Passive Assist Knee Brace

About

Over the next few years, the geriatric population in the United States will rise, which will lead to an increase in patients being treated for general muscle and mobility issues. In today’s geriatric care practices, patients commonly use knee braces. The knee braces presently available on the market do not provide dynamic assistance for patients to easily transition from the seated to standing positions. To bridge the sitting to standing transition, a new technology called the Passive Assist Knee Brace Device has been developed by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). The Passive Assist Knee Brace Device provides biomechanically dependent assistive forces to help patients more easily transition between the two positions. The device has the capability to be attached on the lateral side of the knee and is the first device to provide customized assistive forces dependent on the wearer’s knee flexion angle. In addition to geriatric care, this device can also be used in the rehabilitation of recovering surgery patients. Key Features Passively powered knee brace for the sit to stand positions First knee brace not position dependent