A hydraulic actuator includes a housing and with a chamber, which is arranged or formed in the housing and in which a piston is mounted movably and divides the chamber into a flexion chamber and an extension chamber. A channel for hydraulic fluid leads from the flexion chamber and the extension chamber into the housing in order to produce a fluidic connection between the flexion chamber and the extension chamber. At least one valve is arranged in the fluidic connection. The channels lead from the housing to a valve block in which the at least one valve is arranged and is fluidically coupled to the channels, and the valve block is connected to the housing.

The invention relates to a method for controlling an orthopedic joint of a lower extremity in at least one degree of freedom by means of an adjustable actuator for adjusting an orthopedic apparatus to walking situations that differ from walking on a plane. Said orthopedic apparatus comprises top connecting means to a limb and an orthopedic element that is hingedly arranged distal to the connecting means. The method encompasses the following steps: —several parameters (A) of the orthopedic apparatus are sensed by means of sensors; —the sensed parameters are compared with criteria (K) that have been established based on several parameters and/or parameter curves and are stored in a computer unit; —a criterion is selected that is suitable on the basis of the determined parameters and/or parameter curves; and —resistances to movements, extents of movements, driving forces, and/or the progresses thereof are adjusted in accordance with the selected criterion in order to control special functions (5) that differ from walking on a plane.

Prosthesis devices can include sockets having adjustable features. In one example, a socket includes one or more panels that can move outwardly or inwardly relative to a receptacle portion of the socket. The panels can be moved by tightening a tensioning line.

A prosthetic 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.

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.

A prosthetic joint and a method of controlling dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of the hydraulic prosthetic ankle joint. The method includes generating ground reaction forces with a hydraulic prosthetic ankle, wherein the prosthetic hydraulic ankle comprises a first chamber and a second chamber, and the ankle is connected to a prosthetic foot; rotating the prosthetic foot in response to the ground reaction force; transferring fluid between the forward and rear chambers in response to rotation of the foot; providing a feature to occlude or partially occlude the fluid transfer between chambers; providing a non-electronic mechanism for controlling the flow responsive to both a position of the joint and a rate of change of position of the joint, and wherein the mechanism is arranged such that a dwell at a particular joint location or locations will occlude the flow path.

A method for controlling an orthopedic joint of a lower extremity in at least one degree of freedom by an adjustable actuator for adjusting an orthopedic apparatus to walking situations that differ from walking on a plane. The orthopedic apparatus comprises top connecting members to connect to a limb, and an orthopedic element that is hingedly arranged distal to the connecting members. The method includes sensing, with sensors, several parameters of the orthopedic apparatus; comparing the sensed parameters with criteria that have been established based on several parameters and/or parameter curves and are stored in a computer unit; selecting a criterion that is suitable on the basis of the determined parameters and/or parameter curves; and adjusting resistances to movements, extents of movements, driving forces, and/or the progresses thereof in accordance with the selected criterion in order to control special functions that differ from walking on a plane.

Prosthesis devices can include sockets having adjustable features. In one example, a socket includes one or more panels that can move outwardly or inwardly relative to a receptacle portion of the socket. The panels can be moved by tightening a tensioning line.

The present disclosure provides for a device and method of control for an artificial prosthetic knee. A prosthetic knee according to the present disclosure relies on strictly passive means of providing support during weight bearing and supplements a resistive swing-phase mechanism with a small powered actuator. This actuator adds power to the knee, exclusively during swing phase, to improve swing-phase behavior. In particular, the knee still relies on the resistive swing-phase mechanism to provide nominal swing-phase knee motion, but supplements that motion as needed with the small powered actuator.

Prosthesis devices can include sockets having adjustable features. In one example, a socket includes one or more panels that can move outwardly or inwardly relative to a receptacle portion of the socket. The panels can be moved by tightening a tensioning line.