A prosthetic ankle includes a pair of prosthetic members movably coupled together to allow movement of the pair of prosthetic members with respect to one another. A hydraulic actuator or damper including hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic chamber is coupled to one of the pair of prosthetic members. A hydraulic piston is movably disposed in the hydraulic chamber and coupled to another of the pair of prosthetic members. A hydraulic flow channel is fluidly coupled between opposite sides of the chamber to allow hydraulic fluid to move between the opposite sides of the chamber as the hydraulic piston moves therein. A voice coil valve is coupled to the hydraulic flow channel to vary resistance to flow of hydraulic fluid through the flow channel, and thus movement of the piston in the chamber, and thus influencing a rate of movement of the pair of prosthetic members with respect to one another.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed relating to a mechanical vacuum socket pump used to establish a vacuum in a socket of an artificial limb. In one case, the pump includes a housing within which two pistons coaxially reciprocate. A surface of each of the pistons is linked hydraulically, such that driving one piston causes movement of the other piston through a hydraulic chamber. One piston is also linked to a pneumatic chamber such that movement of that piston draws air from a limb socket or expels air to the atmosphere upon movement of the piston's pneumatic surface. The surface area of the hydraulic surface of this piston is significantly less than the surface area of the pneumatic surface, so a small volumetric displacement of hydraulic fluid may cause a large displacement of air. Thus, the pump efficiently pumps air with minimal compression and extension of the pump as a whole.

A hydraulic damping cylinder for a prosthetic knee joint, including a housing, a cylinder chamber in the housing and filled with a hydraulic fluid, and a piston arranged in the cylinder chamber and movable by a piston rod. In the housing there are provided at least two separate receiving chambers, which are of different size and are connected to the cylinder chamber by fluid ducts, for hydraulic fluid displaced from the cylinder chamber during a piston movement. The receiving chambers are each separated, by a diaphragm, from a compression chamber filled with a compressible fluid that forms an energy store. Upstream of the larger receiving chamber, there is connected a throttle device which forms a flow resistance for the hydraulic fluid flowing into the receiving chamber so that the hydraulic fluid can be distributed to the two receiving chambers in a manner dependent on speed of the piston movement.

An ankle-foot prosthesis includes a foot plate, an ankle frame attached to the foot plate, a yoke pivotally connected to the ankle frame and including a member for attaching to a leg, a damper having a first end connected to the yoke and a second end connected to the ankle frame, and a control mechanism for switching the damper between low and high settings.

A method for controlling a damping modification in an artificial knee joint of an orthosis, an exoskeleton, or a prosthesis. The artificial knee joint has an upper part pivotally connected to a lower part. A resistance unit is secured between the upper part and the lower part in order to provide a resistance against a flexion or extension. The resistance unit is paired with an adjustment device to modify the resistance when a sensor signal of a control unit paired with the adjustment device activates the adjustment device. The flexion resistance is reduced for the swing phase. A curve of at least one load characteristic is detected when walking or standing; a maximum of the load characteristic curve when standing is ascertained; and the flexion damping is reduced to a swing-phase damping level during the standing phase when a threshold of the load characteristic below a maximum is reached.

A hybrid artificial limb device is provided. A hybrid artificial limb device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises: a joint upper side connection member positioned at the upper side of a knee; a knee joint member connected to the joint upper side connection member; and a frame coupled to the knee joint member to be able to perform a pivot rotation, and forming a femoral part. The hybrid artificial limb device also comprises: a passive driving module which includes a hydraulic cylinder connected to the knee joint member, so as to transfer passive power to the knee joint member; and an active driving module which is coupled to the knee joint member so as to transfer active power to the knee joint member. When the frame performs a pivot rotation about the knee joint member, the passive power from the passive driving module and the active power from the active driving module may be selectively or simultaneously provided to the knee joint member.

A robotic joint includes a first link, a middle link, a torque generator, a second link, and a locking mechanism. Different ends of the middle link are rotatably coupled to the first link and the second link. The torque generator is coupled to the first link and the middle link and is configured to produce a torque between these links. The locking mechanism is switchable between a locking state and an unlocking state. In the unlocking state, the locking mechanism allows free rotation of the second link relative to the middle link in the first and second rotation directions. In the locking state, the locking mechanism is configured to impede rotation of the second link relative to the middle link in the first rotation direction and to allow rotation of the second link relative to the middle link in the second rotation direction opposite of the first rotation direction.

A lower limb prosthesis comprises an attachment section (10), a shin section (12), a foot section (14), a knee joint (16) pivotally connecting the attachment section (10) and the shin section (12), and an ankle joint (22) pivotally connecting the shin section (12) and the foot section (14). The knee joint includes a dynamically adjustable knee flexion control device (18) for damping knee flexion. The prosthesis further comprises a plurality of sensors (52, 53, 54, 85, 87) each arranged to generate sensor signals indicative of at least one respective kinetic or kinematic parameter of locomotion or of walking environment, and an electronic control system (100) coupled to the sensors (52, 53, 54, 85, 87) and to the knee flexion control device (18) in order dynamically and automatically to modify the flexion control setting of the knee joint (16) in response to signals from the sensors. When the inclination sensor signals indicate descent of a downward incline, the damping resistance of the knee flexion control device (18) is set to a first level during a major part of the stance phase of the gait cycle and to a second, lower level during a major part of the swing phase of the gait cycle. During an interval including a latter part of the stance phase, the knee flexion control device (18) is adjusted so that the damping resistance to knee flexion is between the first and second levels.

The joint device having a linking unit which links a first member and a second member in a manner allowing relative movement, and having an expansion/contraction device 12 which is connected across the first member 1 and the second member in a manner allowing power transmission and which can modify an angle formed by the first member and the second member around the linking member by expanding and contracting. The expansion/contraction device has a rotary unit which generates rotary power, and a conversion unit which is connected to the rotating unit in a manner allowing power transmission and converts the rotary power generated by the rotary unit into translational motion along a direction of expansion/contraction.

The invention relates to an orthopaedic joint device, comprising an upper part (2) and a lower part (3), which are mounted on one another so as to be pivotable about a joint pin (4) and between which a damper device (5) is situated in order to provide resistance against pivoting of the upper part (2) relative to the lower part (3), and the damper device (5) is mounted on the upper part (2) and the lower part (3) via fastening devices (6, 7), a fastening device (6) comprising a head (8) in which a bearing (9) is situated which is supported on a pin (10) that is mounted in the upper part (2) or lower part (3), characterised in that the pin (10) is mounted so as to be rotatable in the upper part (2) or lower part (3).