A damping control method for lower-limb prosthesis, comprising the following steps: Isolate the driving motor of the transmission structure from the driving voltage; The motor is driven to rotate by the force that results from the locomotion of human's CoM (Center of Mass), and generates alternating induced voltage, when the motor behaves as a generator; Connect the output terminals of the motor with a full-bridge rectification circuit that is made of Schottky diodes to transform the alternating induced voltage to direct-current voltage; Connect the output terminals of the rectification circuit with a controlled switch to form a closed circuit, which will generate induced current from the induced voltage; Control the on-off ratio of the switch with the Pulse-Width-Modulation signal to generate controllable motor current, which will result in controllable braking torque under the magnet field of the motor. This invention can be applied to prosthesis control.

A system for powering a prosthetic arm is disclosed. The system includes at least one internal battery located in the prosthetic arm, at least one external battery connected to the prosthetic arm, and a master controller configured to connect either the at least one internal battery or the at least one external battery to a power bus to power the prosthetic arm.

The invention relates to an orthotic or prosthetic joint device with an upper part and a lower part arranged in a hinged manner on the latter, 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.

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 system for powering a prosthetic arm is disclosed. The system includes at least one internal battery located in the prosthetic arm, at least one external battery connected to the prosthetic arm, and a master controller configured to connect either the at least one Internal battery or the at least one external battery to a power bus to power the prosthetic arm.

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 joint including a hydraulic system, comprising: at least one chamber; at least one accumulator configured to store hydraulic fluid at a high pressure; at least one reservoir configured to store hydraulic fluid at a low pressure; one or more fluid flow paths connecting the chamber to the accumulator and the reservoir, flow controllers in the fluid flow paths, and fluid distributed throughout the hydraulic system; a load-determining sensor; a displacement-determining sensor; and a microprocessor configured to actuate one or more flow controllers based upon a load determining sensor input, a displacement-determining sensor input, a product of the load-determining sensor input and the displacement-determining sensor input, any time derivative thereof, or any combination thereof, wherein one or more flow controllers are configured to control displacing fluid from the chamber to the accumulator during periods of a threshold negative work, and one or more flow controllers are configured to control displacing fluid from the accumulator to the chamber to perform positive work.

A system for powering a prosthetic arm is disclosed. The system includes at least one internal battery located in the prosthetic arm, at least one external battery connected to the prosthetic arm, and a master controller configured to connect either the at least one internal battery or the at least one external battery to a power bus to power the prosthetic arm.

Battery operated prostheses and systems having increased energy efficiency are disclosed. A prosthesis includes a first and second limb member coupled to an actuator to form a joint. The prosthesis further includes a rechargeable battery electrically coupled to the actuator. The actuator uses energy received from the rechargeable battery to actuate the first limb member relative to the second limb member. During at least a portion of a gait cycle of a wearer of the prosthesis, the actuator converts kinetic energy into first electrical energy that is greater than second electrical energy supplied to the actuator from the rechargeable battery. The prosthesis further includes a recharging circuit. The recharging circuit can receive at least a portion of the first electrical energy from the electric actuator and can supply some of the at least a portion of the first electrical energy to the rechargeable battery to recharge the rechargeable battery.

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.