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:
Jan. 06, 2004
Filed:
Nov. 28, 2001
Adam Soss, St. Paul, MN (US);
David F. Ackley, Stacy, MN (US);
Other;
Abstract
A prosthetic leg having a knee joint assembly that includes a plunger-activated, three-chamber cylinder body, a control valve, a control valve actuator, a pylon shaft and artificial foot. The knee joint assembly rotates in a single axis and provides two-stage hydraulic gait control and shock absorption relative to two spring-biased pistons. A cam linkage and actuator valve having a moveable piston and piston chamber responds to knee flexion and switches fluid flow at the control valve and cylinder between a “soft” spring and a “hard” spring to provide two levels of adjustable control to stabilize the user. Alternative microprocessor directed electronic and hydraulic controllers are also disclosed that can be adapted to a knee assembly to sense myoelectric activity and rotation, strain, and/or linear movement of the prosthesis.