US 12,144,776 B2
Robotic ankle system for gait disorder patients
Marcus Schaller, Gilbert, AZ (US); Wenlong Zhang, Chandler, AZ (US); Seyed Mostafa Rezayat Sorkhabadi, Tempe, AZ (US); and Zhi Qiao, Tempe, AZ (US)
Assigned to Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Filed by Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ (US); and Marcus Schaller, Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Filed on Feb. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/180,757.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/979,621, filed on Feb. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0259903 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
Int. Cl. A61H 3/00 (2006.01); A61F 5/01 (2006.01); A61H 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61H 3/00 (2013.01) [A61F 5/0127 (2013.01); A61H 1/0266 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0158 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0179 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1207 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1642 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1659 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5061 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5097 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic ankle system, comprising:
a frame configured for receiving a shoe of a user, the frame includes a foot plate and a base plate pivotably coupled to one another at a front end of the foot plate, the foot plate is configured to receive the shoe of the user, a bottom surface of the base plate is configured to contact the ground when the user is walking, the foot plate extends laterally between and to a first side and a second side configured to receive the shoe of the user therebetween, the foot plate further extends longitudinally between and to an aft end and the front end, and the foot plate is configured to pivot with respect to the base plate about an axis that is oriented laterally;
a constant force spring configured to store energy arising from a step of the user;
a locking mechanism configured to hold the constant force spring in a stored energy position;
a solenoid configured to disengage the locking mechanism to release the constant force spring to thereby bias the foot plate to rotate with respect to the base plate to provide an assistive force to the user; and
a battery coupled to the solenoid.