Prosthetic foot with fully adjustable hindfoot and forefoot keels and inversion/eversion, pronation/supination capability

• US 20060235545A1
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matthew Joseph Habecker
• Original Assignee: Matthew Joseph Habecker
• Inventors: Habecker, Matthew Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/388,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235545A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/55
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/66 Feet; Ankle joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30525 Worm gears
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5003 having damping means, e.g. shock absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/503 for adjusting elasticity, flexibility, spring rate or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5033 for adjusting damping
• 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 2220/0025 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements

Abstract

A prosthetic foot possessing a forefoot keel cluster (1) which is comprised of three distinct keels. The keels are functionally connected to one another by way of an anterior pitched glider (6) which is positioned above the two lower keels and beneath the upper keel. The anterior pitched glider (6) is tapped and houses an anterior screw (7) which acts as a worm gear to reposition the glider with respect to the forementioned keels of the forefoot keel cluster (1). The position of the glider determines the functional lengths of the two lower keels and their associated deflection properties. A rearfoot keel cluster (2) also exists with a posterior pitched glider (14) and posterior screw (15) that serves a matching function to that of the anterior pitched glider (6) found in the forefoot keel cluster (1). The rearfoot keel cluster (2) is functionally connected to the forefoot keel cluster (1) by way of a keel divider (10). The entire prosthetic foot can be attached to standard prosthetic componentry by way of an endoskeletal adapter (18) found on top of the keel divider (10).

Claims

1. A prosthetic foot with adjustable forefoot and hindfoot keels and inversion/eversion, supination/pronation capability comprising:

a forefoot keel cluster;

a hindfoot keel cluster;

a keel cluster divider for joining proximal prosthetic components;

adjustable means to control forefoot keel stance phase dorsiflexion;

adjustable means to control hindfoot keel stance phase plantarflexion;

means for hindfoot to conform to uneven terrain through effective inversion and eversion motion;

means for forefoot to conform to uneven terrain through effective supination and pronation motions.

2. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said forefoot keel cluster is comprised of a medial anterior cluster keel, a lateral anterior cluster keel and a dorsal anterior cluster keel.

3. The prosthetic foot of claim 2 wherein said medial anterior cluster keel is a flat, cantilevered extension of said keel cluster divider and comprises a fraction of the foot'"'"'s plantar surface.

4. The prosthetic foot of claim 2 wherein said lateral anterior cluster keel is a flat, cantilevered extension of said keel cluster divider, comprises a fraction of the foot'"'"'s plantar surface and is slightly shorter than said medial anterior cluster keel.

5. The prosthetic foot of claim 2 wherein said dorsal anterior cluster keel is a flat, cantilevered extension of said keel cluster divider and is positioned above and between said medial anterior cluster keel and said lateral anterior cluster keel.

6. The prosthetic foot of claim 2 wherein said dorsal anterior cluster keel undersurface is flat and parallel to the top surfaces of said medial anterior cluster keel and said lateral anterior cluster keel.

7. The prosthetic foot of claim 2 wherein said dorsal anterior cluster keel has an integrated anterior screw retainer.

8. The prosthetic foot of claim 7 wherein said anterior screw retainer has an aperature of sufficient size to accommodate an anterior screw.

9. The prosthetic foot of claim 8 wherein said anterior screw passes through said anterior screw retainer, is threaded through said anterior pitched glider and is secured at its end by an aperature of a matching radius within said keel cluster divider.

10. The prosthetic foot of claim 8 wherein said anterior screw is free to rotate relative to said anterior screw retainer but is held in place by an anterior screw retainer nut.

11. The prosthetic foot of claim 10 wherein said anterior screw retainer nut is on the opposite side of said anterior screw retainer as that of the head of said anterior screw and is semi-permanently attached to said anterior screw.

12. The prosthetic foot of claim 2 wherein said forefoot keel cluster houses an anterior pitched glider which is positioned between said dorsal anterior cluster keel, said medial anterior cluster keel and said lateral anterior cluster keel.

13. The prosthetic foot of claim 12 wherein said anterior pitched glider has a top with two sloped surfaces whose apex makes tangential contact with the underside of said dorsal anterior cluster keel in the medial lateral plane and is perpendicular to the long axis of the dorsal anterior cluster keel.

14. The prosthetic foot of claim 12 wherein said anterior pitched glider has a mildly radiused base which makes tangential contact with the top surfaces of said medial anterior anterior cluster keel and said lateral anterior cluster keel in the anterior posterior plane and is perpendicular to the long axes of said medial anterior cluster keel and said lateral anterior cluster keel.

15. The prosthetic foot of claim 12 wherein said anterior pitched glider is tapped to accept the threads of said anterior screw.

16. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said hindfoot keel cluster is comprised of a medial posterior cluster keel, lateral posterior cluster keel and dorsal posterior cluster keel.

17. The prosthetic foot of claim 16 wherein said medial posterior cluster keel is a flat, cantilevered extension of said keel cluster divider and comprises a fraction of the foot'"'"'s plantar surface.

18. The prosthetic foot of claim 16 wherein said lateral posterior cluster keel is a flat, cantilevered extension of said keel cluster divider and comprises a fraction of the foot'"'"'s plantar surface.

19. The prosthetic foot of claim 16 wherein said dorsal posterior cluster keel is a flat, cantilevered extension of said keel cluster divider and is positioned above and between said medial posterior cluster keel and said lateral posterior cluster keel.

20. The prosthetic foot of claim 16 wherein said dorsal posterior cluster keel undersurface is flat and parallel to the top surfaces of said medial posterior cluster keel and said lateral posterior cluster keel.

21. The prosthetic foot of claim 16 wherein said dorsal posterior cluster keel has an integrated posterior screw retainer.

22. The prosthetic foot of claim 21 wherein said posterior screw retainer has an aperature of sufficient size to accommodate a posterior screw.

23. The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein said posterior screw passes through said posterior screw retainer, is threaded through said posterior pitched glider and is secured at its end by an aperature of a matching radius within said keel cluster divider.

24. The prosthetic foot of claim 22 wherein said posterior screw is free to rotate relative to said posterior screw retainer but is held in place by a posterior screw retainer nut.

25. The prosthetic foot of claim 24 wherein said posterior screw retainer nut is on the opposite side of said posterior screw retainer as that of the head of said posterior screw and is semi-permanently attached to said posterior screw.

26. The prosthetic foot of claim 16 wherein said hindfoot keel cluster houses a posterior pitched glider which is positioned between said dorsal posterior cluster keel, said medial posterior cluster keel and said lateral posterior cluster keel.

27. The prosthetic foot of claim 26 wherein said posterior pitched glider has a top with two sloped surfaces whose apex makes tangential contact with the underside of said dorsal posterior cluster keel in the medial lateral plane and is perpendicular to the long axis of the dorsal posterior cluster keel.

28. The prosthetic foot of claim 26 wherein said posterior pitched glider has a mildly radiused base which makes tangential contact with the top surfaces of said medial posterior cluster keel and said lateral posterior cluster keel in the anterior posterior plane and is perpendicular to the long axes of said medial posterior cluster keel and said lateral posterior cluster keel.

29. The prosthetic foot of claim 26 wherein said posterior pitched glider is tapped to accept the threads of said posterior screw.

30. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein said forefoot keel cluster and said hindfoot keel cluster are joined by said keel cluster divider.

31. The prosthetic foot of claim 1 wherein the top of said keel divider houses an endoskeletal adapter to allow for connection of compatible endoskeletal prosthetic components.