A hydraulic system for adjusting a prosthetic limb. The hydraulic system may include an expandable pad mounted onto an interior surface of a socket of the prosthetic limb. The hydraulic system may further include a hydraulic cylinder and a plunger mechanism. The hydraulic cylinder may be filled with a hydraulic oil. The hydraulic system may be configured to expand the expandable pad by pumping the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic cylinder into the expandable pad responsive to a volume decrease of the residual limb being more than a threshold.

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.

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 joint system for users comprising a housing having an interior cavity, a center axis in said interior cavity, and an attachment means for fixedly connecting said housing to said user; an inner cylinder disposed in said housing interior cavity wherein said inner cylinder rotates around said center axis of said housing; an appendage attached to said inner cylinder; a sensor system attached to said appendage; and a dampening system, having a power source, in communication with said sensor system, said inner cylinder, and said housing for controlling dampening of the rotation of said inner cylinder around said center axis of said housing.

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 method for controlling an orthopaedic joint device of a lower extremity. The joint device has an upper part and a lower part mounted in a hinged manner on the latter. Arranged between the upper part and the lower part is an energy converter by which, during walking, kinetic energy from the relative movement between the lower part and the upper part is converted or stored and supplied again to the joint in order to support the relative movement, wherein kinetic energy within one movement cycle is converted and/or stored and, within the same movement cycle, is supplied again as kinetic energy to the joint device in a controlled manner and staggered in time.

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.

Apparatuses and methods of fabrication are provided which include a mechanical coolant pump to facilitate pumping a coolant through a coolant loop. The mechanical coolant pump is to couple to an individual and be physically powered by a specified movement of the individual to pump coolant. Coolant pumped by the mechanical coolant pump is circulated by the coolant pump through a device associated with the individual to cool the device.

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.

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.