Prosthetic foot with tunable performance

• US 8,236,062 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BioQuest Prosthetics LLC
• Original Assignee: BioQuest Prosthetics LLC
• Inventors: Townsend, Barry W., Claudino, Byron K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLANCO, JAVIER G
• Application Number:
  US10/594,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,685 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 623/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/60 Artificial legs or feet or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/66 Feet; Ankle joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/6607 Ankle joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/74 fluid , i.e. hydraulic or pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/76 Means for assembling, fitting or testing prostheses, e.g. for measuring or balancing, e.g. alignment means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30433 using additional screws, bolts, dowels, rivets or washers e.g. connecting screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5003 having damping means, e.g. shock absorbers for implantable joints A61F2002/30563
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5007 having elastic means different from springs, e.g. including an elastomeric insert elastic coating A61F2002/3007; springs A61F2002/5072; plate-like springs for feet A61F2002/6657
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5009 having two or more elastomeric blocks
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/503 for adjusting elasticity, flexibility, spring rate or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5032 for adjusting fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5033 for adjusting damping damping means A61F2002/5003
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5075 Multiple spring systems including two or more helical springs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5079 Leaf springs A61F2002/6657 takes precedence
• 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 2002/665 Soles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6657 having a plate-like or strip-like spring element, e.g. an energy-storing cantilever spring keel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6664 : Dual structures made of two connected cantilevered leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6671 : C-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6678 : L-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6685 : S-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/704 : computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7615 : Measuring means for implanting artificial joints A61F2/4657
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0041 : using additional screws, bolts, dowels or rivets, e.g. connecting screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 : sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable

Abstract

A prosthetic foot and lower part of leg has a semi-rigid, resilient foot keel extending in a longitudinal direction and a semi-rigid, resilient leg portion attached at a lower end to the foot keel. The leg portion includes a plurality of resilient leaf spring type members which are spaced apart in the sagittal plane intermediate their upper and lower ends and which are coupled together at their upper and lower end portions. The members are anterior facing convexly curved at their lower ends forming an ankle joint area and extend upwardly above in a substantially anterior facing convexly curve to a substantially vertically oriented upper end which is displaced substantially in the longitudinal direction in amputee gait for improved dynamic response.

Claims

1. A prosthetic foot and lower part of leg comprising:

a semi-rigid, resilient foot keel extending in a longitudinal direction;

a semi-rigid, resilient leg portion attached at a lower end to the foot keel;

wherein the semi-rigid, resilient leg portion includes a plurality of elongated, upwardly extending, generally arcuately curved in the sagittal plane, substantially vertically oriented, semi-rigid, resilient members which are spaced apart in the sagittal plane intermediate their upper and lower ends and which are anterior facing convexly curved at their lower ends forming an ankle joint area of the prosthesis and which extend upwardly above the ankle joint area in a substantially anterior facing convexly curve to a substantially vertically oriented upstanding upper end of the leg portion, at least one of said plurality of semi-rigid, resilient members is wider in the frontal plane than thick in the sagittal plane, the semi-rigid, resilient leg portion storing energy during force loading of the prosthesis and returning energy during force unloading to increase the kinetic power generated for propulsive force by the prosthesis, and

wherein the semi-rigid, resilient members of the leg portion are substantially leaf spring type members which are coupled together at their upper and lower end portions, and whereby the substantially vertically oriented upper end portion of the semi-rigid resilient leg portion in response to amputee gait force is displaced in a substantially longitudinal direction.

2. The prosthetic foot and lower part of leg of claim 1, wherein one of the semi-rigid, resilient members is a shank and another of said semi-rigid, resilient members is a leaf spring fastened at the upper and lower ends of the leaf spring to the shank.

3. The prosthetic foot and lower part of leg of claim 1, wherein the leg portion is attached to the foot by way of coupling means and at least one fastener.

4. The prosthetic foot and lower part of leg of claim 3, wherein the coupling means includes a stop to limit dorsiflexion of the resilient leg portion.

5. The prosthetic foot and lower part of leg of claim 1, further comprising an adapter connected to a proximal end of the leg portion for securing the prosthetic foot to a socket on the lower limb of an amputee.

6. The prosthetic foot and lower part of leg of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resilient members extend upwardly above the ankle joint area in a substantially continuous anterior facing convexly curve to the substantially vertically oriented upstanding upper end of the leg portion.