Vanderbilt University

Harrison Bartlett

Michael Goldfarb

Brian Lawson

Almaskhan Baimyshev

Jantzen Lee

Beau Johnson

The present disclosure provides for a device and method of control for an artificial prosthetic knee. A prosthetic knee according to the present disclosure relies on strictly passive means of providing support during weight bearing and supplements a resistive swing-phase mechanism with a small powered actuator. This actuator adds power to the knee, exclusively during swing phase, to improve swing-phase behavior. In particular, the knee still relies on the resistive swing-phase mechanism to provide nominal swing-phase knee motion, but supplements that motion as needed with the small powered actuator.

Prosthetic knee with swing assist

An asymmetric linear actuator is provided which integrates a hydraulic dissipater and an electric motor and power screw which generates small forces. The actuator is configured so that an electric motor drives a power screw which drives a rod through a cylinder to provide linear actuation. The cylinder is fluid-filled and incorporates a piston that separates the cylinder into a first and second fluid chamber which are filled with a first and second volume of working fluid. Movement of the piston and rod assembly results in fluid movement between the first and second volumes of working fluid and through the fluidic restriction. The fluidic restriction can be proportionally controllable via an electric motor which enables controllable power dissipation via control of the fluidic restriction motor and controllable power generation via control of the power screw motor.

Linear actuator for asymmetric power generation and dissipation

A cylinder actuator includes a body assembly and a piston assembly. The body assembly includes a first cylinder nested concentrically within a second cylinder. The piston assembly slides linearly within the first and second cylinders. The piston assembly includes a first piston assembly end and a second piston assembly end. The first piston assembly end includes first and second pistons. The first piston moves within the first cylinder. The second piston moves within the second cylinder. The piston assembly includes first and second piston rods. The first piston rod extends from the first piston through a first end of the first cylinder. The second piston rod extends from the second piston through a first end of the second cylinder. The piston rods are joined at the second end of the piston rod assembly located outside of the first and second cylinders.

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Nashville, TN, United States of America

Harrison Bartlett