US 12,076,135 B2
Soft hip extension device to aid hemiparetic gait
Thomas Sugar, Chandler, AZ (US); Abhishu Patel, Tempe, AZ (US); Ryan Borneman, Laveen, AZ (US); Omik Save, Tempe, AZ (US); Yashaswy Govada, Tempe, AZ (US); Saivimal Sridar, Mesa, AZ (US); Pham Huy Nguyen, Mesa, AZ (US); and Ammon Lovell, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Assigned to Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ (US); and Dignity Health, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ (US); and Dignity Health, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/859,597.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/838,840, filed on Apr. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0337597 A1, Oct. 29, 2020
Int. Cl. A61H 3/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/11 (2006.01); A61F 5/01 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/112 (2013.01) [A61F 5/012 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1628 (2013.01); A61H 2201/164 (2013.01); A61H 2201/165 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5061 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5071 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A soft wearable robotic device, comprising:
an inflatable actuator located on only a gluteus muscle group of a wearer when inserted inside a compressive hip brace comprising a lever arm having a length of approximately 0.04 meters;
a force sensitive resistor (FSR) embedded in a sole of a shoe and configured to detect a heel strike on the shoe; and
control components configured to activate the inflatable actuator to inflate to a pressure of approximately three-fifths of atmospheric pressure, thereby providing a perpendicular force of approximately 150 Newtons to only the gluteus muscle group responsive to the FSR detecting the heel strike, thereby indicating that the wearer is loading on an affected limb, wherein:
the control components comprise two interconnected solenoid valves, a pressure sensor, and a high isolation SSOP photocoupler; and
the perpendicular force propels a hip of the wearer forward with a torque of approximately 6 Newton-meters as the wearer is loading on the affected limb.