Prosthetic finger

• US 8,100,986 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otto Bock Healthcare Products GmbH (Albatros Son Holding BV)
• Original Assignee: Otto Bock Healthcare Products GmbH (Albatros Son Holding BV)
• Inventors: Puchhammer, Gregor, Haslinger, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): SNOW, BRUCE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US12/525,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 623/57, 623/64, 623/65
• US Class Current: 623/64
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/586 Fingers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30523 by means of meshing gear teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5007 having elastic means different from springs, e.g. including an elastomeric insert
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5043 with rotation-limiting stops, e.g. projections or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5061 the sense of touch
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5067 having rolling elements between articulating surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/507 Roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5072 having spring elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6827 Feedback system for providing user sensation, e.g. by force, contact or position
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/701 operated by electrically controlled means, e.g. solenoids or torque motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/704 computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7625 for measuring angular position
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7635 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements

Abstract

The invention relates to a prosthetic finger (1) with a proximal member (10), a medial member (20) and a distal member (30) that are mounted pivotably on one another, and with a motor (40) which is arranged in the prosthetic finger (1) and which, via a gear mechanism, rotates the medial member (20) relative to the proximal member (10), said medial member (20) accommodating a longitudinally movable balance arm (90) which is connected via levers (91, 93) to the proximal member (10) and to the distal member (30).

Claims

1. A prosthetic finger, comprising:

a proximal member;

a medial member;

a distal member, wherein said proximal member, said medial member, and said distal member are mounted pivotably on one another;

a motor arranged in the prosthetic finger;

a gear mechanism, wherein said motor is configured to operate with said gear mechanism to rotate the medial member relative to the proximal member;

a longitudinally movable balance arm in the medial member; and

levers, wherein said longitudinally movable balance arm is connected via said levers to the proximal member and to the distal member.

2. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinally movable balance arm is mounted on a spindle nut.

3. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a spindle and a spindle nut, wherein the motor is coupled to the spindle which is mounted movably in rotation in the medial member and on which the spindle nut is arranged in a longitudinally displaceable and rotationally fixed manner.

4. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 3, wherein the spindle is designed as a recirculating ball spindle.

5. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 2 wherein the levers are each formed from two lever members symmetrically arranged on both sides of the spindle nut.

6. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 3, wherein the motor and the spindle are coupled to each other via a bevel gear.

7. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 6, wherein the bevel gear includes a coupling bevel wheel mounted about a rotation axis of the medial member on either the proximal member or the medial member.

8. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinally movable balance arm is comprised of two balance arms arranged on both sides of an axis of movement in the medial member.

9. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the two balance arms are coupled to each other.

10. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinally movable balance arm is fixed at a fixed angle relative to a direction of longitudinal movement.

11. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinally movable balance arm is pivotable from a fixed angle relative to a direction of longitudinal movement.

12. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 11, wherein the longitudinally movable balance arm is held in a normal position at said fixed angle by spring pretensioning.

13. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 12, wherein the spring pretensioning is generated by a spring element that has a linear or nonlinear ratio between rotation angle and restoring movement.

14. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 11, wherein the longitudinally movable balance arm is pivotable in both directions of pivoting.

15. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a blocking mechanism, and wherein said spindle (80) is mounted so as to be axially movable and said blocking mechanism engages with the spindle when a fixed displacement path is exceeded.

16. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 15, wherein the blocking mechanism is one of a form-fit brake or a friction brake.

17. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 15, wherein the blocking mechanism is an elastic recess with friction surfaces of form-fit elements.

18. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 15, wherein the blocking mechanism forms a bearing location for the spindle.

19. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 18, wherein the spindle is mounted at the bearing location via one of a ball bearing, roller bearing, or slide bearing.

20. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 6, wherein the spindle is mounted on the bevel gear so as to be longitudinally displaceable while being fixed in terms of rotation.

21. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sensor devices arranged on each joint of the prosthetic finger, said sensors detect angular position.

22. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, further comprising one or more sensor devices for detecting loading.

23. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sensor arranged in the distal member.

24. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control electronics unit which controls the motor and an evaluation unit, wherein both said control electronics unit and said evaluation unit are arranged in the prosthetic finger.

25. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 24, wherein the control electronics unit is arranged in the proximal member below the motor.

26. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a flexible conductor track and sensors, wherein said flexible conductor track connects the control electronics unit to the sensors and/or to the motor.

27. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motor is coupled to a step-down gear.

28. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 27, wherein the step-down gear is a one-stage or multi-stage planetary gear.

29. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 27, wherein the motor and the step-down gear are configured as a structural unit with a housing.

30. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 29 wherein an output shaft extends from the motor mounted at a proximal end of the housing to the step-down gear at a distal end of the housing.

31. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a detent which follows motor that blocks introduction of a load on an output side and conveys a rotation on a drive side.

32. The prosthetic finger as claimed in claim 31, wherein the detent is a clamping roller freewheel that acts in both directions of rotation.