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.

The present invention provides a detection device for detecting a load and moment and capable of increasing the output by a strain gage. The detection device is provided with a characteristic sensor block. The sensor block includes a base having an axis extending in the direction of a load to be detected, a front side wall raised from the base at a position offset from the axis of the base, a rear side wall raised from the base at a position offset from the axis of the base in the direction opposite the front side wall, and an upper wall for connecting the upper end of the front side wall and the upper end of the rear side wall. The sensor block supports each strain gauge on the upper surface of the upper wall. The upper wall includes a center portion located at the center between the front side wall and the rear side wall, a first portion located between the center portion and the front side wall, and a second portion located between the center portion and the rear side wall. The first portion and the second portion, which support the strain gauges, have a smaller thickness than the center portion and are relatively easily deformed or strained.

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.

In one aspect, novel robust electroactive polymers (EAPs) is described, which contract and expand at low voltages to provide for a shape-morphing system, e.g., a prosthetic liner, and potentially entire prosthetic socket, to contract and expand in strategic areas as needed to maintain a comfortable and good fit throughout the day. In some embodiments, as the residual limb changes, these novel robust EAPs can change dynamically as needed to maintain a comfortable, snug fit of the prosthetic liner or socket with the hard shell of the prosthetic socket device. In some embodiments, the EAPs used in prosthetic liners or sockets can also be used to detect pressure as the device is being used, and automatically adjust to maintain fit through a control unit, so that the patient does not even have to stop and adjust his or her device as he or she goes about an active day.

A prosthetic foot assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a pivoting ankle joint with a hydraulic system, a prosthetic foot connected to the distal side of the ankle joint, and, at the proximal side, the ankle joint includes a transducer with pyramid adaptor for attaching to a pylon. The ankle joint sensor provides data collection during the stance and optionally, the swing, phases of walking using, for example, strain gages and accelerometers. Also disclosed are methods for real-time feature extraction. Key parameters are captured to which are applied linear, fuzzy logic, neural net, or generic algorithms to determine current state (walking flat, uphill, downhill etc.) in real time and execute changes to the angle between the ankle and foot almost instantaneously based on those parameters.

A prosthetic arm apparatus including a plurality of segments that provide a user of the prosthetic arm apparatus with substantially the same movement capability and function as a human arm. The segments are connectable to one another and connectable to a prosthetic support apparatus that may be adorned by the user. Each segment of the plurality of segments provides a portion of the movement capability, enabling the plurality of connected segments connected to the harness mount to provide substantially the same movement capability as that lacking in the user.

Systems and methods of operating a lower limb device having at least a powered joint are provided. A method includes configuring the device to a first state in a finite state model for a current activity mode including a stair ascent mode or a stair descent mode. The method also includes, based on real-time sensor information, transitioning the device between different states in the finite state model when pre-defined criteria for transitioning among the different states are met. In the method, the finite state model for stair ascent includes lifting and swing phases, where the lifting phase includes a powered knee extension and a powered ankle push-off. The finite state model for stair descent includes yielding and swing states, where the swing states include providing a powered plantarflexion of the powered ankle joint and the yielding states include providing a resistive and passive plantarflexion of the powered ankle joint.

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.

Systems and methods of operating a lower limb device having at least a powered joint are provided. A method includes configuring the device to a first state in a finite state model for a current activity mode including a stair ascent mode or a stair descent mode. The method also includes, based on real-time sensor information, transitioning the device between different states in the finite state model when pre-defined criteria for transitioning among the different states are met. In the method, the finite state model for stair ascent includes lifting and swing phases, where the lifting phase includes a powered knee extension and a powered ankle push-off. The finite state model for stair descent includes yielding and swing states, where the swing states include providing a powered plantarflexion of the powered ankle joint and the yielding states include providing a resistive and passive plantarflexion of the powered ankle joint.

Prosthetic knee joint includes: proximal part mobile in rotation around first axis between extended position and flexion position of prosthetic knee joint; the proximal part being mobile in first direction of rotation from extended position to flexion position, at least one part that is fixed when proximal part is moved in first direction of rotation; link part, arranged to connect the proximal part and part, and presenting contact surface with part; the link part and part being arranged so, when proximal part is moved in first direction of rotation, link part slides on contact surface being subjected to first friction force, when proximal part is moved in second direction of rotation, the link part slides on contact surface being subjected to second friction force strictly lower than first friction force.