US 12,226,336 B2
Wearable devices for protecting against musculoskeletal injuries and enhancing performance
Ignacio Galiana Bujanda, Cambridge, MA (US); Conor J. Walsh, Cambridge, MA (US); Michael T. Rouleau, Cambridge, MA (US); Jinwon Chung, Cambridge, MA (US); Tim-Fabian Moser, Cambridge, MA (US); Ye Ding, Cambridge, MA (US); Danielle L. Nathanson, Cambridge, MA (US); and Nicolas Menard, Cambridge, MA (US)
Assigned to President and Fellows of Harvard College, Cambridge, MA (US)
Appl. No. 16/969,937
Filed by President and Fellows of Harvard College, Cambridge, MA (US)
PCT Filed Feb. 15, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/018258
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 13, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/161232, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 22, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/757,138, filed on Nov. 7, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/631,666, filed on Feb. 17, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0007874 A1, Jan. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. A61F 5/02 (2006.01); A61F 5/01 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 5/028 (2013.01) [A61F 5/0102 (2013.01); B25J 9/0006 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0162 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0167 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flexible exosuit, comprising:
a first anchor configured for positioning on an upper body of a person wearing the flexible exosuit;
a second anchor configured for positioning on a first leg of the person wearing the flexible exosuit;
a third anchor configured for positioning on a second leg of the person wearing the flexible exosuit;
a connecting element;
an actuator secured with respect to the first anchor and configured to control a length of the connecting element;
a load balancing assembly coupling the actuator to the second anchor and the third anchor, wherein actuation of the actuator generates a tensile force in the flexible exosuit for generating a moment about one or more joints of the person, the load balancing assembly is configured to balance a tensile force distributed from the actuator to the first leg and the second leg of the person wearing the flexible exosuit, wherein the load balancing assembly comprises:
a flexible elongate member having a first end portion coupled to the second anchor and a second end portion connected to the third anchor; and
a mechanism coupling the connecting element to an intermediate portion of the flexible elongate member between the first end portion and the second end portion, wherein the mechanism is configured to allow the flexible elongate member to translate within the mechanism to balance the tensile force distributed to the first leg and the second leg of the person, and
wherein the actuator comprises an electromechanical motor configured to generate the tensile force by controlling the length of the connecting element by rotating a pulley the connecting element is wound on;
at least one controller; and
an inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured for positioning on the body of the person wearing the flexible exosuit and to output signals related to motions of one or more portions of the person's body during a user activity, wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine the user activity based at least in part on the signals and to control the actuator to generate the tensile force based on the determined user activity.