A novel shoulder brace that can provide active dynamic support to an injured shoulder while providing the capability to also raise the attached arm and support the arm in an elevated position. The brace can be used both in conjunction with a rehabilitation intervention program to maintain or restore range of motion and strength and to assist in functional tasks at work and at home. The brace works by supporting a locking or ratchet mechanism connected to an arm cuff from a chest piece that, when desired, the user can move the arm connected to an injured shoulder and supported by the arm cuff from a normal side resting position to an elevated position 90 degrees from the resting position while transferring the load created by the arm and whatever the hand is holding back to the chest piece and to the torso of the user. A release mechanism can be used to release the locking or ratchet mechanism to let the user lower their arm back to a resting position.

Provided is an artificial muscle device, including a plurality of heat transfer modules including a thermal conductive body in which a plurality of tunnels parallel to each other and a thermoelectric element contacting an outer surface of the thermal conductive body, a connection member connecting a first heat transfer module to a second heat transfer module, the connection member being folded or unfolded according to a distance between the first heat transfer module and the second heat transfer module, a thermal reaction driving member passing through each of the tunnels, the thermal reaction driving member being stretched or contracted in a longitudinal direction of the tunnel according to a temperature of the thermal reaction driving member, and a power transmission part connected to an end of the thermal reaction driving member.

A system for moving or assisting in movement of a body part of a subject, as well as a rehabilitation system including such a movement assistance system, includes a body part interface configured to be secured to the body part, and a motor-actuated assembly connected to the body part interface to move the body part interface to cause flexion or extension movement of the body part. A force sensing module is configured to measure forces applied between the body part interface and the motor-actuated assembly to ascertain at least one of volitional flexion and volitional extension movement of the body part by the subject, among other functions that may be implemented in movement assistance and rehabilitation systems using the disclosed force sensing module designs.

A grasp assist system includes a glove having a glove palm and fingers, with the glove worn on a user's hand. A sensor measures flexion of the glove fingers, and thus a change of position and/or attitude of the fingers is determined. Finger saddles at least partially surround a phalange of a respective one of the user's fingers. The system uses one or more tendon actuators to pull on flexible tendons. Each tendon connects to a respective finger saddle. A controller is in communication with the actuators and sensor(s). The glove may use feedback from optional contact sensors to adjust tension, and may have a built-in restorative force. In executing a control method, the controller selectively applies tension to the tendons in response to finger flexion, via the tendon actuators, at a level sufficient for moving the user's fingers when the user executes a hand maneuver.

In some embodiments, a body anchor for supporting an assistive device can include: a cuff to exert a compression force on a body part of a user; and one or more tensile elements having first ends and second ends. The first ends of the tensile elements can be configured to be attached to the assistive device. The second ends of the tensile elements can be arranged about the cuff to cause the compression force to vary in proportion to a load exerted by the assistive device.

This application relates to an actuation system for assistive wearable devices such as exoskeletons designed to actuate a joint of a wearer of the device. The actuation system includes a differential pulley drum having a first drum portion and a second drum portion, the first drum portion and the second drum portion having different radii. The differential pulley drum is located at a first end of the actuator. The actuation system further includes a motor coupled to the differential pulley drum and configured to rotate the differential pulley drum, a second pulley located at a second end of the actuator, a flexible sleeve that extends between the differential pulley drum and the second pulley, and a strand that extends from the differential pulley drum to the second pulley through the flexible sleeve.

Exoskeleton kinematic chain arranged to pivotally connect a first element to a second element, said first element comprising two pivot points A.sub.1 and B.sub.1 located at a distance A.sub.1B.sub.1, said second element comprising two pivot points A.sub.2 and B.sub.2 located at a distance A.sub.2B.sub.2. The exoskeleton kinematic chain comprises a first external link pivotally connected to the first element at the pivot point A.sub.1 and a first end link pivotally connected to the first external link at a pivot point D.sub.1, said pivot point D.sub.1 being located at a distance A.sub.1D.sub.1 by the pivot point A.sub.1. The exoskeleton kinematic chain comprises then a second external link pivotally connected to the second element at the pivot point A.sub.2, and a second end link pivotally connected to the second external link at a pivot point D.sub.2, said pivot point D.sub.2 being located at a distance A.sub.2D.sub.2 by the pivot point A.sub.2. The exoskeleton kinematic chain also comprises a first intermediate link pivotally connected to the first element at the pivot point B.sub.1 and integrally connected to the second end link at a junction point C.sub.2, a second intermediate link pivotally connected to the second element at the pivot point B.sub.2 and integrally connected to the first end link at a junction point C.sub.1. The first and the second end link are pivotally connected to each other at a pivot point M. Defining ==θ, for any value of θ, the projections of the pivot points A.sub.1, B.sub.1, A.sub.2, B.sub.2 in a plane π, lay in a circumference K having center O and radius r=A.sub.1D.sub.1=A.sub.2D.sub.2=D.sub.1B.sub.2=MB.sub.2=D.sub.2B.sub.1=MB.sub.1, in such a way that decreasing the value of θ the first and the second element rotate with respect to each other about an axis z orthogonal to the plane π and passing through the center O in the direction for which the point A.sub.1 is overlapped to the point B.sub.2.

A massage machine includes a casing unit, a drive device, a transmission mechanism, and two massage plate units. Two ends of the transmission mechanism are linked with the massage plate units, respectively. The drive device drives the transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism and the drive device are disposed in the casing unit. The massage plate units are disposed on the casing unit. The massage machine uses a single drive device to drive the transmission mechanism, so that the transmission mechanism can link the two massage plate units to massage a user.

Rehabilitating an impaired body part of a subject such as a stroke patient includes systems, devices, and methods using an orthosis system configured to attach to the impaired body part and to move or assist in movement of the impaired body part. A control system is configured to operate the orthosis system in a mode in which the orthosis system first allows the subject to move volitionally or attempt to move volitionally the impaired body part in a predefined motion and then operates to move or assist in the predefined motion of the impaired body part. Additional modes of operation include a brain computer interface mode of operation and a mode in which the orthosis system operates in a continuous passive mode of operation comprising a plurality of repetitions of an exercise to move the impaired body part.

A vibrational muscle massaging system includes a tubular member that is elongated and has a first end, a second end, and a perimeter surface extending between the first and second ends. The tubular member comprises a substantially solid member. The tubular member comprises a foamed elastomer and is resiliently compressible. The tubular member has a cylindrical shape and has a length greater than a diameter. The first end has a well extending therein. The well has a width that is greater than the height. The well is configured to receive a cellular phone to frictionally engage the cellular phone such that cellular phone extends outwardly away from first end. The tubular member vibrates when the cellular phone vibrates.