The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 11, 2003
Filed:
May. 03, 2000
Chas. A. Blatchford & Sons Limited, Basingstoke, GB;
Abstract
A lower limb prosthesis for an above-knee amputee has an adaptive control system which includes a knee flexion control device arranged to resist flexion at the knee joint both hydraulically and pneumatically by means of a dual piston and cylinder assembly. Sensors arranged to sense knee bending moments and knee flexion angle provide electrical signals which are fed to a processing circuit for automatically adjusting the hydraulic and pneumatic resistance to flexion according to the activity mode of the amputee and, when walking, according to the speed of the cylinder containing hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic resistance to flexion predominates during the stance phase and pneumatic resistance predominates during the swing phase. Provision is made for programmable resistance during level walking, walking on an incline, descending stairs and during a stumble.