Valve system for prosthetics

Abstract

A valve system regulates the air pressure in the space(s) between a residual limb, or liner-covered limb, and a hard socket of an external prosthesis, for example, for improving donning and doffing the prosthesis, and/or during walking and other normal use of the prosthesis. The valve system may include a manually-controlled air outlet and inlet valve that may be installed on a distal region of a hard socket, and/or an automatic one-way outlet valve. The manually-controlled valve is preferably opened and closed by twisting of a handle portion of the valve system, wherein partial rotation of the handle portion relative to the base portion of the valve system creates slight separation of the handle and base portions to form a gap through which may pass air from the well of the socket. This simple twisting, or partial rotation, provides a valve that stays open hands-free, so that the wearer may open the valve and then use his/her hands to don or doff the prosthesis. The manual valve may include a system for preventing the handle and base from becoming entirely separated during normal use, which preferably is a snap-fit of the base onto the handle that retains the ability of the handle and base to rotate relative to each other, and a stop(s) that limit(s) the amount of relative rotation of the handle and base portions of the valve. Opening and closing of the manual valve may be accomplished by a ramp system, so that, upon rotation of the handle in one direction, the handle comes close to, and seals with, the base, and upon rotation of the handle in the opposite direction, the handle becomes slightly distanced from, and unsealed from, the base.

1 . A pressure-control system for a prosthetic hard socket, the pressure-control system comprising:
 a prosthetic hard socket comprising a wall having an outer surface and an interior surface defining a well for receiving a residual limb, and said wall having a hole extending from said outer surface to said interior surface; and   
       an air valve comprising:
 a base on said outer surface of the hard socket over said hole in the wall; 
 a handle connected to said base and manually rotatable relative to the base; and 
 an air passageway through said base and said handle that is blocked when the handle is rotated relative to the base to a closed position, and that is unblocked for air flow through the valve and the hole into and out of the hard socket, when the handle is rotated relative to the base to an open position; and 
 wherein the air valve comprises at least one stop adapted to limit rotation of said handle relative to the base to a portion of a full rotation, the portion being in the range of 30-90 degrees, so that the handle rotates only said portion of a full rotation when moving from the closed to the open position. 
 
     
     
         2 . A pressure control system as in  claim 1 , wherein, when the handle is rotated said portion of a full rotation to the open position, the handle is distanced from the base to form a radial gap between said base and said handle. 
     
     
         3 . A pressure control system as in  claim 2 , wherein the handle is distanced from the base by rotating into said open position by means of ramps provided on the handle sliding on cooperating ramps provided on the base. 
     
     
         4 . A pressure control system as in  claim 3 , wherein said ramps provided on the base are slanted so that the handle rotating said portion of a full rotation moves the handle axially out from the base to form said radial gap.