A prosthetic liner for insertion within a socket of a prosthetic limb is provided. The prosthetic liner comprises a body having inflatable bladders and pressure sensors disposed thereon, an electronic circuit, one or more actuators, and a processor. The body receives a residual limb on an interior surface and contacts the socket on an exterior surface. The processor receives a digital pressure signal indicative of a detected pressure from each pressure sensor via the electronic circuit and selectively activates the actuators to adjust a pressure in one or more of the inflatable bladders based on the digital pressure signals and the region of the body corresponding to each digital pressure signal.

A fabric-based soft actuator includes a first fabric layer, a second (material) layer, a bladder, and a fluid pump. The first fabric layer has anisotropic or isotropic stretch properties. The second layer is a fabric layer with anisotropic or isotropic stretch properties and/or a strain-limiting layer. The bladder is disposed between or integrated with the first fabric layer and the second layer, while the fluid pump is in fluid communication with and configured to inflate the bladder.

An intra-frame positioning sling may be disposed internally within a prosthetic socket frame. The sling may include one or more proximal suspension portions adapted to suspend from a proximal aspect of the frame and a tensioning system. The sling may include a first longitudinal side with one or more proximal suspension portions and an opposite longitudinal side that includes the residual limb interfacing or force application portion of the sling. When the tensioning system is tensioned, the sling is pulled toward the first longitudinal side of the prosthetic socket frame. A set of two positioning slings may be rigged in a transfemoral prosthetic socket frame; one sling applies force on a medial side of a hosted residual limb, and the other sling applies force on the lateral side.

A transtibial prosthetic socket frame may include a distal base assembly having a base plate, a carriage configured to support a socket suspension arrangement, and a distal prosthetic component connector. The distal base assembly supports a set of struts that includes two anterior struts and a single posterior strut. The set of struts and distal base assembly collectively define a prosthetic socket cavity having a central longitudinal axis and a residual limb hosting volume. The distal prosthetic component connector has a connecting adapter that is rotatable with respect to the prosthetic socket, and moveable with respect to the base plate between being aligned with the prosthetic socket's central longitudinal axis and a position offset therefrom.

This disclosure includes bubble actuator arrays and methods for making and using the same. Some bubble actuator arrays include a first flexible layer having a substantially flat first portion and a plurality of second portions that protrude away from the first portion to define chambers, a flexible second layer sealed to the first layer to define a plurality of cells in the chambers and between the layers, and where the array can be coupled to a fluid source such that the internal pressures of the cells can be varied. Some of the present methods include adjusting with a processor and fluid source the pressure in the cells of an array. Others of the present methods include placing sacrificial material into chambers of a molded first layer such that a plurality of cells is formed when a second layer is molded coincident to the first and the sacrificial material is removed.

A closed hydraulic system for transmitting a compressive force from a distal site of origin to a proximal site is disclosed. The system having a distal balloon located at the distal site, a distal transmission tube connected to the distal balloon, an exchanger connected to one end of the distal transmission tube, a proximal transmission tube connected to one end of the exchanger, and a proximal balloon connected to one end of the proximal transmission tube; the distal balloon, distal transmission tube, exchanger, proximal transmission tube and the proximal balloon, which is installed in a suitable confined space on a person and hydrostatically connected such that when the compressive force is applied to the distal balloon at the distal site, the compressive force is conveyed to the proximal balloon at the proximal site stimulating a proportional pressure sensation there in the user.

This disclosure includes bubble actuator arrays and methods for making and using the same. Some bubble actuator arrays include a first flexible layer having a substantially flat first portion and a plurality of second portions that protrude away from the first portion to define chambers, a flexible second layer sealed to the first layer to define a plurality of cells in the chambers and between the layers, and where the array can be coupled to a fluid source such that the internal pressures of the cells can be varied. Some of the present methods include adjusting with a processor and fluid source the pressure in the cells of an array. Others of the present methods include placing sacrificial material into chambers of a molded first layer such that a plurality of cells is formed when a second layer is molded coincident to the first and the sacrificial material is removed.

A finger actuator, includes a plurality of fluidically interconnected inflatable chambers, wherein each chamber comprises outer walls having an embedded extensible layer selected to constrain radial expansion and freestanding inner walls; and an inextensible layer connected to the chambers at a base of the chambers, the inextensible layer comprising a flexible polymer and having an embedded inextensible layer that extends along the length of the finger actuator.

A finger actuator, includes a plurality of fluidically interconnected inflatable chambers, wherein each chamber comprises outer walls having an embedded extensible layer selected to constrain radial expansion and freestanding inner walls; and an inextensible layer connected to the chambers at a base of the chambers, the inextensible layer comprising a flexible polymer and having an embedded inextensible layer that extends along the length of the finger actuator.

An intra-frame positioning sling may be disposed internally within a prosthetic socket frame. The sling may include one or more proximal suspension portions adapted to suspend from a proximal aspect of the frame and a tensioning system. The sling may include a first longitudinal side with one or more proximal suspension portions and an opposite longitudinal side that includes the residual limb interfacing or force application portion of the sling. When the tensioning system is tensioned, the sling is pulled toward the first longitudinal side of the prosthetic socket frame. A set of two positioning slings may be rigged in a transfemoral prosthetic socket frame; one sling applies force on a medial side of a hosted residual limb, and the other sling applies force on the lateral side.