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

Claim 19:
20. 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 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 being 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 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,
wherein the outer member is made of a foldable material such that:
when the inner member moves from its expanded state to its relaxed state, the outer member freely folds onto itself to create a plurality of free form folds, wherein at least some of the folds of the plurality of free form folds form one or more overlaps with one another, and
when the inner member moves to its expanded state, the plurality of folds of the outer member unfold to enable the outer member to expand in the axial direction.