Prosthetic System

Abstract

A prosthetic device having a housing, an axle, at least three housing vanes, a flow medium and a valve. The axle is disposed within the housing and moveable independently of the housing. The axle has an axle reservoir and at least three axle vanes extending from the axle to contact the chamber wall. The three housing vanes extend from a chamber wall and contact the axle. A first opening and a second opening are formed in each axle vane. The flow medium is contained entirely within the chamber and the axle reservoir. The valve is disposed in the axle and operable in response to movement of the axle in a first direction relative to the housing to allow the flow medium to enter the axle reservoir from the chamber for storage under pressure.

1 . An apparatus for controlling movement of a prosthetic device, the apparatus comprising:
 a housing comprising a first chamber;   a storage chamber;   a first member connected to the housing;   an axle moveable independently of the housing;   wherein the housing and axle are moveable relative to each other between a first position and a second position by placing an external force on the first member;   a flow medium disposed within the first chamber and movable from the first chamber to the storage chamber for storage under pressure in response to movement of the housing in a first direction to the second position and to control movement of the flow medium from the storage chamber to first chamber when the external force is altered.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the housing further comprises a second chamber, and wherein the flow medium is also disposed within the second chamber when the housing is in a first position. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first chamber is defined by a housing vane extending from the housing to contact the axle. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  further comprising an axle vane extending from the axle to contact a housing wall. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the axle comprises an axle chamber and comprising a valve disposed in the axle and moveable to regulate movement of the flow medium between the first chamber and the storage chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the axle comprises a pressurized axle chamber and an axle storage chamber, wherein the pressurized axle chamber is fluidly connected to the storage chamber, and wherein the pressurized flow medium chamber and the axle storage chamber are separated by a central body of the axle. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein flow medium overflows from the storage chamber to the pressurized axle chamber when the amount of flow medium in the storage chamber exceeds a storage chamber capacity. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the pressurized axle chamber comprises a movable partition to divide the pressurized chamber into sub-chambers, wherein a first pressurized sub-chamber contains a variable amount of flow medium and a second sub-chamber contains a fluid, wherein the fluid biases the partition toward the central body to compress the first pressurized sub-chamber and wherein the axle storage chamber comprises a movable partition to divide the axle storage chamber into an overflow chamber and an air chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the axle comprises a valve fluidly connected to the second sub-chamber and allows for the movement of fluid into the second sub-chamber to increase a fluid pressure therein. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a second member connected to the axle. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the axle comprises a first end and a second end, wherein a first splined end cap is connected to the axle at the first end and a second splined end cap is connected to the axle at the second end, wherein the first splined end cap operatively engages a first internally splined portion of the second member and the second splined end cap operatively engages a second internally splined portion of the second member. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the second member comprises a limb connector. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the first member comprises a prosthetic foot. 
     
     
         14 . A method for controlling movement of a prosthetic device, the method comprising:
 providing a prosthetic joint having a housing and an axle moveable independently of the housing, wherein one of the housing or axle is connected to a first member and the other connected to a second member;   placing an external force on the first member to move the housing from a first position to a second position relative to the axle;   moving a flow medium from a first chamber to a second chamber for storage under pressure in response to movement of the housing in a first direction; and   altering the external force on the first member to move the flow medium from the second chamber and control movement of the housing.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the housing is connected to the first member comprising a prosthetic foot, and wherein placing an external force on the first member comprises contacting a heel of the prosthetic foot to a surface. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein altering the external force from the first member comprises removing the heel from the surface. 
     
     
         17 . A device having an articulating joint, the device comprising:
 a housing;   an axle disposed within the housing configured to act as the articulating joint and moveable independently of the housing;   a housing vane extending from the housing toward the axle;   an axle vane extending from the axle toward the housing;   wherein the axle vane and the housing vane define a first chamber and a second chamber; and   a flow medium contained within the housing to flow between the first chamber and the second chamber in response to movement of the housing relative to the axle.   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 18  further comprising an axle chamber disposed in the axle, wherein the flow medium is contained within the housing and the axle and flowable between the housing and the axle chamber in response to movement of the housing relative to the axle. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18  further comprising a valve disposed in the axle to regulate flow of the flow medium between the housing and the axle chamber in response to movement of the axle relative to the housing. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 18  wherein the axle vane comprises an opening, wherein the flow medium communicates between the housing and the axle chamber through the opening in the axle vane.