Prosthetic devices and methods of controlling the same are provided. A prosthetic ankle device includes a foot unit and lower limb member moveable relative to one another and defining an ankle angle therebetween. The prosthetic ankle device further includes a controller to operate the device based on detecting a decreased load. Methods of controlling the prosthetic ankle device include operating the device at different ankle angles depending on detecting a decreased load on the prosthetic ankle device while standing or stopped.

A time-dependent decay behavior is incorporated into one or more joint actuator control parameters during operation of a lower-extremity, prosthetic, orthotic or exoskeleton device. These parameters may include joint equilibrium, joint impedance (e.g., stiffness, damping) and/or joint torque components (e.g., gain, exponent). The decay behavior may be exponential, linear, piecewise, or may conform to any other suitable function. Embodiments presented herein are used in a control system that emulates biological muscle-tendon reflex response providing for Reflex Parameter Modulation a natural walking experience. Further, joint impedance may depend on an angular rate of the joint. Such a relationship between angular rate and joint impedance may assist a wearer in carrying out certain activities, such as standing up and ascending a ladder.

The present application relates to a smart knee joint for a human lower limb exoskeleton, a prosthesis, and an orthosis. The smart knee joint reproduces part or all of the biomechanics of the knee joint of the human body by using a motor driving unit and a controllable elastic energy storage unit based on a magnetorheological damper. The motor driving unit here can be replaced with a controllable damping unit. The smart knee joint is developed for helping amputees or patients with impaired mobility regain/repair natural gaits and also reduce their burden of walking. The motor drive unit operates in a generator mode and an actuator mode. Energy harvesting technologies are exploited to reduce the power consumption of the smart knee joint then to prolong the working time. In addition, the controllable elastic energy storage unit based on the magnetorheological damper can further reduce the energy consumption of the smart knee joint, and also simplify the control of the knee joint.

A prosthesis having a prosthetic foot with a forefoot area and a heel area, a prosthetic lower leg, and a prosthetic foot adapter for arranging the prosthetic foot on the prosthetic lower leg. The prosthetic foot adapter includes an upper part for fixing it to the prosthetic lower leg such that it is torque-proof in relation to a sagittal plane, a lower part for fixing it to the prosthetic foot such that it is torque-proof in relation to a sagittal plane, and a resistance element. The upper part can be swivelled on the lower part about a swivel axis against a restoring force exerted by the restoring element, the swivel axis extending from the heel area to the forefoot area.

Knee orthoses or prostheses can be used to automatically, when appropriate, initiate a stand-up sequence based on the position of a person's knee with respect to the person's ankle while the person is in a seated position. When the knee is moved to a position that is forward of the ankle, at least one actuator of the orthosis or prosthesis is actuated to help raise the person from the seated position to a standing position.

A prosthetic ankle-foot device, in particular of the biomimetic type, includes: a tibia element; a talus element movably connected to the tibia element through a first talocrural joint having a first hinge joint; a calcaneus element movably connected to the talus element through a second subtalar joint having a second hinge joint; a medial metatarsal element movably connected to the calcaneus element through a third medial midtarsal joint, the third joint having a third hinge joint; a lateral metatarsal element movably connected to the calcaneus element through a fourth lateral midtarsal joint, the fourth joint having a fourth hinge joint; a medial phalanx element movably connected to the medial metatarsal element through a fifth medial metatarsophalangeal joint, the fifth joint having a fifth hinge joint; a lateral phalanx element movably connected to the lateral metatarsal element through a sixth lateral metatarsophalangeal joint, the sixth joint having a sixth hinge joint; an elastic actuation element having an upper part movably connected to the tibia element and a lower part movably connected to the calcaneus element.

A joint for an orthopedic device, the joint comprising: a first element; a spring support mounted to the first element and having at least one spring element; and a second element, the second element being pivotally mounted to the first element in a first swiveling direction counter to a first force applied by the at least one spring element and in an opposite second swiveling direction counter to a second force applied by the at least one spring element.

Hybrid terrain-adaptive lower-extremity apparatus and methods that perform in a variety of different situations by detecting the terrain that is being traversed, and adapting to the detected terrain. In some embodiments, the ability to control the apparatus for each of these situations builds upon five basic capabilities: (1) determining the activity being performed; (2) dynamically controlling the characteristics of the apparatus based on the activity that is being performed; (3) dynamically driving the apparatus based on the activity that is being performed; (4) determining terrain texture irregularities (e.g., how sticky is the terrain, how slippery is the terrain, is the terrain coarse or smooth, does the terrain have any obstructions, such as rocks) and (5) a mechanical design of the apparatus that can respond to the dynamic control and dynamic drive.

The invention relates to an orthopaedic joint comprising an upper part and a lower part pivotably mounted thereon and a resistance device which is located between the upper part and the lower part and provides resistance against a pivoting movement about a pivot axis, and has a resistance adjusting device coupled to a control device which is coupled to at least one sensor such that the resistance can be adjusted by means of the control device on the basis of sensor data transmitted from the at least one sensor to the control device, a function is stored in the control device in which the joint is locked against pivoting in at least one direction in accordance with the sensor data, the function can be activated for locking and deactivated for unlocking on the basis of the sensor data.

In embodiments, a shock absorber system for a prosthesis includes an outer housing having a bore and attachable to a prosthetic limb; an inner housing, attachable to a prosthetic socket, within the bore for axial and rotational movement relative to the outer housing; a first resilient element within the outer housing that resists axial movement of the inner housing into the bore and urges the inner housing back to an uncompressed configuration; and alternatively or in addition a second resilient element within the outer housing that resists rotational movement of the inner housing relative to the outer housing, wherein a torsional force urging relative rotation between the inner housing and the outer housing causes compression of the second resilient element such that the second resilient element resists the torsional force and urges the inner housing and outer housing back to an aligned configuration.