A powered leg prosthesis including a powered knee joint with a knee joint and a knee motor unit for delivering power to the knee joint, a powered ankle joint coupled to the knee joint including an ankle joint and an ankle motor unit to deliver power to the ankle joint, a prosthetic foot coupled to the ankle joint, a plurality of sensors for measuring a real-time input, and controller for controlling movement of the prosthesis based on the real-time input. In the powered leg prosthesis, at least one of the knee motor unit or the ankle motor unit includes at least one drive stage, where the drive stage includes a rotary element for generating torque and at least one looped element affixed around the rotary element and configured for transmitting the torque to another rotary element coupled to a joint to be actuated.

A method of mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion utilizes a mechanical spring in combination with a rapid-action variable inductance magnetic flux switch to convert a spring-loaded mechanical energy into a change in magnetic flux captured by an electrical coil element within the magnetic flux switch. The change in coil inductance and magnetic flux induces a current to flow through the electrical coil in the form of a a pulse of electrical energy that may be stored. The electrical coil is coupled to the mechanical spring so that each time the spring is released, the coil moves with respect to a magnetic core and a change in flux is created. The application of an external mechanical force (such as human locomotion) functions to compress and subsequently unlock the mechanical switch, allowing for the electrical energy associated with the application of aperiodic forces to be harvested.

Powered limb prostheses with multi-stage transmissions are provided.

The present invention relates to a foot prosthesis (1, 61) comprising a heel (6, 71) and a tip (7, 62), both of which can bear on the ground, and an ankle support (2, 67), characterised in that the prosthesis also comprises at least one damping element (10, 76) designed to be at a distance from the ground.

A lower limb prosthesis comprises a foot component and an ankle unit pivotally mounted to the foot component. The ankle unit comprises an ankle joint mechanism comprising a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly for providing hydraulic damping whenever the ankle joint flexes, and a vacuum mechanism comprising a pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly for generating a vacuum. The hydraulic and pneumatic piston and cylinder assemblies are arranged such that the vacuum mechanism generates a vacuum during plantar-flexion of the ankle unit.

A locking/unlocking device for a knee prosthesis, comprising a femoral section and a tibial section provided with a tibial plate. These two femoral and tibial sections are both rotatably mounted, coaxial about an axis, comprising a disk constituting the femoral section, two left and right flanges, and a through-shaft, a freewheel assembly comprises a pinion provided with ramps and one rolling member per ramp, an unlocking arrangement comprising a wheel with pins, and a part remote from the unlocking arrangement comprising an angular control comprising at least one connecting rod interposed between the remote part and the tibial plate.

A prosthetic device has a movable body and foot member with an end effector for contacting an external surface. A base body is coupled to a first joint of the foot member. A compliant linking member is disposed between a second joint of the foot member and a first joint of the moveable body. The compliant linking member can be a spring or flexible beam. A passive linking member is coupled between a third joint of the foot member and a third joint of the moveable body. An actuator is disposed between the base body and the second joint of the movable body. The actuator can be a motor with an extension member. The compliant linking member extends during roll-over phase. The actuator acts to assist with the extension of the compliant linking member during roll-over phase to aid with push-off phase in the gait cycle.

A prosthetic foot has a frame, a forefoot keel, a heel keel, and an adjustable spring member. The frame couples to a prosthetic leg. The forefoot keel includes a first resilient substrate extending from the frame to the anterior end of the foot. The heel keel member includes a second resilient substrate extending from the frame to the posterior end. The first and second resilient substrates are load bearing substrates for a walking human. The adjustable spring member includes a third resilient substrate and a brake. The third resilient substrate has a first end directly or indirectly coupled to the brake, and a second end coupled to the forefoot keel proximate to the anterior end. The third resilient substrate extends through or around the first resilient member and the second resilient member. The brake provides resistance to the travel of the first end of the third resilient substrate in the superior direction.

An orthopedic joint for a prosthesis, includes an upper part, a lower part which is mounted on the upper part in a pivotal manner about a pivot axis, and a rotation hydraulic unit, which has a housing with a chamber and a pivot piston that is pivotally mounted in the chamber and divides the chamber into a flexion chamber and an extension chamber, the chambers being hydraulically connected together via at least one channel. The joint also includes a pretensioning device which supports a pivoting movement of the upper part relative to the lower part, wherein the pretensioning device is coupled directly to the pivot piston via a support.

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.