Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Kathryn Michelle Olesnavage

Amos Greene Winter, V

Amos G Winter, V

Victor Prost

A compliant prosthetic foot is designed and fabricated by combining a compliant mechanism optimization technique with a calculation of low leg trajectory error under a reference loading condition. The compliant mechanism optimization technique includes a set of determinants for the compliant prosthetic foot. An optimized set of determinants of the compliant prosthetic foot is formed that minimizes the lower leg trajectory error relative to a target kinematic data set. The compliant prosthetic foot is then fabricated in conformance with the optimized set of determinants.

Method for design and manufacture of compliant prosthetic foot

A prosthesis, including a prosthetic foot, a prosthetic talocrural joint, a prosthetic ankle pivotally coupled to the prosthetic foot and a four-area bending beam. The four-area bending beam includes a U-shaped or other spring. One end of the spring is mechanically coupled via two of the four areas to the prosthetic foot. The other end of the spring is mechanically coupled via the other two areas to the prosthetic ankle. The spring resiliently resists pivoting of the prosthetic ankle about the prosthetic talocrural joint. The four-area bending beam exhibits an at least approximately constant moment along its length to maximize strain energy density, storing about four times as much elastic energy as a comparable cantilevered beam, thereby providing high stiffness and high range of motion to the ankle. The spring is modular, being easily replaced with another spring exhibiting a different stiffness, ex., to tailor the prosthesis to a user.

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Ferndale, MI, United States of America

Kathryn Michelle Olesnavage