Sampson's Offers Innovative Microprocessor-Controlled C-Brace®
Bill Sampson, CP, and Mike Pagano, CPO, completed the first official training session in North America and are certified to fit the brace.
Sampson's Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory now offers patients the C-Brace®, the first orthosis to provide a dramatically new approach to orthotic outcomes.
By combining mechatronics (engineering disciplines, including electrical, mechanical, and computer) with state-of-the-art custom orthotic design, the C-Brace helps wearers to descend stairs, change speeds, walk with controlled knee flexion, and to move through life more smoothly and efficiently. The intelligently designed system also helps prevent wear and tear on the sound limb, while providing support throughout the gait cycle.
Candidates for the C-Brace
The C-Brace is suited to patients with incomplete spinal cord injury, weakness or paresis of the quadriceps, and post-polio syndrome. While users were severely limited in their mobility with previous devices, they can now benefit from the dynamically controlled gait cycle and significantly enhanced safety. Movement and mobility can now be experienced in a completely new way. Users can adopt a more natural posture, reducing excessive strain on just one side of the body.
The C-Brace is demonstrated in this video:
If you have patients who could benefit from the C-Brace, contact Sampson's.
System details
The system consists of an upper leg part, lower leg part and foot part, each of which is individually fabricated. A sensor-integrated, dynamic fiber composite spring connects the foot plate to the lower leg. An ankle moment sensor transmits signals via a cable to the microprocessor-controlled hydraulic knee joint unit. This is embedded in a carbon fiber frame together with the electronics. In addition, a knee angle sensor permanently measures the knee angle and velocity of the knee joint. Based on algorithms, the electronic servos will control hydraulic knee flexion and extension resistance. The system recognizes the current gait cycle phase of the user. The hydraulic resistances to flexion and extension are regulated accordingly.
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