Jeff W Weber

US Patent:

8500823, Aug 6, 2013

Filed:

Feb 1, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/697894

Inventors:

Hugh M. Herr - Somerville MA, US
Jeff Anthony Weber - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

A61F 2/62

US Classification:

623 39, 623 43, 623 44, 623 46, 623 24

Abstract:

A knee prosthesis comprises an agonist-antagonist arrangement of two series-elastic actuators in parallel, including a knee joint, flexion and extension actuators connected to the joint in parallel with a leg member, and a controller for independently energizing the actuators to control the movement of the knee joint and leg. The flexion actuator comprises the series combination of a flexion motor and a flexion elastic element and the extension actuator comprises the series combination of an extension motor and an extension elastic element. Sensors provide feedback to the controller. The flexion actuator and the extension actuator may be unidirectional, with the flexion and extension elastic elements being series springs. The extension actuator may alternatively be bidirectional, with the extension elastic element being a set of pre-compressed series springs. Alternatively, the flexion elastic element may be a non-linear softening spring and the extension elastic element may be a non-linear hardening spring.

US Patent:

8512415, Aug 20, 2013

Filed:

Jun 12, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/157727

Inventors:

Hugh M. Herr - Somerville MA, US
Jeff A. Weber - San Francisco CA, US
Samuel K. Au - Sunnyvale CA, US
Bruce Wayne Deffenbaugh - Honolulu HI, US
Lee Harris Magnusson - Bremen ME, US
Andreas G. Hofmann - Boston MA, US
Benjamin B. Aisen - New York NY, US

Assignee:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

A61F 2/64
A61F 2/48
A61F 2/68

US Classification:

623 24, 623 47, 623 53

Abstract:

A powered ankle-foot prosthesis, capable of providing human-like power at terminal stance that increase amputees metabolic walking economy compared to a conventional passive-elastic prosthesis. The powered prosthesis comprises a unidirectional spring, configured in parallel with a force-controllable actuator with series elasticity. The prosthesis is controlled to deliver the high mechanical power and net positive work observed in normal human walking.

US Patent:

20100174384, Jul 8, 2010

Filed:

Sep 1, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/552028

Inventors:

Hugh M. Herr - Somerville MA, US
Jeff A. Weber - San Francisco CA, US
Rick Casler - Cambridge MA, US

Assignee:

iWalk, Inc. - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

A61F 2/60
A61F 2/64

US Classification:

623 32, 623 46

Abstract:

Hybrid terrain-adaptive lower-extremity apparatus and methods that perform in a variety of different situations by detecting the terrain that is being traversed, and adapting to the detected terrain. In some embodiments, the ability to control the apparatus for each of these situations builds upon five basic capabilities: (1) determining the activity being performed; (2) dynamically controlling the characteristics of the apparatus based on the activity that is being performed; (3) dynamically driving the apparatus based on the activity that is being performed; (4) determining terrain texture irregularities (e.g., how sticky is the terrain, how slippery is the terrain, is the terrain coarse or smooth, does the terrain have any obstructions, such as rocks) and (5) a mechanical design of the apparatus that can respond to the dynamic control and dynamic drive.

US Patent:

20120283845, Nov 8, 2012

Filed:

Mar 12, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/417949

Inventors:

Hugh M. Herr - Somerville MA, US
Jeff A. Weber - San Francisco CA, US
David A. Garlow - Lynnfield MA, US

International Classification:

A61F 2/70

US Classification:

623 24

Abstract:

In a powered actuator for supplying torque, joint equilibrium, and/or impedance to a joint, a motor is directly coupled to a low-reduction ratio transmission, e.g., a transmission having a gear ratio less than about 80 to 1. The motor has a low dissipation constant, e.g., less than about 50 W/(Nm). The transmission is serially connected to an elastic element that is also coupled to the joint, thereby supplying torque, joint equilibrium, and/or impedance to the joint while minimizing the power consumption and/or acoustic noise of the actuator.