The Ohio Willow Wood Company

University of Toledo

Sujatha Srinivasan

James M Colvin

Robert E Arbogast

Jeffrey L Doddroe

James W Capper

Mark R Pitkin

Eric K Bartkus

Steven H Kramer

Jay H Kinsinger

John Edwin Cooper

Verner Swanson

John A Hays

A prosthetic foot includes an adapter element securable to a residual limb, a foot plate having a heel portion and a toe portion along the length thereof, at least one toe spring connected between the adapter element and the toe portion of the foot plate, and a heel spring connected between the adapter element and the heel portion. The heel spring may be a leaf spring or a tube type shock absorber. The concave side of the leaf spring exhibits a plurality of transverse ribs. Alternatively, a tubular pylon may have a collar mounted thereon for movement along the length of the pylon. A toe spring and a heel spring extend from the collar to form toe and heel portions of the prosthetic foot. A further heel spring is connected between the heel portion and another end of the pylon, and a non-extensible band extends between the heel portion and the collar. As another alternative, a tubular pylon has one end securable to a residual limb, and a collar is mounted to the pylon for movement along the length of the pylon. At least one toe spring is connected between the collar and the toe portion of a foot plate, while a heel spring is connected between the heel portion of the foot plate and another end of the pylon.

Prosthetic foot having shock absorption

An artificial foot and ankle is provided having a keel component, an ankle component, and a central bumper component interposed between the keel component and the ankle component. The ankle component has a lower surface with a radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of an upper surface of the keel component in both a sagittal plane and a frontal plane. The curvature of the central bumper component corresponds to the curvature of the keel component. A holding assembly holds the keel component, the ankle component, and the central bumper component together, with the ankle component capable of rolling motion relative to the keel component in both the sagittal plane and the frontal plane. A dorsiflexion stop assembly may also be provided to control the amount of dorsiflexion.

Artificial foot and ankle

An impact reducing prosthetic pylon has a distal component which can be attached to a prosthetic foot and includes a housing within which the proximal component can slidably fit. A resilient bumper-like member formed of a foam is positioned within the housing and is compressed by the proximal component when the prosthesis is under a load. Relative rotation of the proximal and distal components is prevented, but a limited, resiliently damped rotation may be permitted.

Impact reducing prosthetic pylon

A knee mechanism for a lower limb prosthesis which maintains knee stability over an initial range of flexion and includes an upper member for connection to or forming part of the thigh component of a prosthesis, a lower member for connection to or forming part of the shin component of a prosthesis, and a slider and a crank connecting the upper member to the lower member. The locus of the instantaneous center of rotation of the mechanism is a curve which commences above the knee and posterior to the load line and which, over an initial range of flexion of the mechanism, moves continuously downwards and to the posterior, the curve being convex towards the posterior. The lower member, the slider and the crank preferably constitute a slider crank mechanism with the crank pivotally connected to the upper and lower members and the slider pivotally connected to the lower member and slidably connected to the upper member. At full extension the crank is inclined posteriorly and upwardly, with the pivotable connection with the upper member located below the pivotable connection with the lower member. The slider is located in a track which forms part of the upper member and may move with a rolling or sliding contact. The pivotal connection of the slider with the lower member is located posterior to the pivotal connection with the crank.

Knee mechanism for an artificial limb

An improved four-bar knee joint mechanism for use in knee disarticulation prosthesis is shown, including a coupler link forming a negative angle with the horizontal when said knee joint mechanism is in its stance position, an anterior link, a fixed link in a horizontal position when said knee joint is in the extended or stance position, and a posterior link, the dimensions of the links and the angle the coupler link makes with the horizontal being chosen to optimize the instant center of the mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, OH, United States of America

Sujatha Srinivasan