SBIR Phase II: Quasi-Active Prosthetic Ankle System: Dynamic Angle and Stiffness Optimizations for Multiple Gait Activities

该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是，拟议的系统将提高目前生活在美国的130万下肢截肢者在不受约束的环境中行走的能力。 拟议的准主动踝关节假体系统（QPAS）解决了RH 6：人类辅助技术领域。 QPAS重量轻，电池寿命长，并通过使用电池能量来调整其物理系统特性、踝关节平衡角度和扭转刚度，优化截肢者在无约束环境中步态的被动动力学。 该设备提供了目前市场上不存在的一组独特功能，加强了其价值主张。 截肢者人数不断增加;每周有2 000例新的下肢截肢手术。 因此，QPAS将具有强大的市场潜力和通过支持下肢截肢者更积极的生活方式来改善健康的重大社会影响。 这也将导致更多的社区和家庭参与。 此外，由于控制QPAS的许多可能性，步态研究人员将能够研究截肢者的补偿偏好。 更好地了解运动学和动力学的偏好，可以导致纯粹被动踝关节假体的设计改进。 这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第2阶段项目解决了下肢截肢者的需求。下肢截肢者遭受降低的自选行走速度、增加的代谢成本、健全肢体上增加的反应负荷、差的步态对称性以及降低的稳定性以及增加的跌倒风险。 被动假肢脚只适用于以一种速度在平地上行走。 QPAS将利用获得专利的顺应性致动器来实现一系列独特的功能：带有关节踝关节的被动能量存储，斜坡步态的自适应踝关节角度，低电能使用，大范围的踝关节运动，可适应的刚度以优化可变的节奏水平地面和斜坡步态，以及受控的能量输送，以确保能量自然平稳地建立。 在第2阶段SBIR中，将为QPAS构建一个直观的自主控制器，人类受试者评价将有助于完善该器械以实现商业化。QPAS将成为一个成功的产品，专注于改善截肢者在不受约束的环境中的步态表现，并易于安装和调整，可靠和负担得起。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that the proposed system will enhance the ability of the 1.3 million people currently living in the United States with a lower limb amputation to walk in unconstrained environments. The proposed Quasi-Active Prosthetic Ankle System (QPAS) addresses the RH6: Human Assistive Technologies area. QPAS will be lightweight, have a long battery life, and optimize the passive dynamics of amputee gait in unconstrained environments by using battery energy to tune its physical system properties, ankle equilibrium angle and torsional stiffness. The device provides a unique set of features that do not currently exist in the market, strengthening its value proposition. The amputee population is growing; 2,000 new lower limb amputation are performed each week. Therefore, QPAS will have strong market potential and the significant societal impact of improving health by supporting a more active lifestyle for lower limb amputees. This will also lead to more community and family involvement. Additionally, because of the many possibilities to control QPAS, gait researchers will be able to study amputee compensation preferences. A better understanding of the kinematic and kinetic preferences could lead to improvements in the design of purely passive ankle prostheses. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 project addresses the needs of lower limb amputees. Lower limb amputees suffer from reduced self-selected walking speed, increased metabolic cost, increased reaction loads on the sound limb, poor gait symmetry, and reduced stability with increased risk of falling. Passive prosthetic feet are only tuned for level ground walking at one speed. QPAS will utilize a patented compliant actuator to achieve a unique set of features: passive energy storage with an articulating ankle joint, adaptable ankle angle for slope gait, low electrical energy usage, a large range of ankle motion, adaptable stiffness to optimize variable cadence level ground and slope gait, and controlled energy delivery to ensure energy builds naturally and smoothly. In this phase 2 SBIR, an intuitive and autonomous controller will be built for the QPAS and human subject evaluations will assist in refining the device towards commercialization. QPAS will become a successful product by focusing on improved amputee gait performance in unconstrained environments, and being simple to fit and adjust, reliable and affordable.