{
  "patent_number": "US 10800031",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How a Robotic Exoskeleton Helps Your Shoulder Move",
  "original_title": "Spherical parallel manipulator architecture for shoulder robotic exoskeleton",
  "summary": "This patent describes a robotic shoulder exoskeleton using multiple straight-moving actuators arranged in a \"spherical parallel manipulator\" to assist or rehabilitate arm movements while preventing joint misalignment.",
  "what_it_does": "The exoskeleton system helps a user's arm move by using several \"linear actuators\" (like small robotic arms that push and pull in a straight line). These actuators are connected to a base and a cuff that attaches to the user's arm, forming a \"spherical parallel manipulator.\" This setup means all actuators work together, so moving one affects the others (Claim 1). The system is designed to apply a specific \"force component tangential to the motion\" of the actuator endpoints, helping the arm move smoothly through its natural arc (Claim 1). For example, it could help someone recovering from a shoulder injury lift their arm by providing controlled assistance. The abstract also mentions a \"passive slip mechanism\" that helps prevent the robotic system from fighting against the natural, slight shifting of the human shoulder joint, which improves how the system moves and prevents mechanical problems.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover exoskeletons that use rotary motors instead of \"linear actuators\" (Claim 1).",
    "Does not cover robotic manipulators that are not \"spherical parallel\" in their design (Claim 1).",
    "Does not cover exoskeletons for body parts other than the \"shoulder\" and \"arm\" (Claim 1).",
    "Does not cover systems where the motion of actuators is independent, as it specifies \"motion of each of the plurality of linear actuators is dependent upon each of the remaining linear actuators\" (Claim 1).",
    "Does not cover systems that fail to apply a \"force component tangential to the motion of each of the actuator endpoints across an entirety of the arc of motion\" (Claim 1)."
  ],
  "filed": "2017-07-26",
  "granted": "2020-10-13",
  "expires": "2037-07-26",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix campus",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/arizona-state-university-downtown-phoenix-campus",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Hyunglae Lee",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/hyunglae-lee"
    },
    {
      "name": "Justin Hunt",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/justin-hunt"
    },
    {
      "name": "Panagiotis Artemiadis",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/panagiotis-artemiadis"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 0,
  "tags": [
    "robotics",
    "medical_devices",
    "healthcare",
    "mechanical",
    "assistive_technology"
  ],
  "abstract": "Implementations involve a shoulder exoskeleton having a spherical parallel manipulator with a plurality of parallel linear actuators connected to a base coupled to a user's arm. A passive slip mechanism is operatively coupled to the spherical parallel manipulator as well as being coupled to the user's arm. The slip mechanism increases system mobility and prevents joint misalignment caused by the translational motion of the user's glenohumeral joint from introducing mechanical interference.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10800031/spherical-parallel-manipulator-architecture-for-shoulder-robotic-exoskeleton",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10800031/spherical-parallel-manipulator-architecture-for-shoulder-robotic-exoskeleton/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US10800031",
  "relatedPatents": [
    {
      "patentNumber": "10814473",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "title": "Exoskeleton Shoulder Joint That Adapts to Your Arm's Movement",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10814473/mechanism-for-alleviating-the-effects-of-joint-misalignment-between-users-and-we"
    },
    {
      "patentNumber": "8209052",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "title": "How a Robot Actuator Controls Force and Speed with Gears",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8209052/high-performance-differential-actuator-for-robotic-interaction-tasks"
    },
    {
      "patentNumber": "12414825",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "title": "How a Surgical Robot Arm's Wrist Moves Instruments",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12414825/surgical-arm"
    },
    {
      "patentNumber": "9949801",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "title": "How Surgical Robots Reconfigure Their Arms Without Moving the Tool Tip",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9949801/systems-and-methods-for-commanded-reconfiguration-of-a-surgical-manipulator-usin"
    },
    {
      "patentNumber": "9855653",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "title": "Robots That Don't Get Stuck: A Master-Slave Control System",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9855653/master-slave-system"
    }
  ]
}