Paul S Sharp

US Patent:

39673219, Jul 6, 1976

Filed:

Feb 5, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/547272

Inventors:

John Patrick Ryan - Indianapolis IN
James Walter Cowan - Oaklandon IN
Paul Kent Sharp - Indianapolis IN
Marilyn Elaine Fess - Indianapolis IN
James L. Babcock - Brownsburg IN

Assignee:

Indiana University Foundation - Bloomington IN

International Classification:

A61F 100
A61F 510

US Classification:

3 11

Abstract:

The arm splint of an orthosis is attached to the forearm of a cervical 6 - cervical 7 motor lesion quadraplegic. The arm splint includes a thumb flange for holding the thumb of the patient, and a pivoting finger trough for holding the first and middle fingers of the patient. A Bowden cable is connected to the pivoting finger trough and is operated by a motor to cause the pivoting finger trough to pivot to close towards the thumb flange to provide finger prehension so that the patient can grasp objects. The motor is controlled by control circuitry that is operated by the patient touching a touch sensitive contact that is typically mounted on the arm rest of a wheelchair. The control means and the motor are powered by a twelve-volt car battery carried on the wheelchair. The control means also includes a time delay so that the patient can operate the control means by touching the touch sensitive contact and then move the arm and hand to a position ready for grasping. Subsequent contact with the touch sensitive contact results in reverse operation of the motor so that the grasped object can be released.