Abstract
A liner and a method for producing a liner for a lower arm prosthesis, wherein the liner comprises a base body with a closed distal end and an open proximal end, and the method comprises the production of the base body by moulding a preform, in particular using a casting or dipping method, wherein in at least one section of the preform a first diameter of the blank is greater than a second diameter in a second direction, which extends orthogonally to the first direction.
Claims
1. A liner for a prosthesis system, the liner comprising: a base body having a closed distal end, an open proximal end, and a longitudinal extension that extends from the distal end to the proximal end; wherein a first diameter of the base body at the distal end is greater in a first direction than a second diameter in a second direction, which extends orthogonally to the first direction.
2. The liner according to claim 1, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter across at least 50% of the longitudinal extension.
3. The liner according to claim 2, wherein a ratio of the first diameter to the second diameter varies.
4. The liner according to claim 1, wherein the liner includes at least one of an electrical through-line and an electrode, which is arranged on or in the base body in such a way that, when the liner is applied, the at least one of the through-line and the electrode comes into contact with a skin of the wearer.
5. The liner according to claim 4, wherein the at least one of the through-line and the electrode is connected to an electric conductor, which extends to an interface arranged on an outer side of the base body.
6. The liner according to claim 5, wherein the interface is arranged on the outer side in an extension of the second diameter.
7. A lower arm prosthesis with a prosthesis socket and a liner according to claim 1, wherein the liner and the prosthesis socket are designed in such a way that, when applied, an inner side of the prosthesis socket rests on an outer side of the liner.
8. The lower arm prosthesis according to claim 7, wherein the prosthesis socket includes at least one interface on an inner side that interacts with an interface arranged on the outer side of the liner in such a way that electrical signals can be conducted from or to at least one of a through-line and an electrode.
9. The lower arm prosthesis according to claim 7, wherein the outer side of the liner and inner side of the prosthesis socket feature connection elements that correspond to one another, by way of which the liner can be connected to the prosthesis socket.
10. A method for producing a liner having the features of claim 1, wherein the method comprises: producing the base body by moulding a preform, wherein in at least one first section of the preform a first diameter of the preform in a first direction is greater than a second diameter in a second direction, which extends orthogonally to the first direction of the preform.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a diameter of the preform in at least one second section of the preform, which lies outside of the first section, is at least almost the same size in all directions.
12. A prosthesis liner comprising: a base body comprising: a closed distal end; an open proximal end; a longitudinal extension extending from the distal end to the proximal end; a first diameter measured in a first direction at the distal end; a second diameter measured in a second direction at the distal end, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction.
13. The liner according to claim 12, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter across at least 50% of the longitudinal extension.
14. The liner according to claim 12, wherein a ratio of the first diameter to the second diameter is variable.
15. The liner according to claim 12, wherein the liner includes at least one of an electrical through-line and an electrode, which is arranged on or in the base body in such a way that, when the liner is applied, the at least one of the through-line and the electrode comes into contact with a skin of the wearer.
16. The liner according to claim 12, wherein the at least one of the through-line and the electrode is connected to an electric conductor, which extends to an interface arranged on an outer side of the base body.
17. The liner according to claim 12, wherein the interface is arranged on the outer side in an extension of the second diameter.
18. The liner according to claim 12, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter across 100% of the longitudinal extension.
19. A method for producing a prosthetic liner, comprising: moulding a base body from a preform, the preform having a closed distal end, an open proximal end, a longitudinal extension extending from the distal end to the proximal end, and a first section, the first section having a first diameter measured in a first direction at the distal end, and a second diameter measured in a second direction at the distal end, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein a diameter of the preform in at least one second section of the preform, which lies outside of the first section, is the same size in all directions.
Description
[0020] In the following, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail by way of the figures: They show:
[0021] FIG. 1 the schematic side view of a liner according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 a sectional view through the liner from FIG. 1 along the line A-A,
[0023] FIG. 3 the schematic representation of a liner according to a further example of an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 4 a further schematic representation of a liner according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention,
[0025] FIG. 5 the schematic three-dimensional view of a liner according to a further example of an embodiment of the present invention,
[0026] FIG. 6 the liner from FIG. 5 from another perspective,
[0027] FIG. 7 a schematic side and sectional representation of a further embodiment of the liner,
[0028] FIG. 8 two schematic side views of a further embodiment and
[0029] FIGS. 9 to 11a schematic side and sectional representation of further embodiments of a liner according to the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic side view of a liner 2 according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention. A base body 4 of the liner comprises a closed distal end 6 and an open proximal end 8. It is clear that the base body 4 of the liner 2 expands along its longitudinal axis L towards the proximal end 8, so that a diameter increases in this direction.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows a cross section along the line A-A from FIG. 1. The base body 4, the expansion of which can be seen in the right and left-hand areas of FIG. 2, has a first diameter D.sub.1 along a first direction, which extends from left to right in FIG. 2. Here, the first diameter D.sub.1 is an inner diameter, which corresponds at least generally, but preferably precisely, to an outer diameter of a preform used during the production of the liner base body 4. A second diameter D.sub.2, which is smaller than the first diameter D.sub.1 as shown in FIG. 2, extends in a second direction, which extends perpendicular to the first direction. In the cross-section representation in FIG. 2, it can also be recognised that an expansion of the base body 4 of the liner only occurs along the first direction, along which the first diameter D.sub.1 extends, but not along the second direction, along which the second diameter D.sub.2 extends.
[0032] The base body 4 of the liner 2 depicted in FIG. 2 comprises a wall 10, which features a constant wall thickness across the entire circumference. This is an advantage but not absolutely necessary.
[0033] In the example of an embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the diameter D.sub.1 increases the further one moves along the longitudinal axis L away from the distal end 6. At the same time, the second diameter D.sub.2 remains constant, so that the ratio of the two D.sub.1:D.sub.2 increases.
[0034] FIG. 3 shows a base body 4 of the liner 2, on the outer side 12 of which an interface 14 is arranged. It has a number of contacts 16 that interact with electrical through-lines and/or electrodes, which are arranged on the base body 4 but are not depicted in the figures. If the liner shown in FIG. 3 is now pulled over an amputation stump and then inserted into a prosthesis socket, said prosthesis socket preferably features a corresponding interface on its inner side which enables an electrical contact of the individual contacts 16. It is clear that the interface 14 is arranged on the outer side 12 of the base body 4 of the liner 2, not in the region of the distal end 6, but on a lateral surface of the liner.
[0035] A similar arrangement is shown in FIG. 4. Here, the interface 14 is also arranged with the contacts 16 on the outer side 12 of the base body 4; however, it is considerably closer to the distal end 6 than the case illustrated in FIG. 3. Nevertheless, the interface in both FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is arranged on the outer side 12 of the base body 4 in an extension of the second diameter D.sub.2, as shown in FIG. 2.
[0036] FIGS. 5 and 6 show a further example of an embodiment of the liner 2 according to the present invention. The base body 4 features an outer side 12, on which the interface 14 is arranged. In the example of an embodiment shown, the wall 10 in this region is straight, i.e. it is designed to be level and does not have any curvature. This is an advantage for some applications but not absolutely necessary. Mechanical connection elements 18 are depicted in the region of the distal end 6 of the liner 2, wherein said elements enable a connection of the liner 2 to the prosthesis socket, not depicted.
[0037] FIG. 7 shows the liner 2 with the base body 4 with the exterior structure previously shown in FIG. 1. The right-hand part depicts a sectional representation along the line B-B. The inner space is depicted by crosshatch, while the wall 10 is depicted with no crosshatch. The liner has a conical cross-section, so that an extension in FIG. 7 from top to bottom is smaller in the left-hand area than in the right-hand area. This renders it possible to respond to certain requirements, especially regarding the anatomy of the limb being treated.
[0038] FIG. 8 depicts two exterior representations of a liner from different perspectives. While the representation in the left-hand area of FIG. 8 corresponds to the left-hand representation in FIG. 7 as well as the representation in FIG. 1, it is clear in the right-hand view that a thickness of the liner, i.e. the extension from left to right in FIG. 8, reduces from the distal end 6 towards the proximal end 8 and the liner tapers.
[0039] The left-hand side of FIG. 9 depicts the liner 2 in a representation from the outside. It contains a schematic representation of a thickening 22, which can be seen along the line A-A in the sectional representation shown on the right. The inner space of the liner 2 features two thickenings 22, which are arranged as separate elements on the inner side of the wall 10 in the example of an embodiment shown. Of course, they may also be designed as a single piece with the wall 10. This renders it possible to take anatomical circumstances into account and to individually adjust the liner 2 to the required fit. In this case, it is not necessary for the two thickenings 22 to be designed to be identical. In certain cases, it may be advantageous to provide just one thickening 22 or to arrange differently designed thickenings 22 on the inner side of the wall 10 or to design them as single pieces with said wall.
[0040] FIG. 10 shows a combination of the described properties. The exterior representation of the liner 2 in the currently known form is once again depicted in the left-hand area. To the right in the sectional representation, along the line C-C, it can be seen that the outer contour of the liner 2 in FIG. 10 tapers from right to left and the cross-section is designed to be conical. At the same time, the inner side of the wall 10 features a thickening 22, which is designed as a single piece with the wall 10 and is also designed to be asymmetrical. Only one thickening 22 is provided, so that the opposite side of the wall does not have a thickening.
[0041] The left-hand representation in FIG. 11 depicts a liner 2 for an example of an embodiment of the present invention. It features several electrodes 24, each of which is connected to the electrical contacts 16 via an electric conductor 26. The electric conductors 26 extend inside the material of the liner 2. The right-hand representation in FIG. 11 depicts the sectional view along the line C-C. The liner 2 with the electric conductors 26 inside the liner material can be clearly seen, wherein said electric conductors lead to the electrodes 24.
[0042] The contacts 16 form part of a connection element 18, by means of which the liner 2 can be connected to a prosthesis socket, not depicted; in particular, said connection element enables a mechanical locking of the liner.
REFERENCE LIST
[0043] L longitudinal axis [0044] D.sub.1 first diameter [0045] D.sub.2 second diameter [0046] 2 liner [0047] 4 base body [0048] 6 distal end [0049] 8 proximal end [0050] 10 wall [0051] 12 outer side [0052] 14 interface [0053] 16 contact [0054] 18 connection element [0055] 22 thickening [0056] 24 electrode [0057] 26 electric conductor
