A prosthetic hand structure including at least one mechanical finger having a metacarpal support and a proximal stiff link connected to the metacarpal support by a proximal cylindrical joint. The mechanical finger includes a transmission member connected to the proximal stiff link. The transmission member includes a worm screw integral to the proximal stiff link. The transmission member includes a flexible rack having a first end portion, pivotally connected to the metacarpal support, and a second end portion arranged to engage with the threaded profile of the worm screw at an engagement zone of the flexible rack. The structure also includes an actuator mounted to the mechanical finger and to actuate the worm screw, causing it to rotate about its rotation axis, in such a way that, when the actuator moves the worm screw, the mechanical finger extends or flexes.

Various aspects of the present disclosure characterize apparatuses and/or methods as may be implemented with a variety of prosthetic components and applications. As may be consistent with one or more embodiments described herein, respective manipulators are operable and/or operate to manipulate a prosthetic foot component about respective (e.g., separate) axes. A sensor circuit senses movement characteristics of the prosthetic foot component (e.g., movement, surroundings, and/or load applied due to movement). The manipulators operate with the sensor circuit to manipulate the prosthetic foot component about the axes in response to the sensed movement characteristics indicating that the prosthetic foot component is elevated over a surface.

Actuators and methods of use are provided. An actuator may include an inner member made from an elastic material and defining a compartment for receiving an actuating fluid, the inner member being moveable in a longitudinal direction from a relaxed state to an expanded state by introducing an actuating fluid into the inner member, and an outer member made from an inelastic material and being disposed around the elastic inner member to control expansion of the elastic inner member in a radial direction, the outer member being moveable from a folded relaxed configuration to an unfolded extended configuration as the inner member moves from the relaxed state to the expanded state, wherein the movement of the actuator between the relaxed state and the expanded state causes a movement of a structure to which the actuator is attached.

Artificial limbs and joints that behave like biological limbs and joints employ a synthetic actuator which consumes negligible power when exerting zero force, consumes negligible power when outputting force at constant length (isometric) and while performing dissipative, nonconservative work, is capable of independently engaging flexion and extension tendon-like, series springs, is capable of independently varying joint position and stiffness, and exploits series elasticity for mechanical power amplification.

A disarticulated compression socket configured to secure a residual limb. The disarticulated compression socket may include a rigid socket frame having one or more compression apertures each having one or more disarticulated compression inserts. Each disarticulated compression insert may be coupled with and/or responsive to a compression band configured to compress the disarticulated compression inserts and thereby secure a residual limb within the rigid socket frame.

A walking simulator includes: a lower-limb prosthetic device having at least a foot portion, a tibial element, and an ankle articular center suitable to connect the foot portion to the tibial element; a base structure, an arm coupled to the base structure via a coupler that allows the arm to rotate or pivot about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, wherein the arm includes a fastener for constraining the prosthetic device to the arm so that it extends substantially parallel to the arm; a substantially horizontal base positioned under the prosthetic device, wherein the base includes a top portion suitable to receive in abutment a sole of the foot portion of the prosthetic device; a first actuator associated with the arm for creating a pivoting or oscillating rotary motion of the arm about the axis of rotation and for controlling the leg angle of the prosthetic device constrained to the arm.

Actuators and methods of use are provided. An actuator may include an inner member made from an elastic material and defining a compartment for receiving an actuating fluid, the inner member being moveable in a longitudinal direction from a relaxed state to an expanded state by introducing an actuating fluid into the inner member; and an outer member made from an inelastic material and being disposed around the elastic inner member to control expansion of the elastic inner member in a radial direction, the outer member being moveable from a folded relaxed configuration to an unfolded extended configuration as the inner member moves from the relaxed state to the expanded state, wherein the movement of the actuator between the relaxed state and the expanded state causes a movement of a structure to which the actuator is attached.

A control system for control of a prosthetic device having a plurality of actuators receives an orientation signal indicative of a desired movement. The control system evaluates whether the prosthetic device may move as desired with a current angle of rotation and commands at least one actuator to move the prosthetic device as desired by maintaining the current angle of rotation or by adjusting the angle of rotation if the prosthetic device cannot move as desired with the current angle. The control system may alternate between commanding a first subset of actuators and a second subset of actuators each time the orientation signal is indicative of a neutral position. The control system may include a position sensor and a compliance sensor and may command at least one actuator based on a combination of positional control using the position sensor and force control using the compliance sensor.

A system for control of a prosthetic device includes at least one Inertial Measurement Unit detecting orientation of a user's foot. The at least one Inertial Measurement Unit is in communication with a device module configured to command at least one actuator of a prosthetic device. The at least one Inertial Measurement unit sends output signals related to orientation of the user's foot to the device module and the device module controls the at least one actuator of the prosthetic device based on the signals from the at least one Inertial Measurement Unit.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of medical instrument, in particular to a sensor device applied in an articulation and an artificial limb system to improve control precision of the sensor. The sensor device of the present disclosure includes a plurality of magnets spaced apart from each other, the adjacent magnets having opposite polarities in a moving direction of the articulation; and at least one magnetic inductor for monitoring a displacement of the magnets caused by movement of the articulation.