The invention is a brace that secures to a person's chest, waist and legs. The brace includes a chest frame that supports the anterior chest and and a thigh frame that supports the anterior thighs where the two frames are pivotably connected to each other. In addition, an extension spring links the torso frame and the thigh frame such that when a user is bending over, i.e. flexed or in a state of flexion, in which gravity is exerting a greater downward force on the torso, a counter-force is exerted on the person's chest, with the counter-force increasing in magnitude as the degree of flexion at the waist increases.

Provided is a technique for attaching an artificial tendon to a support device having a supporting material as well as a product formed by the technique. The artificial tendon is provided for flexing or extending a joint of a body, when applied at the joint of the body, by way of pulling the artificial tendon along its lengthwise direction. The artificial tendon is attached to the support device by stitching across the tendon with a thread on the supporting material of the support device, which forms a tunnel for the artificial tendon between the supporting material and the stitching. The artificial tendon is able to travel in the tunnel. The tunnel formed by this technique is positioned on the surface of the supporting material of the support device.

A system for translating a constant traction load to an object such as a medical device or a patient includes a plurality of independently rotatable, coaxially aligned spools, each housing a constant force spring fixed at respective ends to the spool and to a rigid member, a plurality of flexible biasing members each coupled on their respective first ends to a spool and at least partially wound around the spool. A plurality of connectors are connected to the respective other ends of the biasing members, which may comprise wire rope. The connectors are configured to quickly couple to and decouple, directly or indirectly, from the object to which the traction load is being delivered. A guide provides a partial path for one or more of the biasing members to the object. A selected load may be applied by coupling one or more of the reversible couplers tensioned by the constant force springs to the object, without use of gravitational loading.

A conformable body interface is fabricated using a data set representing a three-dimensional, soft tissue body surface. The conformable body interface includes a body scaffold that is divided into two or more longitudinal segments separated by axial joints. Optionally, the body scaffold is further divided into two or more circumferentially split segments separated by circumferential joints. The axial joints are circumferentially constrained by elastic bands, tabs, or similar structures and the circumferential joints are longitudinally constrained by elastic axial tethers or similar structures. In this way, the body interfaces can accommodate swelling and bending of the body surface.

A neck collar is provided, including: a neck sleeve, a chin support and an adjustment mechanism. The chin support is swingably connected to the neck sleeve. The adjustment mechanism includes at least one linking member and at least one driving member with which the linking member is co-movably connected. Each of the at least one linking member is movably connected to the neck sleeve and movably abutted against the chin support. The at least one driving member is externally operable and adjustable to drive the at least one linking member to move relative to the neck sleeve and to move relative to the chin support, simultaneously, between a first position and a second position. When the at least one linking member is moved toward the second position, the at least one linking member drives the chin support to swing upwardly relative to the neck sleeve.

Provided is an assist device, including a lumbar orthosis, a buttock orthosis, an ankle orthosis, a leg frame and an assist mechanism. In response to a user's bending and stretching motions, the assist mechanism applies an assist force to the user's body by operating the leg frame and separating the lumbar orthosis and the buttock orthosis from the ankle orthosis. The ankle orthosis includes a front locking part and a back locking part configured to be locked to the user's lower leg, as well as an instep abutting part and a heel abutting part abutting against the user's foot from above.

An orthopedic device for supporting a lower back of a user includes a mechanical energy store, a pelvic element, an upper body element with a first force transmission element and an upper leg element with a second force transmission element. The upper leg element is arranged on the pelvic element such that it can be swivelled about a first swivel axis, the upper body element is movably arranged relative to the pelvic element, the first force transmission element can be engaged and disengaged with the second force transmission element by moving the upper body element relative to the pelvic element, and the mechanical energy store can be charged and discharged by swivelling the upper leg element relative to the upper body element when the first force transmission element is engaged with the second force transmission element.

Apparatus and method for an adjustable orthotic. In one embodiment, an adjustable orthotic may include: a calf shell with a first anchor plate configured to receive a calf of a user; a foot shell with a second anchor plate configured to receive a foot of the user; and a removeable spring comprising a top, a bottom, and a recurved shape, wherein the top of the spring connects to the calf shell by the first anchor plate and the bottom of the spring connects to the foot shell by the second anchor plate. In one embodiment, an apparatus may include: a first anchor plate comprising one or more first raised threaded bosses; a second anchor plate comprising one or more second raised threaded bosses; a spring, wherein a top of the spring connects to the first anchor plate with one or more first fasteners and a bottom of the spring connects to the second anchor plate with one or more second fasteners; a first negative space located above the first anchor plate for alignment of the top of the spring with the first anchor plate; a second negative space located above the second anchor plate for alignment of the bottom of the spring with the second anchor plate; and a negative space tooling comprising one or more alignment openings, wherein the one or more alignment openings align with the one or more first raised threaded bosses and the one or more second raised threaded bosses. A method may include: attaching an anchor plate to a forming structure; attaching a first fastener to the anchor plate; applying one or more sheets over the first fastener and onto the anchor plate; compressing the one or more sheets onto the anchor plate using a compactor; attaching a negative space tooling to the anchor plate; forming a shell over the forming structure, the anchor plate, and the one or more sheets, wherein forming the shell integrates the anchor plate and the one or more sheets into the shell; removing a portion of the shell exposing the negative space tool; and removing the negative space tooling wherein exposing a top surface of the anchor plate, wherein the top surface of the anchor plate includes one or more openings configured to receive one or more second fasteners.

A knee brace includes: an elastic sleeve; first and second stiffening members coupled together to crisscross to form an X-shape, and secured to a medial side of the sleeve; third and fourth stiffening members similarly coupled together and secured to a lateral side of the sleeve; and a plurality of slits in the sleeve into a corresponding pockets that receive a thermal pack. The thermal packs and pockets are triangular shaped, with two triangular-shaped pockets on the medial side of the sleeve, and two on the lateral side, each disposed in a respective triangular shape positioned between the x-shape of the stiffening members. The pairs of stiffening members are either: fixedly coupled together to store energy when the user bends at the knee, and to expend the stored energy to assist in lifting the user upward; or pivotally coupled together to pivot according to movements of the wearer's knee joint.

A brace for augmenting movement of a user's limb about a joint includes an upper arm having an engaging portion for engaging against the user's limb above the joint, and an attachment portion, a lower arm having an engaging portion for engaging against the user's limb below the joint, and an attachment portion, the lower arm being pivotable relative to the upper arm, at least one compression element disposed in fixed relation to at least one of the upper and lower arms, and a substantially inelastic tensioning element affixed to the other of the upper and lower arms over at least one tensioning element tensioning member such that a user applies a force to move the brace to a loaded position in which the at least one compression element is loaded and upon removal of the applied force the at least one compression element applies a restoring force to urge the brace out of the loaded position, the at least one compression element comprising a hydraulic tension spring disposed in fixed relation to at least the other of the upper and lower arms, comprising a pair of cylinders mounted within a frame, each cylinder having a sealed portion defining a liquid containment space, for each of the pair of cylinders, a piston comprising a piston rod, the piston rod comprising a compressing portion having a smaller diameter than the cylinder and extending axially through a hydraulic seal into the liquid containment space, and an external portion accessible from outside the liquid containment space, one of the cylinder and the piston being fixed relative to the frame and the other of the cylinder and the piston being movable axially relative to the frame, a guide for maintaining the movable one of the cylinder and the piston oriented axially relative to the frame, and a compression element tensioning member bearing against the movable one of the at least one cylinder and the piston, for compressing the at least one cylinder relative to the piston, whereby when the frame is fixed in place and tension is applied to the tensioning element tensioning member, the compressing portions of the piston rods intrude further into the liquid containment space, compressing the hydraulic fluid and loading the spring.