A self-aligning prosthetic foot and ankle assembly has an ankle unit pivotally mounting a foot component. The ankle unit contains a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly having a piston which is linearly movable within a cylinder. The axis of the cylinder is coincident with a shin axis defined by a shin connection interface on the ankle unit. Bypass passages containing damping resistance control valves provide continuous hydraulic damping of dorsi and plantar ankle flexion, the unit being such that, over the major part of the range of damped movement, there is no resilient biasing in either the dorsi or the plantar direction. This confers a number of advantages, including stabilisation of standing, balance control, and improved stair-walking and ramp-walking.

Features for a prosthetic wrist and associated methods are described. The wrist couples with a prosthetic socket and a prosthetic hand. The wrist may rotate the hand. The wrist includes features to prevent or mitigate undesirable separation of the wrist from the socket. The wrist may have an expanding coupling, such as an expanding ring, to better secure the wrist with the socket. An actuator may cause the coupling to expand outward to prevent or mitigate undesirable separation of the wrist from the socket. Alternatively or in addition, the wrist may include torque control features to prevent undesirable or premature separation of the hand from the wrist, for example when using a quick wrist disconnect (QWD) apparatus. A torque control method may tailor or limit multiple torques to be applied by the wrist to the hand based on operational requirements and phases, such as anticipated torque loads and operational timing.

A system for control of a device includes at least one sensor module detecting orientation of a user's body part. The at least one sensor module is in communication with a device module configured to command an associated device. The at least one sensor module detects orientation of the body part. The at least one sensor module sends output signals related to orientation of the user's body part to the device module and the device module controls the associated device based on the signals from the at least one sensor module.

Systems and methods for manual gesture recognition to control prosthetic devices. Low encumbrance systems utilizing glove-based recognition to control prosthetic devices. Prosthetic control systems and methods are also provided utilizing elements for application on the user's fingernails.

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 device control apparatus includes at least one sensor worn by a user. The sensor(s) determines a user's movement. A control module is in communication with the sensor(s). The control module communicates movement information to a prosthetic. A method for controlling a prosthetic device includes sensing a user's movement, communicating the movement through a control module to a prosthetic device; and controlling the movement of a prosthetic device.

A prosthetic or orthotic device includes a body configured to support at least a portion of a human limb of a user wearing the prosthetic or orthotic device. The device can also include a shock absorption member coupled to the body. The shock absorption member includes one or more magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) springs disposed between a first portion of the body and a second portion of the body. The one or more MRE springs are selectively actuatable to vary a stiffness of the shock absorption member via the application of a magnetic flux, thereby adjusting a stiffness of the body of the prosthetic or orthotic device to a level corresponding to an activity level of the user.

A self-aligning prosthetic foot and ankle assembly has an ankle unit pivotally mounting a foot component. The ankle unit contains a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly having a piston which is linearly movable within a cylinder. The axis of the cylinder is coincident with a shin axis defined by a shin connection interface on the ankle unit. Bypass passages containing damping resistance control valves provide continuous hydraulic damping of dorsi and plantar ankle flexion, the unit being such that, over the major part of the range of damped movement, there is no resilient biasing in either the dorsi or the plantar direction. This confers a number of advantages, including stabilization of standing, balance control, and improved stair-walking and ramp-walking.

Prosthetic arm controller systems, as disclosed and discussed herein, include: a first controller unit that is placed or located inside a shoe or a sock of a user or that is integrated into a foot sleeve that slides on to the foot of a user, wherein the first controller unit comprises at least two interactive buttons that the user can engage, a second controller unit that is removably clipped or otherwise removably attached to the side or top of the shoe or the sock, wherein the second controller unit comprises at least one microcontroller with at least one integrated gyroscope, at least one accelerometer, and an onboard wireless protocol antenna that wirelessly communicates at least one command to a prosthetic arm from the first controller unit or the second controller unit, and wherein the at least one command comprises at least one grip command, at least one rotate command, at least one bend command, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the first controller unit and the second controller unit may be connected through a wired connection.

Methods, systems and devices that provide a therapeutic solution to alleviate the pain and discomfort of phantom limb syndrome are disclosed. The methods and systems of the present invention generally comprise capturing data from recording devices operably coupled to a processor and/or computing device, the recording devices configured to capture data associated with intact portions of a missing limb, one or more intact limbs and/or portions of the environment surrounding the missing limb, identifying the data captured, generating a three-dimensional virtual image of the missing limb and the surrounding environment from the data captured, and displaying the three-dimensional virtual image and the portions of the surrounding environment to the amputee such that the missing limb appears intact. The present invention advantageously provides a therapeutic and more immediate solution to alleviate the pain and discomfort from phantom limb syndrome.