Prosthetic knee joint measurement system including energy harvesting and method therefor

摘要

An orthopedic implant having an energy-harvesting device is disclosed. In one embodiment the orthopedic implant is a prosthetic component of a joint of the muscular-skeletal system. The orthopedic implant can include electronic circuitry, a power source, and one or more sensors for measuring a parameter of the muscular-skeletal system or a parameter of in proximity to the implant. The energy-harvesting device generates charge for powering the electronic circuitry using movement of the muscular-skeletal system. The energy-harvesting device comprises a piezo-electric element that converts changes in force into charge that is stored onto a storage device. The energy-harvesting device is coupled to the patella of a knee joint. Movement of the knee joint changes a force applied to the energy-harvesting device thereby generating charge that is coupled to circuitry in a prosthetic component of the knee joint.

主权项

1. An orthopedic measurement system comprising:
an energy-harvesting device configured to couple to the musculoskeletal system; a storage device coupled to the energy-harvesting device wherein the energy-harvesting device is configured to produce energy via movement of the musculoskeletal system and where the storage device is configured to store energy generated by the energy-harvesting device; and electronic circuitry coupled to the storage device wherein the electronic circuitry couples to at least one sensor and wherein the electronic circuitry and the at least one sensor is configured to measure a parameter using energy from the energy-harvesting device.