Locking shoulder joint

• US 20060167562A1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: College Park Industries, Inc. (Ossur hf)
• Original Assignee: William J. Hanson, Williams T. Walley III
• Inventors: Hanson, William J., Williams, T. Walley III
• Granted Patent: US 7,438,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/581 Shoulder joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5041 having bearing bushes between the rotating parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5043 with rotation-limiting stops, e.g. projections or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5093 Tendon- or ligament-replacing cables implantable A61F2/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6818 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6854 for locking or unlocking a joint
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/701 operated by electrically controlled means, e.g. solenoids or torque motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/707 Remote control

Abstract

A locking shoulder joint adapted to be attached to a user'"'"'s shoulder, generally comprising a rotor provided with a plurality of radially positioned pins, that rotates relative to a stator, and a cam provided with one or more plungers adapted to engage said rotor pins to releasably lock said rotor in position selected by said user, all of which act to move a humeral member in a direction corresponding to a flexion/extension direction of the shoulder joint; and a yoke coupled to an axle for moving the humeral member in a direction corresponding to an abduction/adduction direction of the shoulder joint.

Claims

1. A locking shoulder joint, for use with a prosthesis, comprising:

a rotor having an axis of rotation and provided with a plurality of rotor pin holes in said rotor that are spaced equidistant from each other with a corresponding number of rotor pins fixed in said pin holes wherein at least a portion of said pins extends out from said pin holes to define a plurality of spaces between pins;

a cam provided with one or more plungers having an outer dimension that is adapted to releasably engage said spaces between said pins;

a stator;

a means for enabling said rotor to rotate relative to said stator;

a means for activating said rotor to rotate relative to said stator; and

a means for fixing said stator to said prosthesis.

2. The shoulder joint of claim 1 wherein said means for enabling said rotor to rotate comprises at least one ball race and a plurality of bearing balls in said ball race located between said rotor and said stator.

3. The shoulder joint of claim 2 wherein said ball race is a groove in a surface of said rotor adjacent to said stator.

4. The shoulder joint of claim 1, wherein six pins are provided for every one plunger.

5. The shoulder joint of claim 1, wherein said rotor is free to rotate 360 degrees about said axis and wherein said rotor comprises thirty-six pins positioned at 10 degree intervals about said axis of said rotor.

6. The shoulder joint of claim 5, wherein said cam comprises six plungers.

7. The shoulder joint of claim 1, wherein said cam is a cam ring and said stator is between said rotor and said cam ring.

8. The shoulder joint of claim 7, wherein said stator comprises a bore, corresponding to said plunger, through which a plunger pin is provided, and wherein said plunger pin engagingly fixed to said cam ring proximate one end of said plunger pin and is fixed to said plunger proximate an opposite end of said plunger pin.

9. The shoulder joint of claim 1, wherein said means for activating said rotor to rotate relative to said stator comprises an alternator member.

10. The shoulder joint of claim 9, wherein said alternator member comprises

a puller engagingly attached to said cam;

and

an alternator plate fixed to said stator.

11. The shoulder joint of claim 10, wherein said puller is between said stator and said alternator plate.

12. The shoulder joint of claim 1, wherein said axis of rotation of said rotor is in a direction corresponding to a flexion/extension of said shoulder joint, and further comprising a means for moving said shoulder joint in an abduction/adduction direction.

13. The shoulder joint of claim 12, wherein said means for moving said shoulder joint in an abduction/adduction direction comprises,

an axle having an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said rotor;

a means for fixing said axle to said rotor;

a yoke member having a bore in which said axle rotates so that said yoke member is adapted to move in a direction corresponding to an abduction/adduction direction of said shoulder joint.

14. A locking shoulder joint adapted to be attached to a user'"'"'s shoulder, comprising,

a humeral member;

a means for moving said humeral member in a direction corresponding to an abduction/adduction direction of said shoulder joint;

a means for moving said humeral member in a direction corresponding to a flexion/extension direction of said shoulder joint;

a means for indirectly attaching said humeral member to said user'"'"'s shoulder.

15. The shoulder joint of claim 14, wherein said means for moving said humeral member in a direction corresponding to an flexion/extension direction of said shoulder joint comprises,

a rotor having an axis of rotation and provided with a plurality of rotor pin holes in said rotor that are spaced equidistant from each other with a corresponding number of rotor pins fixed in said pin holes wherein at least a portion of said pins extends out from said pin holes to define a plurality of spaces between pins;

a cam provided with one or more plungers having an outer dimension that is adapted to releasably engage said spaces between said pins; and

a stator.

16. The shoulder joint of claim 15, wherein said means for moving said humeral member in a direction corresponding to an abduction/adduction direction of said shoulder joint comprises,

an axle having an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said rotor;

a means for fixing said axle to said rotor;

a yoke member having a bore in which said axle rotates so that said yoke member is adapted to move in a direction corresponding to an abduction/adduction direction of said shoulder joint.

17. The shoulder joint of claim 16, further comprising an alternator member comprising,

a puller engagingly attached to said cam;

and

an alternator plate fixed to said stator, wherein said puller is between said stator and said alternator plate.

18. The shoulder joint of claim 15, further comprising a bore through said rotor, said stator, and said cam, through which one or more control cables are passed.

19. A locking shoulder joint for use with a prosthesis, comprising:

a rotor having an axis of rotation and provided with a plurality of rotor pin holes in said rotor that are spaced equidistant from each other with a corresponding number of rotor pins fixed in said pin holes wherein at least a portion of said pins extends out from said pin holes to define a plurality of spaces between pins;

a cam provided with one or more plungers having an outer dimension that is adapted to releasably engage said spaces between said pins;

a stator;

a means for enabling said rotor to rotate relative to said stator;

a means for activating said rotor to rotate relative to said stator; and

a means for fixing said stator to said prosthesis; and

wherein a passageway extends through said rotor, said stator and said cam, through which one or more control cables are passed.

20. The shoulder joint of claim 19, wherein said passageway is an opening through said rotor, said stator and said cam extending generally along said axis of rotation of said rotor.