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 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. 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 invention relates to 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 includes a top connector connected to a limb and an orthopedic element that is arranged in a hinged manner distal to the top connector. The method encompasses the following steps: several parameters (A) of the orthopedic apparatus are sensed by 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.

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.

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 of the orthopedic apparatus are sensed by means of sensors; the sensed parameters are compared with criteria 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 that differ from walking on a plane.

A prosthetic ankle includes a pair of prosthetic members 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, thereby 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 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.

An ankle module for a prosthetic foot can have an adapter portion pivotally coupled to a base portion. The base portion can be coupled to the prosthetic foot. The adapter portion can have a coupling member that removably couples the prosthetic foot to a prosthetic pylon or socket. The adapter portion can also have cylinders housing pistons slidably displaceable within the cylinders. An actuator is selectively actuatable to place the cylinders in fluid communication, allowing a fluid to flow between the cylinders as an angular position of the adapter portion is adjusted relative to the base portion, thereby adjusting the dorsi-plantar position between the adapter portion and the base portion of the ankle module. The actuator can be selectively actuatable to fluidly isolate the cylinders from each other so that the angular position of the adapter portion relative to the base portion remains substantially fixed.