Apparatus, system, and method for controlling movement of an orthopedic joint prosthesis in a mammalian subject

Abstract

Apparatus, system, and method are disclosed herein for controlling movement of an artificial orthopedic joint prosthesis in a mammalian subject. The apparatus, system, or method includes an orthopedic brace configured to control movement of an orthopedic joint prosthesis. The apparatus, system, or method includes one or more sensors and one or more controllers in communication with the one or more sensors. The one or more sensors are configured to detect a change in an orientation of a subject's position in an environment and configured to detect one or more alignment orientations of the orthopedic joint prosthesis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 96 . (canceled) 
     
     
         97 . A method for preventing dislocation of an orthopedic joint prosthesis in a mammalian subject comprising:
 providing an orthopedic brace including a first member and a second member, wherein the first member is configured to control movement of a first component of an orthopedic joint prosthesis relative to the second member configured to control movement of a second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis in the subject;   detecting an orientation of the subject having the orthopedic joint prosthesis in an environment by one or more sensors in proximity to the subject;   detecting one or more alignment orientations of the first component relative to the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis by the one or more sensors;   communicating on the orientation of the subject and the one or more alignment orientations to one or more controllers; and   adjusting an alignment of the first component relative to the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis in response to a signal from the one or more controllers to the first member and the second member of the orthopedic brace.   
     
     
         98 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising detecting the one or more alignment orientations of the orthopedic joint prosthesis based upon detecting one or more alignment orientations of the orthopedic brace by the one or more sensors in proximity to the subject. 
     
     
         99 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising detecting one or more alignment orientations of portions of a human body containing the orthopedic joint prosthesis by the one or more sensors in proximity to the subject. 
     
     
         100 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising restraining motion of the orthopedic joint prosthesis by the orthopedic brace under a first set of the one or more alignment orientations, and permitting unrestrained motion of the orthopedic joint prosthesis by the orthopedic brace under a second set of the one or more alignment orientations. 
     
     
         101 . (canceled) 
     
     
         102 . (canceled) 
     
     
         103 . (canceled) 
     
     
         104 . The method of  claim 100 , wherein the second set of the one or more alignment orientations includes a separation of the first component relative to the second component. 
     
     
         105 . The method of  claim 100 , comprising restraining motion to stop motion of the orthopedic joint prosthesis. 
     
     
         106 . The method of  claim 100 , comprising restraining motion from the second set of the one or more alignment orientations towards the first set of the one or more alignment orientations. 
     
     
         107 . The method of  claim 100 , comprising restraining motion to reduce one or more alignment differences between the second set of the one or more alignment orientations and the first set of the one or more alignment orientations. 
     
     
         108 . (canceled) 
     
     
         109 . (canceled) 
     
     
         110 . (canceled) 
     
     
         111 . (canceled) 
     
     
         112 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising controlling movement of the first member relative to the second member of the orthopedic brace by one or more force-applying elements, wherein the one or more force-applying elements in response to the one or more controllers are configured to permit unrestrained motion of the orthopedic joint prosthesis under a first set of the one or more alignment orientations and are configured to permit restrained motion of the orthopedic joint prosthesis under a second set of the one or more alignment orientations. 
     
     
         113 . The method of  claim 112 , comprising controlling application of force to the orthopedic joint prosthesis by the one or more force-applying elements by the one or more controllers. 
     
     
         114 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein the one or more force-applying elements are configured to control movement of the first component relative to the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis. 
     
     
         115 . The method of  claim 114 , wherein the one or more force-applying elements are configured to exert linear force or rotational force on the orthopedic joint prosthesis. 
     
     
         116 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising locating the one or more sensors within an environment of the orthopedic brace. 
     
     
         117 . (canceled) 
     
     
         118 . (canceled) 
     
     
         119 . (canceled) 
     
     
         120 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising measuring one or more properties of the tissue surrounding the orthopedic joint prosthesis with the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         121 . The method of  claim 120 , comprising measuring strain on one or more of ligament, muscle, or bone of the mammalian subject surrounding the orthopedic joint prosthesis with the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         122 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising detecting one or more of pressure, angle, motion, strain, flexion, extension, position, force, speed, acceleration, or temperature of the orthopedic joint prosthesis with the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         123 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising detecting one or more of chemical change or biological change in a mammalian subject with the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         124 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising detecting one or more of electrical energy, magnetic energy, electromagnetic energy, optical energy, or sonic energy by the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         125 . (canceled) 
     
     
         126 . (canceled) 
     
     
         127 . (canceled) 
     
     
         128 . (canceled) 
     
     
         129 . (canceled) 
     
     
         130 . (canceled) 
     
     
         131 . 
     
     
         132 . 
     
     
         133 . The method of  claim 124 , comprising detecting one or more of positioning, disposition, attitude, movement, friction or temperature of the orthopedic joint prosthesis with the one or more second sensors. 
     
     
         134 . (canceled) 
     
     
         135 . (canceled) 
     
     
         136 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising predicting future actions or consequences of movement of the orthopedic brace with one or more controllers configured to use information from a model of one or more of a limb or a joint of the mammalian subject. 
     
     
         137 . (canceled) 
     
     
         138 . (canceled) 
     
     
         139 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising transmitting a request from a transmitter for data from the one or more environmental sensors. 
     
     
         140 .- 142 . (canceled) 
     
     
         143 . A device comprising:
 a system including a signal-bearing medium including,   one or more instructions for treatment of a subject with an orthopedic brace including a first member and a second member, wherein the first member is configured to control movement of the first component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis relative to the second member configured to control movement of the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis;   one or more instructions for receiving data from one or more sensors configured to detect one or more alignment orientations of the first component relative to the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis;   one or more instructions for receiving data from one or more controllers in communication with the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors report on the one or more alignment orientations to the one or more controllers, and the one or more controllers are configured to control activity of the first member relative to the second member of the orthopedic brace, and wherein the orthopedic brace is configured to adjust the one or more alignment orientations of the first component relative to the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis.   
     
     
         144 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one of one or more imaging devices, one or more pressure sensors on furniture, one or more accelerometers, or one or more antiskid shoes. 
     
     
         145 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect the one or more alignment orientations of the orthopedic joint prosthesis based upon detecting at least one of one or more alignment orientations of the orthopedic brace or one or more alignment orientations of portions of a human body containing the orthopedic joint prosthesis. 
     
     
         146 . The method of  claim 124 , comprising detecting the sonic energy by one or more ultrasonic sensors and determining at least one of a separation between the first component and the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis with the one or more ultrasonic sensors or a movement between the first component and the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis with the one or more ultrasonic sensors. 
     
     
         147 . The method of  claim 124 , comprising determining at least one of a separation between the first component and the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis with one or more magnetic sensors or a movement between the first component and the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis with one or more magnetic sensors. 
     
     
         148 . The method of  claim 124 , comprising determining at least one of a separation between the first component and the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis with the one or more radio wavelength sensors or a movement between the first component and the second component of the orthopedic joint prosthesis with the one or more radio wavelength sensors. 
     
     
         149 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising at least one of informing the one or more sensors or the one or more controllers by a signal from the one or more environmental sensors or activating the one or more sensors or the one or more controllers in response to a signal from the one or more environmental sensors. 
     
     
         150 . The method of  claim 97 , comprising receiving at least one of wireless signals or wired signals at a receiver from the one or more environmental sensors.