SELF-ADJUSTING PROSTHETIC ANKLE APPARATUS
First Claim
1. An auto-adjusting prosthetic ankle apparatus, comprising:
- a) a base portion;
b) an attachment portion for fixing the prosthetic ankle apparatus to a lower leg portion of a prosthetic limb, the attachment portion pivotally fixed to the base portion to enable pivoting of the attachment portion with respect to the base portion, to any position between a first position and a second position;
c) a dynamically controllable damping means structured for functionally coupling between the base portion and the attachment portion, the damping means selectively varying a degree of damping of the pivoting of the base portion with respect to the attachment portion to be one of either a first damping level or a second damping level;
d) a sensing module for detecting when;
i) a pre-selected portion of a prosthetic limb fixed to the attachment portion is in a pre-selected vertical orientation; and
ii) when a prosthetic foot of a user is contacting and not contacting a ground surface;
e) a control means structured for setting the damping means to the first damping level, for a first interval of a walking cycle of a user, and the second damping level for a second interval of the walking cycle as determined by detections of the sensing module.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An auto-adjusting prosthetic ankle apparatus includes a base portion that is pivotally fixed to an attachment portion. The base portion is structured for being fixed to a foot blade, while the attachment portion is structured for fixing the prosthetic ankle apparatus to a lower leg portion of a prosthetic limb. The prosthetic ankle includes a computer controllable damping mechanism that is functionally and mechanically coupled between the base portion and the attachment portion. The damping mechanism enables a damping level to be selectively applied to lightly damp or heavily damp a relative motion between the base portion and the attachment portion as a user is walking to provide an auto-adjusting of the prosthetic ankle to changes in a ground surface being traversed and during various stages of a walking cycle.
120 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. An auto-adjusting prosthetic ankle apparatus, comprising:
-
a) a base portion;
b) an attachment portion for fixing the prosthetic ankle apparatus to a lower leg portion of a prosthetic limb, the attachment portion pivotally fixed to the base portion to enable pivoting of the attachment portion with respect to the base portion, to any position between a first position and a second position;
c) a dynamically controllable damping means structured for functionally coupling between the base portion and the attachment portion, the damping means selectively varying a degree of damping of the pivoting of the base portion with respect to the attachment portion to be one of either a first damping level or a second damping level;
d) a sensing module for detecting when;
i) a pre-selected portion of a prosthetic limb fixed to the attachment portion is in a pre-selected vertical orientation; and
ii) when a prosthetic foot of a user is contacting and not contacting a ground surface;
e) a control means structured for setting the damping means to the first damping level, for a first interval of a walking cycle of a user, and the second damping level for a second interval of the walking cycle as determined by detections of the sensing module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. An auto-adjusting prosthetic ankle apparatus, for attachment to a prosthetic limb having a lower portion, comprising:
-
a) a base portion structured for fixing to a foot blade;
b) an attachment portion structured for fixing to the lower portion of the prosthetic limb to the ankle apparatus, the attachment portion pivotally mounted to the base portion to enable a foot blade fixed to the base portion to be pivoted to any position, with respect to the attachment portion, between a first position and a second position;
c) a dynamically controllable damping mechanism coupled between the base portion and the attachment portion, the damping mechanism including at least one hydraulic cylinder enabling a level of damping to be changed from a first damping level to a second damping level;
d) a level indicating device for indicating when a longitudinal axis of the attachment portion of the prosthetic limb fixed thereto reaches a vertical orientation; and
e) a control and computing module operatively coupled to the damping means to establish the level of damping selected from a group of damping levels consisting of;
i) a first damping level, and ii) a second damping level. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15)
-
-
14. A damping and control apparatus for use with a prosthetic ankle, the damping and control apparatus connected between a base portion and an attachment portion of the prosthetic ankle, wherein the attachment portion is pivotally mounted to the base portion, with the damping and control apparatus enabling the dynamic damping of pivoting motion between the base portion and the attachment portion, the damping and control apparatus comprising:
-
a) a dynamically controllable damping means functionally coupled between the base portion and the attachment portion, the damping means comprising at least one hydraulic cylinder providing a plurality of internal pressure chambers enabling a level of damping to be changed from a first damping level to a second damping level;
b) a level indicating device for indicating when a longitudinal axis of the attachment portion of a prosthetic limb fixed thereto reaches a pre-selected vertical orientation;
c) a control and computing module operatively coupled to the damping means to establish a level of damping selected from a group of damping levels consisting of;
i) a first damping level, and ii) a second damping level; and
d) a ground surface contacting device operatively coupled to the control and computing module to indicate when a prosthetic foot of the prosthetic ankle is contacting and not contacting a ground surface.
-
Specification