A liner system for applying to a limb or a limb stump, with an inner liner comprising an inner side facing the limb or limb stump and an outer side facing away from the limb or limb stump, and an outer liner that comprises an inner side facing the inner liner and an outer side facing away from the inner liner. The outer liner is designed to be applied over the inner liner, with a sealing element which is designed to be separate from the inner liner and the outer liner, for arranging between the outer side of the inner liner and the inner side of the outer liner.

A vacuum pump may be used to attach a prosthetic and/or orthotic device to a residual limb. The vacuum pump may be in line below a socket of a residual limb. The socket may be a portion of the prosthesis that accepts the residual limb. The vacuum pump may generate a vacuum condition between the prosthesis and the residual limb. Generally, a vacuum condition may be generated between a socket and the residual limb. The residual limb may be covered with a sock, elastomeric liner, or sheath covering the limb. The vacuum condition may positively attach the prosthesis to the residual limb without the need for straps, retaining pins, or suction type vacuum which do not use a vacuum pump.

A system for joining a limb liner to a prosthesis. The prosthesis has a socket that is joined to the remainder of the prosthesis using a hub assembly. The hub assembly includes a first hub and a second hub. The first hub is disposed within the interior of the socket. The second hub is disposed outside the interior of the socket. An air conduit extends through the hub assembly that enables air to be drawn into the socket and/or vented from the socket. An inflatable interface is disposed within the socket. The inflatable interface receives air through the air conduit in the hub assembly. The inflatable interface is capable of filling any gaps that may exist between a limb liner being worn by an amputee and the socket.

A flexible inner socket is fabricated by forming a pre-socket. The pre-socket includes a body formed with an opening and an enclosed end. The enclosed end is opposite to the opening. The body of the pre-socket has an outer circumference that is smaller than the inner circumference of the rigid prosthetic socket. Different portions of the body may have different thicknesses. The preform socket is heated. After the heating, the flexible inner socket is formed by molding the pre-socket onto the inner surface of the rigid prosthetic socket to form the flexible inner socket. The inner circumference of the rigid prosthetic socket is reduced by a thickness of the flexible inner socket when the flexible inner socket is attached to the inner surface of the rigid prosthetic socket. An opening of the flexible inner socket may be trimmed after the formation to fit contours of an opening of the rigid prosthetic socket.

A vacuum pump may be used to attach a prosthetic and/or orthotic device to a residual limb. The vacuum pump may be in line below a socket of a residual limb. The socket may be a portion of the prosthesis that accepts the residual limb. The vacuum pump may generate a vacuum condition between the prosthesis and the residual limb. Generally, a vacuum condition may be generated between a socket and the residual limb. The residual limb may be covered with a sock, elastomeric liner, or sheath covering the limb. The vacuum condition may positively attach the prosthesis to the residual limb without the need for straps, retaining pins, or suction type vacuum which do not use a vacuum pump.

The present disclosure is directed to prosthetic limb sockets that couple prosthetic limbs to residual limbs. The sockets include a conical cup sized to engage and couple to the residual limb, and a base to secure the socket to the prosthetic limb. The sockets are direct heat-formable onto the residual limb, such that they can be heated and formed as they are secured to the residual limb.

A lower limb prosthesis comprises a foot component and an ankle unit pivotally mounted to the foot component. The ankle unit comprises an ankle joint mechanism comprising a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly for providing hydraulic damping whenever the ankle joint flexes, and a vacuum mechanism comprising a pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly for generating a vacuum. The hydraulic and pneumatic piston and cylinder assemblies are arranged such that the vacuum mechanism generates a vacuum during plantar-flexion of the ankle unit.

A suspension liner has a liner body portion, a textile material, and a plurality of seals formed along a length of the suspension liner toward a closed distal end and protruding circumferentially about a liner profile. Each seal has a same shape including a peak having a rounded profile and a width narrowing toward the peak and defines a sealing surface arranged to form a secure interface with an interior wall of the socket that retains the suspension liner within the prosthetic socket. The textile material is located intermediate interior and exterior surfaces of the suspension liner that formed of one or more silicone materials in the area of the seals and the textile material defines the exterior surface of the suspension liner proximal and distal to the seals.

Prosthetic socket sealing systems and methods of use. Embodiments of the present invention include various combinations of sealing elements that are associated with a rigid prosthetic socket and act to seal the socket interior against air intrusion or escape via the open proximal end thereof. The socket interior may thus be evacuated for purposes of vacuum suspension or otherwise.

A prosthetic foot including a foot member and a heel member attached to a bottom surface of the foot member. A pump mechanism is located above the foot member and includes a housing and an elastomeric member at least in part defining a fluid chamber. The elastomeric member is operatively connected to the foot member such that when no weight is placed on the prosthetic foot the volume of the fluid chamber is zero or near-zero and upon heel strike the housing rotates relative to the foot member to expand the volume of the fluid chamber and draw fluid into the fluid chamber from a prosthetic socket in fluid communication with the pump mechanism.