Socket insert having a bladder system
First Claim
1. A prosthetic device, comprising:
- a socket, said socket sized and configured for receiving a residual limb, said socket including a plurality of bladders being adapted to receive a fluid medium, wherein said bladders are organized into a plurality of zones, each of said zones including a plurality of bladders in fluid communication with one another within said zone, at least one of said plurality of zones being in fluid communication with at least one other zone, said fluid communication between said at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone, further comprising a fluid medium within said bladders, wherein the fluid medium is incompressible.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic device having a socket with an insert having a bladder system for monitoring and compensating for volume fluctuations in a residual limb is provided. A plurality of bladders are preferably provided, in one embodiment, substantially only on a posterior portion of the socket. The bladders may be organized into zones, with the zones being inflatable to differing pressures depending on volume fluctuations in a residual limb. Pressure sensors may be provided for each bladder or for each zone, and flow regulators may be provided to control fluid flow into or out of the bladders or zones of bladders based on readings from the pressure sensors to control volume within the insert. Alternatively, bladders can be manually inflated depending on an amputee'"'"'s needs.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. A prosthetic device, comprising:
a socket, said socket sized and configured for receiving a residual limb, said socket including a plurality of bladders being adapted to receive a fluid medium, wherein said bladders are organized into a plurality of zones, each of said zones including a plurality of bladders in fluid communication with one another within said zone, at least one of said plurality of zones being in fluid communication with at least one other zone, said fluid communication between said at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone, further comprising a fluid medium within said bladders, wherein the fluid medium is incompressible. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 38, 43)
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13. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a socket for receiving a residual limb, the socket having an interior surface; and a plurality of bladders in fluid communication with an incompressible fluid medium positioned at least partially on the interior surface, wherein said bladders are organized into a plurality of zones, each of said zones including a plurality of bladders and wherein each of the bladders within a zone are in fluid communication with the other bladders within said zone, wherein each of said zones includes at least four interconnected bladders, at least one of said plurality of zones being in fluid communication with at least one other zone, said fluid communication between said at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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14. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a socket for receiving a residual limb, the socket having an interior surface; and a plurality of bladders being adapted to receive an incompressible fluid medium positioned at least partially on the interior surface, wherein said bladders are organized into a plurality of zones, each of said zones including a plurality of bladders and wherein each of the bladders within a zone are in fluid communication with the others bladders within said zone, wherein each of said zones includes at least four interconnected bladders, at least one of said plurality of zones being in fluid communication with at least one other zone, said fluid communication between said at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone; wherein the plurality of bladders are positioned only partially circumferentially around the interior surface of the socket; and further comprising a fluid medium within said bladders, wherein the fluid medium is incompressible.
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17. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a socket for receiving a residual limb, the socket having an interior surface; and a plurality of bladders being adapted to receive an incompressible fluid medium positioned at least partially on the interior surface, wherein said bladders are organized into a plurality of zones, each of said zones including a plurality of bladders and wherein each of the bladders within a zone are in fluid communication with the other bladders within said zone, at least one of said plurality of zones being in fluid communication with at least one other zone, said fluid communication between said at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone; wherein the zones are arranged to correspond to different muscle groups of the residual limb; and further comprising a fluid medium within said bladders, wherein the fluid medium is incompressible.
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18. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a socket; and a plurality of bladders in fluid communication with an incompressible fluid, and sized and configured to be positioned adjacent an interior surface of said socket, wherein each of said bladders has a maximum dimension of about 2 inches or less, and wherein at least some of the bladders are organized into interconnected zones, each zone having a plurality of bladders interconnected such that fluid can flow from one bladder to another bladder within said zone, and wherein each zone includes at least four bladders, said fluid communication between at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone, and wherein flow into and out of said zones is controllable such that different zones can be filled with fluid to differing pressures. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a socket; a plurality of bladders sized and configured to be positioned adjacent an interior surface of said socket, at least some of the bladders containing an incompressible fluid, wherein each of said bladders has a maximum dimension of about 2 inches or less, wherein at least some of the bladders are interconnected in a web-like configuration and not in a line-like series connected end-to-end, and an on-board pump energized by an energy source other than the user controls-fluid flow from one bladder to another.
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28. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a socket; and a socket insert for insertion into the socket, said socket insert sized or configured for receiving a residual limb, said socket insert including a plurality of bladders being adapted to receive a fluid medium, wherein said bladders are organized into a plurality of zones, each of said zones including a plurality of bladders in fluid communication with one another within said zone, at least one of said plurality of zones being in fluid communication with at least one other zone, said fluid communication between said at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone, further comprising a fluid medium within said bladders, wherein the fluid medium is incompressible. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a socket having an interior surface; a socket insert for insertion into the socket, said socket insert sized or configured for receiving a residual limb; and a plurality of bladders in fluid communication with an incompressible fluid medium, said bladders supported at least partially by the socket'"'"'s interior surface, wherein said bladders are organized into a plurality of zones, each of said zones including a plurality of bladders and wherein each of the bladders within a zone are in fluid communication with the other bladders within said zone, at least one of said plurality of zones being in fluid communication with at least one other zone, said fluid communication between said at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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37. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a socket insert for insertion into a socket that has an interior surface, said socket insert sized or configured for receiving a residual limb; and a plurality of bladders being adapted to receive an incompressible fluid medium, at least some of the bladders adapted to be positioned to at least partially contact and be supported by an interior surface of the socket, wherein said bladders are organized into a plurality of zones, each of said zones including a plurality of bladders and wherein each of the bladders within a zone are in fluid communication with the other bladders within said zone, at least one of said plurality of zones being in fluid communication with at least one other zone, said fluid communication between said at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone; wherein the plurality of bladders are positioned only partially circumferentially around an interior surface of the socket; and further comprising a fluid medium within said bladders, wherein the fluid medium is incompressible.
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44. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a socket insert for insertion into a socket, said socket configured for receiving a residual limb; a plurality of bladders in fluid communication with an incompressible fluid, at least some of the bladders having generally vertical side walls abutting adjacent bladders; and a fluid manifold associated with the socket insert and the plurality of bladders, said manifold sized and configured and connected to the bladders to permit and allow control of the flow of the incompressible fluid among and within the bladders. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A socket insert apparatus for insertion into a socket, said socket insert sized or configured for receiving a residual limb, the socket insert apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of bladders in fluid communication with an incompressible fluid; and
a fluid manifold associated with the socket insert and the plurality of bladders, said manifold sized and configured and connected to the bladders to permit and allow control of the flow of the incompressible fluid among and within the bladders;the socket insert apparatus further comprising; a fluid reservoir; wherein said bladders are organized into a plurality of zones, each of said zones including at least two bladders in fluid communication with each other, said zones also in fluid communication with each other via the fluid manifold, said fluid communication between said zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone; and
wherein the socket insert includes snaps for mounting the insert inside the socket.
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57. A prosthetic device, comprising:
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a plurality of bladders adapted to receive a selected small volume of an incompressible fluid, said bladders sized and configured to be positioned generally in a layer between an interior surface of a socket and a residual limb inserted into the socket, said bladders being not larger than 1 inch by 1 inch and forming a generally rectangular bladder, and wherein at least some of the bladders are organized into interconnected zones, each zone having a plurality of bladders interconnected such that fluid can flow from one bladder to another bladder within said zone, said fluid communication between at least two zones being more limited than the fluid communication among bladders within a given zone; wherein the plurality of bladders are provided on a socket insert; wherein the socket insert is provided only along a portion of an interior surface of a socket.
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58. A socket having a plurality of bladders containing incompressible fluid,
wherein at least two of the bladders each have generally vertical sidewall portions, said bladders arranged generally adjacent to each other over at least a portion of an interior surface of the socket and forming a substantially uninterrupted supporting surface for a residual limb placed into the socket, further including means to minimize motion of the residual limb with respect to the socket, said means including the bladders being sufficiently small to limit the amount of movement of the incompressible fluid contained within the bladders.
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59. A socket having a plurality of bladders containing incompressible fluid,
wherein at least one of the bladders has a generally vertical sidewall portion, said bladders arranged generally adjacent to each other over at least a portion of an interior surface of the socket and forming a substantially uninterrupted supporting surface for a residual limb placed into the socket, further including means to minimize motion of the residual limb with respect to the socket, said means including the bladders being sufficiently small to limit the amount of movement of the incompressible fluid contained within the bladders.
Specification