Patent ID: 7410471

Claim:
A selectively operable orthotic device comprising: (a) a thin elongated layer of variably electrically resistive material having two sides, said variably electrically resistive material capable of exhibiting changed electrical resistance through an area of the thin layer to which a compressive force normal to the thin elongated layer and above a threshold level is applied; (b) a first conductive element in electrical contact with a first side of an area of said thin layer of variably electrically resistive material that is to be sensed; (c) a second conductive element in electrical contact with a second side, opposite the first side of the area of said thin layer of variably electrically resistive material that is to be sensed; (d) an electronic circuit operatively connected to said conductive elements, said circuit generating a control signal when more than the threshold compressive force is applied to at least part of the area of said variably electrically resistive material that is to be sensed; and (e) an orthotic device operatively connected to said electronic circuit, said device having a mechanism selectively switchable from one state to another state in response to said signal.