A prosthetic system includes a prosthetic knee having a controller and a hydraulic unit pivotally connected to the controller. The hydraulic includes a reserve hydraulic cylinder, a brake hydraulic cylinder, and a hydraulic cylinder having a lower hydraulic compartment. A flow system fluidly connects the hydraulic cylinder, the reserve hydraulic cylinder, and the brake cylinder. The flow system has first and second flow paths in communication with the lower hydraulic compartment and the reserve hydraulic cylinder. The first flow path is in communication with lower hydraulic compartment and the reserve hydraulic cylinder via the brake cylinder. The second flow path bypasses the brake hydraulic cylinder.

A knee joint that is capable of widening a moveable range, and that has good energy efficiency and is small and lightweight is described. Also described is a knee joint that is of an active type, but comparatively inexpensive. A drive section moves a driven member. An elastic member is arranged between the driven member and a linear motion member. The linear motion member elastically moves in at least one direction, in accordance with movement of the driven member, by way of the elastic member. A crank mechanism can realize bending and extension of the knee joint by converting linear motion of the linear motion member to rotational motion.

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.

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.

A prosthetic socket includes a conical cup, an outer layer on the outer surface of the conical cup, and a reinforcement layer on the inner surface of the conical cup. The prosthetic socket is shapeable after being heated to a shaping temperature. The outer layer is less malleable than the conical cup at the shaping temperature but has a higher rigidity than the conical cup at the shaping temperature and has smoother outer surface than an outer surface of the conical cup. The reinforcement layer has a higher resistance against circumferential stress than the conical cup. A residual limb or a model of a residual limb can be inserted into the preformed prosthetic socket. The prosthetic socket is then heated to the shaping temperature and molded to conform to the contour of the residual limb or the model to form a prosthetic socket.

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.

Artificial limbs and joints that behave like biological limbs and joints employ a synthetic actuator which consumes negligible power when exerting zero force, consumes negligible power when outputting force at constant length (isometric) and while performing dissipative, nonconservative work, is capable of independently engaging flexion and extension tendon-like, series springs, is capable of independently varying joint position and stiffness, and exploits series elasticity for mechanical power amplification.

Apparatuses and methods of fabrication are provided which include a mechanical coolant pump to facilitate pumping a coolant through a coolant loop. The mechanical coolant pump is to couple to an individual and be physically powered by a specified movement of the individual to pump coolant. Coolant pumped by the mechanical coolant pump is circulated by the coolant pump through a device associated with the individual to cool the device.

A small-size multi-axis ankle joint prosthesis is provided. Two ends of each of four springs are fixedly connected with two spring seats at an upper part and at the lower part respectively. The joint axes are positioned in a space surrounded by the lower part, the four springs and the upper part. Front and rear perforated blocks in the joint axes are respectively in bolted connection with a fifth arc hole pair g and a sixth arc hole pair h of a second arc plate in the upper part. Left and right perforated blocks in the joint axes are respectively in bolted connection with a second arc hole pair e and a third arc hole pair f of the first arc plate in the lower part.