Patents by Inventor Dirk SEIFERT

Dirk SEIFERT has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20210298921
    Abstract: A method for controlling the standing-phase damping of an artificial knee joint comprising an upper part and a lower part which are secured together in a pivotal manner about a pivot axis, a resistance unit which is arranged between the upper part and the lower part and has an adjustment device via which the damping resistance can be modified, and a control unit which is coupled to the adjustment device and which is connected to at least one sensor. The adjustment is carried out on the basis of sensor data, and the knee angle is detected by the at least one sensor during the standing-phase inflexion up to the terminal standing phase. The flexion damping is increased to a level above an initial flexion damping in order to prevent a further inflexion upon reaching a specified maximum knee angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk SEIFERT, Sven ZARLING
  • Patent number: 11033406
    Abstract: A method for controlling the standing-phase damping of an artificial knee joint comprising an upper part and a lower part which are secured together in a pivotal manner about a pivot axis, a resistance unit which is arranged between the upper part and the lower part and has an adjustment device via which the damping resistance can be modified, and a control unit which is coupled to the adjustment device and which is connected to at least one sensor. The adjustment is carried out on the basis of sensor data, and the knee angle is detected by the at least one sensor during the standing-phase inflexion up to the terminal standing phase. The flexion damping is increased to a level above an initial flexion damping in order to prevent a further inflexion upon reaching a specified maximum knee angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk Seifert, Sven Zarling
  • Publication number: 20210113415
    Abstract: An orthopedic technical device having a top part and a bottom part, which are connected to each other by at least one joint device so as to be pivotable about a joint axis, and at least one attachment device with which the orthopedic technical device can be fixed to a limb. The orthopedic technical device also has an actuator, which is fixed to attachment points on the top part and the bottom part and influences a pivoting of the top part relative to the bottom part, wherein the orientation of the bottom part can be adjusted relative to the limb which is fixable to the upper part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: Otto Bock Healthcare Products GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk SEIFERT, Roland AUBERGER, Christian BREUER-RUESCH, Alexander Noah SPRING, Marco VOLKMAR
  • Patent number: 10945863
    Abstract: A method for controlling an artificial orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, on which a lower-leg component is arranged and with which a resistance device is associated, the bending resistance of which resistance device is changed in dependence on sensor data that are determined by at least one sensor during the use of the orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, wherein a linear acceleration of the lower-leg component is determined, the determined linear acceleration is compared with at least one threshold value, and, if a threshold value of the linear acceleration of the lower-leg component is reached, the bending resistance is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventors: Roland Auberger, Martin Seyr, Clemens Mandl, Dirk Seifert, Hans Dietl
  • Publication number: 20200397599
    Abstract: A method for controlling a change of resistance in an artificial joint of an orthosis, an exoskeleton or prosthesis of a lower extremity. The artificial joint has an upper part and a lower part which are secured on each other so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis, a damper unit is secured between the upper part and the lower part in order to provide a resistance to flexion or extension of the artificial joint, and the damper unit is assigned an adjusting mechanism via which the resistance is changed when a sensor signal of a control unit assigned to the adjusting mechanism activates the adjusting mechanism. The resistance is changed as a function of the position and/or length of the measured or calculated leg tendon and/or the time derivatives thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Applicant: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventor: Dirk SEIFERT
  • Patent number: 10772743
    Abstract: A method for controlling a change of resistance in an artificial joint of an orthosis, an exoskeleton or prosthesis of a lower extremity. The artificial joint has an upper part and a lower part which are secured on each other so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis, a damper unit is secured between the upper part and the lower part in order to provide a resistance to flexion or extension of the artificial joint, and the damper unit is assigned an adjusting mechanism via which the resistance is changed when a sensor signal of a control unit assigned to the adjusting mechanism activates the adjusting mechanism. The resistance is changed as a function of the position and/or length of the measured or calculated leg tendon and/or the time derivatives thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventor: Dirk Seifert
  • Patent number: 10517744
    Abstract: A method for controlling a damping change in an artificial knee joint of an orthosis or prosthesis, wherein the artificial knee joint has an upper part, a lower part mounted thereon such that it can pivot about a pivot axis, and a resistance unit which is secured on the upper part on an upper articulation point and on the lower part on a lower articulation point in order to provide a resistance to a bending or extending of the artificial knee joint, wherein an adjusting device is assigned to the resistance unit for changing the flexion resistance, wherein the resistance of the resistance unit is increased by an increasing knee angle starting from a knee angle threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventor: Dirk Seifert
  • Publication number: 20180200082
    Abstract: A method for controlling an artificial orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, on which a lower-leg component is arranged and with which a resistance device is associated, the bending resistance (R) of which resistance device is changed in dependence on sensor data that are determined by means of at least one sensor during the use of the orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, wherein a linear acceleration (aF) of the lower-leg component is determined, the determined linear acceleration (aF) is compared with at least one threshold value, and, if a threshold value of the linear acceleration (aF) of the lower-leg component is reached, the bending resistance (R) is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventors: Roland AUBERGER, Martin SEYR, Clemens MANDL, Dirk SEIFERT, Hans DIETL
  • Publication number: 20180133030
    Abstract: A method for controlling a damping change in an artificial knee joint of an orthosis or prosthesis, wherein the artificial knee joint has an upper part, a lower part mounted thereon such that it can pivot about a pivot axis, and a resistance unit which is secured on the upper part on an upper articulation point and on the lower part on a lower articulation point in order to provide a resistance to a bending or extending of the artificial knee joint, wherein an adjusting device is assigned to the resistance unit for changing the flexion resistance, wherein the resistance of the resistance unit is increased by an increasing knee angle starting from a knee angle threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventor: Dirk SEIFERT
  • Publication number: 20180133029
    Abstract: A method for controlling an artificial knee joint comprising an upper part and a lower part pivotally connected to each other, a resistance unit arranged between the upper part and the lower part and having an adjusting device to adjust the damping resistance, a control unit, the adjustment taking place on the basis of sensor data from at least one sensor. During the swing phase at least one of the knee angle (KA), the knee angle velocity (KAV), the knee angle acceleration (KAA), the lower limb angle, the lower limb velocity, the lower limb acceleration, the ankle moment (AM) and the axial force (AF) is sensed, the curve of the parameter is determined and the damping resistance is changed when, after an extreme value of the parameter is reached, the monotonic behavior of the curve of the parameter changes within the swing phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventor: Dirk SEIFERT
  • Patent number: 9968468
    Abstract: A method for controlling an artificial orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, on which a lower-leg component is arranged and with which a resistance device is associated, the bending resistance (R) of which resistance device is changed in dependence on sensor data that are determined by means of at least one sensor during the use of the orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, wherein a linear acceleration (aF) of the lower-leg component is determined, the determined linear acceleration (aF) is compared with at least one threshold value, and, if a threshold value of the linear acceleration (aF) of the lower-leg component is reached, the bending resistance (R) is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventors: Roland Auberger, Martin Seyr, Clemens Mandl, Dirk Seifert, Hans Dietl
  • Publication number: 20180125681
    Abstract: A method for controlling a change of resistance in an artificial joint of an orthosis, an exoskeleton or prosthesis of a lower extremity. The artificial joint has an upper part and a lower part which are secured on each other so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis, a damper unit is secured between the upper part and the lower part in order to provide a resistance to flexion or extension of the artificial joint, and the damper unit is assigned an adjusting mechanism via which the resistance is changed when a sensor signal of a control unit assigned to the adjusting mechanism activates the adjusting mechanism. The resistance is changed as a function of the position and/or length of the measured or calculated leg tendon and/or the time derivatives thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventor: Dirk SEIFERT
  • Publication number: 20180085235
    Abstract: A method for controlling the standing-phase damping of an artificial knee joint comprising an upper part and a lower part which are secured together in a pivotal manner about a pivot axis, a resistance unit which is arranged between the upper part and the lower part and has an adjustment device via which the damping resistance can be modified, and a control unit which is coupled to the adjustment device and which is connected to at least one sensor. The adjustment is carried out on the basis of sensor data, and the knee angle is detected by the at least one sensor during the standing-phase inflexion up to the terminal standing phase. The flexion damping is increased to a level above an initial flexion damping in order to prevent a further inflexion upon reaching a specified maximum knee angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk SEIFERT, Sven ZARLING
  • Publication number: 20180085234
    Abstract: A method for controlling a damping modification in an artificial knee joint of an orthosis, an exoskeleton, or a prosthesis. The artificial knee joint has an upper part pivotally connected to a lower part A resistance unit is secured between the upper part and the lower part in order to provide a resistance against a flexion or extension The resistance unit is paired with an adjustment device to modify the resistance when a sensor signal of a control unit paired with the adjustment device activates the adjustment device. The flexion resistance is reduced for the swing phase. A curve of at least one load characteristic is detected when walking or standing; a maximum of the load characteristic curve when standing is ascertained; and the flexion damping is reduced to a swing-phase damping level during the standing phase when a threshold of the load characteristic below a maximum is reached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk SEIFERT, Roland PAWLIK, Martin SEYR
  • Publication number: 20160206447
    Abstract: A method for controlling an artificial orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, on which a lower-leg component is arranged and with which a resistance device is associated, the bending resistance (R) of which resistance device is changed in dependence on sensor data that are determined by means of at least one sensor during the use of the orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, wherein a linear acceleration (aF) of the lower-leg component is determined, the determined linear acceleration (aF) is compared with at least one threshold value, and, if a threshold value of the linear acceleration (aF) of the lower-leg component is reached, the bending resistance (R) is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventors: Roland AUBERGER, Martin SEYR, Clemens MANDL, Dirk SEIFERT, Hans DIETL