Energy returning prosthetic foot

• US 20060212131A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Prosthetic Components Incorporated
• Original Assignee: American Prosthetic Components Incorporated
• Inventors: Curtis, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/080,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212131A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/55
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/66 Feet; Ankle joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5038 Hinged joint, e.g. with transverse axle restricting the movement for implantable joints A61F2002/30624
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5043 with rotation-limiting stops, e.g. projections or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6614 Feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6621 Toes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6642 Heels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6671 C-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6685 S-shaped

Abstract

The present invention relates to a prosthetic foot comprising a rear foot portion having an attachment platform and a heel strike, and a front foot portion having a momentum interrupter and a toe plate. As the foot approaches toe-off, the toe plate flexibly deflects upwards and the momentum interrupter compresses. The amount of returned energy at toe-off is comprised from stored flexural energy of the toe plate and stored expansive energy of the momentum interrupter. The toe plate of the present invention can have a split toe design. Further, mechanically adjustable stiffeners can be incorporated into the design if desired.

Claims

1. A prosthetic foot comprising:

a rear foot portion deflectably contactable against a surface and connectable to a prosthetic component; and

a front foot portion connected to said rear foot portion, said front foot portion comprising;

a momentum interrupter that is compressible; and

a toe plate that is flexible,

wherein during toe-off conditions, said momentum interrupter compresses and said toe plate flexes.

2. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said rear foot portion comprises:

a riser panel;

an attachment platform depending rearward from said riser panel;

a heel strike depending rearward from the riser panel, said heel strike being located below said attachment platform.

3. The prosthetic foot of claim 2 further comprising a stiffener, said stiffener being located between said attachment platform and said heel strike.

4. The prosthetic foot of claim 3 wherein said stiffener is selectably adjustable.

5. The prosthetic foot of claim 2 wherein said riser panel has a riser panel top and a riser panel bottom, wherein said riser panel top is located forward of said riser panel bottom.

6. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said momentum interrupter comprises a momentum interrupter back and a momentum interrupter front, and during toe-off conditions, said momentum interrupter front compresses towards said momentum interrupter back.

7. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said prosthetic foot is made from carbon epoxy composite material.

8. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes.

9. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein:

said rear foot portion comprises;

a heel strike for deflectably contacting against a surface;

an attachment platform for being connectable to a prosthetic component;

said toe plate and said heel strike being integral parts of a base plate; and

said attachment platform and said momentum interrupter being integral parts of a momentum interrupting component that is located above said base plate.

10. The prosthetic foot of claim 9 wherein said momentum interrupting component further comprises a toe reinforcement component located above said toe plate.

11. The prosthetic foot of claim 10 wherein:

said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes; and

said toe reinforcement component comprises a plurality of toe reinforcement members located above said plurality of toes.

12. The prosthetic foot of claim 9 wherein said rear foot portion further comprises a vertical shock absorption component attached to said attachment platform and spaced a predetermined distance from said heel strike.

13. A prosthetic foot comprising:

a riser panel;

an attachment platform depending rearward from said riser panel;

a heel strike depending rearward from the riser panel, said heel strike being located below said attachment platform;

a momentum interrupter having a momentum interrupter front and a momentum interrupter back, said momentum interrupter back being connected to said riser panel; and

a toe plate being connected to said momentum interrupter and extending forward there from.

14. The prosthetic foot of claim 13 wherein:

said riser panel has a riser panel top and a riser panel bottom;

said attachment platform depends rearward from said riser panel top; and

said heel strike depends rearward from said riser panel bottom.

15. The prosthetic foot of claim 14 wherein said riser panel is a forward leaning riser panel, such that said riser panel top is located forward of said riser panel bottom.

16. The prosthetic foot of claim 13 wherein during toe-off conditions, said momentum interrupter front compresses towards said momentum interrupter back, and said toe plate flexes.

17. The prosthetic foot of claim 13 wherein:

said attachment platform is integrally connected to said riser panel;

said heel strike is integrally connected to said riser panel;

said momentum interrupter is integrally connected to said riser panel; and

said toe plate is integrally connected to said momentum interrupter.

18. The prosthetic foot of claim 17 wherein said prosthetic foot is made from carbon epoxy composite material.

19. The prosthetic foot of claim 13 wherein said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes.

20. The prosthetic foot of claim 13 further comprising a stiffener, said stiffener being located between said attachment platform and said heel strike.

21. The prosthetic foot of claim 20 wherein said stiffener is selectably adjustable.

22. A prosthetic foot comprising:

a rear foot portion having;

a riser panel;

an attachment platform located rearward of said riser panel;

a heel strike located below said attachment platform; and

a front foot portion connected to said rear foot portion, wherein said front foot portion has a length with a first part and a second part, and is compressible at said first part of said length and is flexible at said second part of said length.

23. The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein:

said riser panel has a riser panel top and a riser panel bottom;

said attachment platform depends rearward from said riser panel top; and

said heel strike depends rearward from said riser panel bottom.

24. The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein said front foot portion comprises is an integrally formed front foot portion, and:

a momentum interrupter is located in said first part of said length, said momentum interrupter having a momentum interrupter front and a momentum interrupter rear; and

a foot plate located in said second part of said length,

wherein during toe-off conditions, said momentum interrupter front compresses towards said momentum interrupter back, and said toe plate flexes.

25. The prosthetic foot of claim 24 wherein said prosthetic foot is made from carbon epoxy composites.

26. The prosthetic foot of claim 24 wherein said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes.

27. The prosthetic foot of claim 22 further comprising a stiffener, said stiffener being located between said attachment platform and said heel strike.

28. The prosthetic foot of claim 27 wherein said stiffener is adjustable.

29. The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein said riser panel is a forward leaning riser panel.

30. The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein said momentum interrupter is integrally connected to said riser panel.

31. The prosthetic foot of claim 22 further comprising:

a momentum interrupting component with a momentum interrupting component front and a momentum interrupting component rear, wherein said attachment platform is located in said momentum interrupting component rear, said momentum interrupting component further comprising a momentum interrupter located at said first part of said front foot portion; and

a base plate comprising a base plate rear and a base plate front, wherein said heel strike is located at said base plate rear, said base plate further comprising a toe plate at said second end of said front foot portion.

32. The prosthetic foot of claim 31 further comprising a vertical shock absorbing component, wherein said riser panel is a front component of said vertical shock absorbing component, said vertical shock absorbing component further comprising a top connected to said attachment platform and a bottom spaced a predetermined distance above said heel strike.

33. The prosthetic foot of claim 31 wherein said momentum interrupting component further comprises a toe reinforcement component above said toe plate.

34. The prosthetic foot of claim 31 wherein said base plate further comprises an arch between said heel strike and said toe plate.

35. A prosthetic foot comprising:

a base plate comprising;

a heel strike; and

a toe plate forward of said heel strike; and

a momentum interrupting component comprising;

an attachment platform located over said heel strike; and

a momentum interrupter forward of said attachment platform and rearward of said toe plate.

36. The prosthetic foot of claim 35 wherein said base plate further comprises an arch between said heel strike and said toe plate.

37. The prosthetic foot of claim 35 wherein said momentum interrupting component further comprises a toe reinforcement component above said toe plate.

38. The prosthetic foot of claim 37 wherein said toe plate comprises a plurality of toes and said toe reinforcement component comprises a plurality of toe reinforcement components.

39. The prosthetic foot of claim 35 further comprising a vertical shock absorbing component connected to said attachment platform and being a predetermined distance above said heel strike.