A prosthetic socket for a residual limb of the lower extremity or upper extremity of an individual person is provided. The residual limb has particular dimensions and anatomical contours; the prosthetic socket has dimensions and contours that fit the dimensions and contours of the residual limb. The prosthetic socket may also fit in a manner that is biomechanically appropriate for the individual. The prosthetic socket may be an assembly from groups of components that include (a) struts arranged longitudinally with respect to the residual limb, (b) proximal brim members arranged proximally to the struts and connected thereto; and (c) distal socket members disposed at the distal base of the prosthetic socket. The socket components within these groups may be modular in that they can vary with respect to dimensions and/or contours, and yet have common connecting features that permit assembly of the components together to form the prosthetic socket.

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.

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.

Systems and methods for controlling an orthopedic joint device of a lower extremity, the orthopedic device comprising an upper part, a lower part mounted in articulated fashion to the upper part, and a conversion device arranged between the upper and lower parts. The conversion device provides for, during pivoting of the upper part relative to the lower part, mechanical work from a relative movement between the upper and lower parts to be converted and stored in at least one energy store and supplied back to the joint device with a time offset in order to assist the relative movement. The stored energy is converted back and the supply of mechanical work takes place in a controlled manner during the assistance of the relative movement.

Systems and methods for controlling an orthopedic joint device of a lower extremity, the orthopedic joint device comprising an upper part, a lower part mounted in articulated fashion to the upper part, and a conversion device arranged between the upper and lower parts. The conversion device provides for, during pivoting of the upper part relative to the lower part, mechanical work from a relative movement between the upper and lower parts to be converted and stored in at least one energy store and supplied back to the joint device with a time offset in order to assist the relative movement. The stored energy is converted back and the supply of mechanical work takes place in a controlled manner during the assistance of the relative movement.

Systems, devices and methods for detecting ground contact with a lower-limb POD. A sensor array for the POD on a first or second body may include two or more sensors in an array that each detect a distance to a respective target on the other of the first or second body. The first and second bodies may move relative to each other thereby changing an offset distance or distances between the two bodies which is detected by the sensors. In some embodiments, the sensors may include Hall Effect sensors that detect distances to respective magnets. Load data based on the detected distances may be generated for control of the POD, such as for stance phase control.

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.

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.

Provided is a wearable assisted-walking device including one lower attachment body to the foot defining a lower anchoring point at the heel of the foot of a leg of the user; an upper attachment body to an upper part of the leg proximal from the knee defining an upper ventral anchoring point and an upper dorsal anchoring point arranged on the opposite side of the coronal plane of the user; and an intermediate attachment body defining a first intermediate anchoring point, a second intermediate anchoring point and a third intermediate anchoring point, each anchoring point movable respect and connected by cables to the leg; the intermediate attachment body being adapted to store the energy by a relative motion between the anchoring points and then use it for assist walking.