and the hand engagement member, thereby providing pronation or supination assistance.