Patent ID: 11925594
Assignee: WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  F | IPC A  F

Claim 13:
14. An exoskeleton joint comprising:
a wearable sleeve;
one or more lattice devices combined with the wearable sleeve, each lattice device comprising:
a first member and a second member, the second member being pivotably connected to the first member by a hinge;
an axially asymmetric actuator connected to the first member at a first end of the actuator and to the second member at a second end of the actuator, the actuator comprising:
an inner member made from an elastic material and having straight walls to define a straight, cylindrically shaped compartment for receiving an actuating fluid, the inner member having a first segment having a first elastic property and second segment having a second elastic property that is different from the first elastic property such that inner member is moveable in an axial direction from a relaxed state to an expanded state by introducing an actuating fluid into the inner member to pressurize the first and second segments of the inner member, and
an outer member being disposed immediately adjacent to and around the elastic inner member to control expansion of the elastic inner member in a radial direction, the outer member being inelastic in the radial direction and expandable in the axial direction as the inner member moves from the relaxed state to the expanded state,

wherein, when the inner member is pressurized to move the inner member to its expanded state, the actuator expands in the axial direction, and
wherein, when the inner member is de-pressurized to return the inner member to its relaxed state, the actuator contracts in the axial direction to cause a movement of at least one of the first member and the second member relative to the other member.