ORTHOPEDIC APPARATUS FOR THE LOWER LIMB WITH MICROPROCESSOR CONTROL Russian patent published in 2023 - IPC A61F5/01 A61H3/00 

FIELD: medical equipment.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to an orthopedic apparatus for a lower limb with microprocessor control. The apparatus consists of a body, an actuator, a control unit with sensors, power sources interconnected by a communication network, load-bearing links of the torso, thighs, lower legs and feet connected by a hip hinge assembly with axles having external rear and lower stops, external knee and ankle articulated joints with axes, and fastening elements. The carrier link of the torso is made in the form of a figured corset sleeve with internal niches, and the carrier link of the thigh is made in the form of a figured thigh sleeve with internal niches of the thigh sleeve. The bearing link of the lower leg is made in the form of a shaped sleeve of the lower leg, and the bearing link of the foot is made in the form of a figured sleeve of the foot with an inner plantar surface, on which an orthopedic insole with holes in the front and rear sections is installed. The sensors are made of two types, one in the form of electromyographic overhead electrodes installed in the niches of the corset and thigh sockets, and the others are made in the form of overhead force-measuring sensors installed in the holes of orthopedic insoles on the inner plantar surface of the foot sleeve. All sensors are connected via terminals to the communication network. The control unit includes a microcontroller, an incremental encoder, a current sensor and a user interface. The latter has a power switch, indicator light, walking speed controller and three mode switching buttons. The control unit and the power source have a single base mounted on the back surface of the brace sleeve at the level of the patient's common center of mass in projection onto the frontal plane. The actuator is made in the form of a linear actuator, with one end mounted on the sleeve of the corset, and the other end on the sleeve of the thigh. The hip assembly has upper and lower parts, an adjustable elastic element is installed on the rear surface of the upper part, and a stop is installed on the rear surface of the lower part. The hinge axis of the hip node in the projection on the sagittal, the surface is on the vertical axis at the level of the hip joint. The knee nodes are made polycentric and are located both on the outside and on the inside and are located on the vertical in the projection onto the sagittal plane. Ankle nodes are located both on the outside and on the inside and are made of polymeric material X-shaped having a central thickening interspersed with nanosized particles by weight up to one percent of the weight of the polymeric material and located at the level of the ankle joint on the vertical. The foot sleeve is made with individual foot arches, and the front section of the foot sleeve, starting from the line connecting the centers of the heads of the metatarsal bones, is made elastic, with the possibility of providing movement in the metatarsophalangeal and interphalangeal joints. The tibia sleeve and the femoral sleeve are connected by an elastic adjustable graduated polyurethane rod installed on their anterior-lateral planes, the ends of which are interspersed with nanosized particles. A video camera is installed on the lateral outer surface of the foot sleeve, having sound and light signaling devices and connected to the control unit. The bearing links of the thigh, lower leg and foot have centers of mass coinciding with the centers of mass of the corresponding segments of the lower limb of the patient in the projection on the sagittal plane, and the figured sleeves of the corset, thigh, lower leg and foot are made of individual different strengths from a composite material based on carbon-woven tape and fabric based on Rusar threads, and a polyurethane compound is used as a binder.

EFFECT: creation of an orthopedic apparatus with microprocessor control which ensures the activation of motor functions in the area of the hip joint during walking due to the creation of external moments of forces, the implementation of forced flexion and extension of the lower limb in the transfer phase, enabling the patient to sit down and stand up, while reducing energy consumption and requirements for power, dimensions and mass of actuators due to a rational construction scheme, built-in elastic elements and rational distribution of masses and loads on limb segments, as well as providing the required orthopedic correction, involving residual possibilities in the process of muscle movement, ensuring movements in the forefoot when walking and increasing the safety of using the device in the rehabilitation process.

1 cl, 6 dwg