Teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis

• US 5,443,524 A
• Filed: 06/09/1993
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyogo Prefectual Social Welfare Corporation, Klaus Schmidt
• Original Assignee: Hyogo Prefectual Social Welfare Corporation, Klaus Schmidt
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Akio, Hamada, Toshihiro, Kitayama, Ichiro, Yuki, Mikio, Amemori, Kunio, Sawamura, Seishi, Nakajima, Sakuya, Oku, Hidehisa, Araki, Yoshihisa, Horiguchi, Shiro, Yuki, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Application Number:
  US08/073,418
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 623/24, 623/39, 623/44, 623/45
• US Class Current: 623/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/64 Knee joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/74 fluid , i.e. hydraulic or pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/705 Electromagnetic data transfer

Abstract

The present invention is intended to provide a teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis which enables an external data setting to set the mechanism of the teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis for conditions that enable the mechanism to operate for motions according to a walking speed. The teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis includes a structural body having a thigh frame and a leg frame pivotally joined to the thigh frame for swing motion relative to the thigh frame, an air cylinder having a cylinder body, a piston axially slidably fitted in the cylinder body and provided with a valve, and a piston rod having one end fixed to the piston and the other end pivotally joined to the thigh frame, and a stepping motor for adjusting the opening of the valve of the cylinder. The opening of the valve of the cylinder is adjusted by the stepping motor to regulate sliding speed of the piston by adjusting the resistance against the flow of air through the valve so that the leg frame is able to swing relative to the thigh frame properly according to a predetermined walking speed. Data concerning the opening of the valve is taught to the teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis by signals sent out by an external data setting device.

Claims

1. A teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis comprising:

a structural body comprising a thigh frame and a leg frame pivotally joined to the thigh frame;

a cylinder interconnecting the thigh frame and the leg frame;

means for adjusting the opening of a valve of the cylinder;

a remote control means comprising at least a data input means for entering data concerning the opening of the valve, and a signal transmitting means for transmitting the data, the signal transmitting means comprising an infrared transmitter for transmitting a setting operation start signal and a radio transmitter for transmitting the data concerning the opening of the valve;

a signal receiving means for receiving the data transmitted by the signal transmitting means of the remote control means, disposed within the structural body, the signal receiving means comprising an infrared receiver for receiving the setting operation start signal and a radio receiver for receiving the data concerning the opening of the valve, the radio receiver being turned on and off based on the setting operation start signal; and

a leg control unit disposed within the structural body to control the means for adjusting the opening of the valve of the cylinder according to the data received by the radio receiver of the signal receiving means so that the leg frame will swing relative to the thigh frame properly according to a predetermined speed.

2. A teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein said structural body is covered with a soft covering, the thickness of a portion of the soft covering corresponding to the joint of the thigh frame and the leg frame is reduced relative to the thickness of other portions of the soft covering, and said signal receiving means is disposed at a position near the joint.

3. A teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein said signal transmitting means transmits the signals representing all the data entered by said input means in a batch processing mode.

4. A teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein said signal receiving means and said leg control unit are disposed in the leg frame.

5. A teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis comprising:

a structural body comprising a thigh frame and a leg frame pivotally joined to the thigh frame;

a cylinder unit interconnecting the thigh frame and the leg frame;

an actuator for adjusting the opening of a valve of the cylinder to regulate the sliding speed of a piston of the cylinder by adjusting the resistance against the flow of a fluid through the valve;

a remote control means comprising at least an input means for entering data concerning the opening of a valve, and a signal transmitting means, the signal transmitting means comprising an infrared transmitter for transmitting a setting operation start signal and a radio transmitter for transmitting the data concerning the opening of the valve;

a signal receiving means disposed within the structural body to receive the signals transmitted by the signal transmitting means of the remote control means, the signal receiving means comprising an infrared receiver for receiving the setting operation start signal and a radio receiver for receiving the data concerning the opening of the valve, the radio receiver being turned on and off based on the setting operation start signal; and

a control means disposed with the structural body to control the actuator according to the data represented by the signals received by the radio transmitter of the signal receiving means.

6. A teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis comprising:

a structural body comprising a thigh frame and a leg frame pivotally joined to the thigh frame;

a cylinder interconnecting the thigh frame and the leg frame;

means for adjusting the opening of a valve of the cylinder;

a remote control means comprising at least a data input means for entering data concerning the opening of the valve, and a signal transmitting means for transmitting the data;

a signal receiving means for receiving the data transmitted by the signal transmitting means of the remote control means, disposed within the structural body; and

a leg control unit comprising a data storing unit for storing data received from said signal receiving means during a learn-mode, and a playback unit for controlling the means for adjusting the opening of the valve of the cylinder in accordance with data stored in said data storing unit such that the leg frame will swing relative to the thigh frame;

wherein said signal transmitting means comprises an infrared transmitter and a radio transmitter, said signal receiving means comprises an infrared receiver and a radio receiver, wherein the radio receiver is turned on and off by infrared signals, and radio signals representing the data are transmitted by the radio transmitter and received by the radio receiver.

7. A teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis comprising:

a structural body comprising a thigh frame and a leg frame pivotally joined to the thigh frame, wherein said structural body is covered with a soft covering, a thickness of a portion of the soft covering corresponding to a joint of the thigh frame and the leg frame is reduced relative to a thickness of other portions of the soft covering;

a cylinder interconnecting the thigh frame and the leg frame;

means for adjusting the opening of a valve of the cylinder;

a remote control means comprising at least a data input means for entering data concerning the opening of the valve, and a signal transmitting means for transmitting the data;

a signal receiving means disposed at a position near the joint for receiving the data transmitted by the signal transmitting means of the remote control means, disposed within the structural body, the signal receiving means being disposed near the joint of the thigh frame and the leg frame; and

a leg control unit disposed within the structural body to adjust the opening of the valve of the cylinder according to the data received by the signal receiving means so that the leg frame will swing relative to the thigh frame properly according to a predetermined speed;

wherein said signal transmitting means comprises an infrared transmitter and a radio transmitter, said signal receiving means comprises an infrared receiver and a radio receiver, wherein the radio receiver is turned on and off by infrared signals, and radio signals representing the data are transmitted by the radio transmitter and received by the radio receiver.

8. A teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis comprising:

a structural body comprising a thigh frame and a leg frame pivotally joined to the thigh frame;

a cylinder unit interconnecting the thigh frame and the leg frame;

an actuator for adjusting the opening of a valve of the cylinder to regulate the sliding speed of a piston of the cylinder by adjusting the resistance against the flow of a fluid through the valve so that the leg frame swings properly relative to the thigh frame according to a predetermined Operating speed;

a remote control means comprising at least an input means for entering data concerning the opening of the valve, and a signal transmitting means for transmitting signals representing the data;

a signal receiving means disposed within the structural body to receive the signals transmitted by the signal transmitting means of the remote control means;

a control means disposed within the structural body to control the actuator according to the data represented by the signals received by the signal receiving means;

wherein said signal receiving means is disposed near the junction of the thigh frame and the leg frame;

wherein said signal transmitting means comprises an infrared transmitter and a radio transmitter, said receiving means comprises an infrared receiver and a radio receiver, wherein the radio receiver is turned on and off by infrared signals, and the signal transmitting means transmits radio signals representing the data and the signal receiving means receives the radio signals.