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 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 an orthotic or prosthetic joint device with an upper part and a lower part arranged in a hinged manner and fastening means for securing the joint device on a user, with at least one hydraulics unit between the upper part and the lower part, which hydraulics unit has a piston that is movable in a housing with an extension chamber and a flexion chamber and that is coupled to the upper part or the lower part, and which hydraulics unit is assigned a pressure supply device with a pump and a pressure accumulator via which the piston, controlled by a control device, is subjected to a pressure, wherein the pump can be operated in generator mode, the pressure accumulator can be coupled drivingly to the pump, and the hydraulic fluid can be conveyed by the pressure accumulator through the pump to the hydraulics unit.

Exemplary embodiments relate to techniques for supplying increased power to an augmentation device without increasing battery size. For example, the load may be a motor that provides augmentation power to a joint of a prosthetic ankle, and which is generally powered by a battery. A reconfigurable electrical circuit may connect a supercapacitor in series with the battery to boost the power from the battery at times when a pulse of increased power is demanded. For instance, states of one or more switches of the electrical circuit may be changed in order to briefly disconnect the motor from the circuit just prior to a powered plantarflexion phase of a gait cycle of the ankle, and then to reconnect the motor to a reconfigured circuit to provide a power boost. The circuit may also be reconfigured to allow the battery to recharge the supercapacitor during periods of nominal power demand.

An orthotic or prosthetic joint device with an upper part and a lower part arranged in a hinged manner on the latter, and a fastening member for securing the joint device on a user. The device includes at least one hydraulics unit positioned between the upper part and the lower part, which hydraulics unit has a piston that is movable in a housing with an extension chamber and a flexion chamber and that is coupled to the upper part or the lower part. The hydraulics unit is assigned a pressure supply device with a pump and a pressure accumulator via which the piston, controlled by a control device, is subjected to a pressure. The pump can be operated in generator mode, the pressure accumulator can be coupled drivingly to the pump, and the hydraulic fluid can be conveyed by the pressure accumulator through the pump to the hydraulics unit.

A mechanism to harvest the mechanical energy available during prosthetic leg use for the purpose of charging an electric battery operating a vacuum pump for a prosthetic leg residual limb mounting socket is disclosed. The present invention is intended to be applied with variations of leg prostheses equipped with prosthetic feet constructed with flexible heel and/or forefoot members in the sole. The present invention utilizes one or more electric generators to convert the mechanical energy occurring as bidirectional movement in the foot sole flexible members to electrical energy. The electrical energy is harvested by storage in capacitors, then subsequently used to charge the vacuum pump battery. The objective is to extend the useful operating time of the vacuum pump supporting vacuum socket mounting of the residual limb.

Prosthetic and/or orthotic devices (PODS), control systems for PODS and methods for controlling PODS are provided. As part of the control system, an inference layer collects data regarding a vertical and horizontal displacement of the POD, as well as an angle of the POD with respect to gravity during a gait cycle of a user of the POD. A processor analyzes the data collected to determine a locomotion activity of the user and selects one or more control parameters based on the locomotion activity. The inference layer may be situated between a reactive layer control module and a learning layer control module of the control system architecture.

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 device that attaches to three body segments connected by two joints harvests energy selectively from one of the two joints using a single motor-generator. The device also selectively augments relative body segment motion about one of the two joints. Selection of the harvesting or generating mode depends on the user's preference. When in a particular mode, the device automatically selects which of the two joints to connect to the motor-generator in order to optimize the augmentation or harvesting. Depending on whether the user is on flat terrain, going up an incline or down a decline, the selection of the joint to be connected is different. Use of a single motor-generator and gearbox mounted near the knee reduces metabolic cost compared to the use of two motor-generators and gearboxes.

A device that attaches to three body segments connected by two joints harvests energy selectively from one of the two joints using a single motor-generator. The device also selectively augments relative body segment motion about one of the two joints. Selection of the harvesting or generating mode depends on the user's preference. When in a particular mode, the device automatically selects which of the two joints to connect to the motor-generator in order to optimize the augmentation or harvesting. Depending on whether the user is on flat terrain, going up an incline or down a decline, the selection of the joint to be connected is different. Use of a single motor-generator and gearbox mounted near the knee reduces metabolic cost compared to the use of two motor-generators and gearboxes.