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US 7,691,154 B2Granted
Systems and methods of controlling pressure within a prosthetic knee
AssigneeOssur Hf
InventorsSigurdur Asgeir Asgeirsson, Charles R. Bisbee, III, Henry H. Hsu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention in some embodiments relates to systems and methods of controlling pressure within a prosthetic knee. The knee in one embodiment comprises a flexible diaphragm that substantially prevents or mitigates undesirable pressure build-up in a sealed chamber of the knee. The knee in another embodiment comprises a compressible gas in the chamber that substantially prevents or mitigates undesirable pressure build-up in the chamber.
Claims20
A prosthetic knee, comprising:
- a chamber being at least partially filled with a magnetorheological fluid to control rotation of said prosthetic knee;
- a resilient solid diaphragm having a first side exposed to pressure within said chamber and an opposed second side exposed to ambient pressure with said first and second sides being substantially sealingly isolated from one another;
- wherein said diaphragm is configured to mitigate pressure build-up in said chamber and maintains said pressure within said chamber substantially the same as said ambient pressure;
- wherein said chamber contains a compressible gas in fluid communication with said fluid and said first side of said diaphragm;
- and
- wherein said gas is substantially intermediate said fluid and said first side of said diaphragm.
3 more elements
A prosthetic knee, comprising:
- a chamber being at least partially filled with a magnetorheological fluid to control rotation of said prosthetic knee;
- a resilient solid diaphragm having a first side exposed to pressure within said chamber and an opposed second side exposed to ambient pressure with said first and second sides being substantially sealingly isolated from one another;
- and
- a plurality of blades that shear said fluid;
- wherein said diaphragm is configured to mitigate pressure build-up in said chamber and maintains said pressure within said chamber substantially the same as said ambient pressure.
2 more elements
A prosthetic knee, comprising:
- a chamber being at least partially filled with a magnetorheological fluid to control rotation of said prosthetic knee;
- a resilient solid diaphragm having a first side exposed to pressure within said chamber and an opposed second side exposed to ambient pressure with said first and second sides being substantially sealingly isolated from one another;
- and
- a cap portion connected to said diaphragm, said cap portion having a passage in fluid communication with said second side of said diaphragm and exposed to said ambient pressure;
- wherein said diaphragm is configured to mitigate pressure build-up in said chamber and maintains said pressure within said chamber substantially the same as said ambient pressure.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.