The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing or for planning the manufacturing of a prosthetic shaft, of an inner shaft of an outer shaft and/or of an extension of the prosthetic shaft, wherein the prosthetic shaft is provided for receiving a limb stump of a patient. In addition, the present invention relates to a prosthetic shaft and a kit. Furthermore, a computing system, a digital storage medium, a computer program product as well as a computer program are proposed.

Improved osseointegration devices and structures, including such structures that can be used in connection with prosthetic limbs. Examples include a self-centering implant/nut configuration, a centering device, a tapered mounting screw hole, a coupling device, and an aiming device. The devices are highly efficacious. For example, they can be secured with minimal residual bone, and may be removed without significant bone destruction.

Disclosed is a para-bi-cycling knee joint prosthesis for interconnecting a prosthetic lower leg and a prosthetic thigh, the knee joint prosthesis including an upper body portion configured to support a socket adapter, for connection with a prosthetic thigh; a lower body portion extending from the upper body portion and configured to connect with a prosthetic lower leg; a pair of ball bearings mounted on ends of a pivot shaft, the pivot shaft forming un upper part of the lower body portion, the upper body portion having left and right upper body portions, each configured to receive the external surface of one of the bearings, thus enabling rotation between the upper and lower body portions; the rotation allowing for flexion between the upper and the lower body portions of at least 140 degrees; and the upper body portion having an extended surface configured to engage a complementarily-shaped surface of the lower body portion, to prevent the backward rotation of the knee joint.

A device and method for measuring prosthetic or orthotic slip is presented. An optical sensor device is attached to the prosthesis or orthosis and measures the amount of relative motion between the prosthetic socket and the residual limb surface or between the orthosis and the affected body part. The sensor device is comprised of an optical sensor, a light source, a processing unit and a power source contained within a housing. A system for measuring multidirectional prosthetic or orthotic slip using the sensor device and automatically adjusting the fit of the prosthetic based on a determined threshold is also presented.

A hybrid actuation device includes an artificial muscle, a first plate coupled to a second plate, and a shape memory alloy wire. The artificial muscle includes a housing, a first electrode and a second electrode, and a dielectric fluid. The housing includes a first film layer, a second film layer, an electrode region, and an expandable fluid region. The first electrode and the second electrode are each disposed in the electrode region of the housing. The dielectric fluid is disposed within the housing. The first plate and the second plate are positioned within the housing, the first plate positioned between the first film layer and the first electrode, and the second plate positioned between the second film layer and the second electrode. The shape memory alloy wire extends from the first plate to the second plate and through the dielectric fluid.

An improved prosthesis and method for construction that utilizes at least a moldable material, footplate, and prosthetic portion to make a rapidly usable prosthetic specifically contoured to an interfacing region of an amputated appendage. The moldable material can generally be in the form of a multiple part material that is combined together to form a body safe and hardened material configured for placement on a specifically adapted surface, such as a footbed for placement within footwear.

An approximation method and system are provided for more quickly controlling a prosthetic or other device by reducing computational processing time in a muscle model that can be used to control the prosthetic. For a given muscle, the approximation method can quickly compute polynomial structures for a muscle length and for each associated moment arms, which may be used to generate a torque for a joint position of a physics model. The physics model, in turn, produces a next joint position and velocity data for driving a prosthetic. The approximation method expands the polynomial structures as long as expansion is possible and sufficiently beneficial. The computations can be performed quickly by expanding the polynomial structures in a way that constrains the muscle length polynomial to the moment arm polynomial structures, and vice versa.

Systems and methods are described herein for a prosthetic device that includes a premade outer shell socket with an inner surface contour. A prosthetic insert socket is manufactured via a manufacturing process, such as three-dimensional printing, to have an outer contour that corresponds to the inner surface contour of the premade outer shell socket. The prosthetic insert socket is manufactured to have an inner contour that corresponds to a residual limb surface contour of a patient.

An artificial muscle includes a housing including an electrode region and an expandable liquid region and a dielectric liquid housed within the housing. The artificial muscle further includes an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the electrode pair is configured to actuate between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric liquid into the expandable liquid region, expanding the expandable liquid region. The artificial muscle also includes a composite electrical insulating layered structure in contact with at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode, wherein the composite electrical insulating layered structure that includes an electrical insulator layer surrounded by adhesive surfaces. The adhesive surfaces are located between one or more flexible electrical insulators.

An artificial muscle includes a housing including an electrode region and an expandable liquid region and a dielectric liquid housed within the housing. The artificial muscle further includes an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the electrode pair is configured to actuate between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric liquid into the expandable liquid region, expanding the expandable liquid region. The artificial muscle also includes a composite electrical insulating layered structure in contact with at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode, wherein the composite electrical insulating layered structure that includes an electrical insulator layer surrounded by adhesive surfaces. The adhesive surfaces are located between one or more flexible electrical insulators.