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:
Dec. 30, 2014
Filed:
May. 04, 2012
William A. Smith, Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Sergey Samorezov, Highland Hts., OH (US);
Brian L. Davis, Moreland Hills, OH (US);
Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Cleaveland Hts., OH (US);
William A. Smith, Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Sergey Samorezov, Highland Hts., OH (US);
Brian L. Davis, Moreland Hills, OH (US);
Antonie J. van den Bogert, Cleaveland Hts., OH (US);
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
An energy-storing prosthetic knee includes an upper leg structure and a lower leg structure hingedly connected to the upper leg structure. The lower and upper leg structures move pivotally relative to one another. A fluid actuator is operatively connected to the upper and lower leg structures such that relative pivotal movement of the upper and lower leg structures causes a fluid to flow in a predetermined manner within the fluid actuator. At least two controllable variable fluid flow resisting devices, an accumulator, and a control system are also provided. The control system is actuable to cause storage of the fluid energy for a predetermined length of time and release of the fluid energy at a predetermined time during the gait cycle. Both the storage and release of the fluid energy are variable by action of the control system without physical modification of other components of the prosthetic knee.