Pulsating pressure chamber and method for fluid management

An apparatus for securing a prosthesis to the residuum of a limb of an amputee and for providing pressure therapy to the residuum, the apparatus comprising:

• a socket shaped to receive a residuum of a limb of an amputee and configured to also be connected to a prosthetic limb, wherein the socket is also shaped to form a chamber between an inner surface of the socket and the residuum when the residuum has been received within the socket;
• and
• a pressure control device operably connected to the chamber, which creates positive pressure and negative pressure within the chamber for providing pressure therapy to the residuum received within the socket, wherein the pressure control device is configured to adjust the pressure in the chamber based on input from sensors that sense at least one of location of the residuum, location of a liner on the residuum, temperature of the residuum, temperature of a liner on the residuum, and blood gas within tissue of the residuum.

An apparatus for securing a prosthesis to the residuum of a limb of an amputee and for providing pressure therapy to the residuum, comprising:

• means for receiving a residuum of a limb of an amputee and connecting the residuum to a prosthetic limb, wherein the receiving and connecting means forms a chamber between an inner surface of the receiving and connecting means and the residuum when the residuum has been received by the means for receiving;
• and
• means for controlling fluid pressure within the chamber, which creates positive fluid pressure and negative fluid pressure within the chamber to provide pressure therapy to the residuum received within the means for receiving, wherein the means for controlling pressure is programmed to oscillate the positive and negative pressures at a predetermined amplitude and frequency.

An apparatus for securing a prosthesis to the residuum of a limb of an amputee and for providing pressure therapy to the residuum, comprising:

• means for receiving a residuum of a limb of an amputee and connecting the residuum to a prosthetic limb, wherein the receiving and connecting means forms a chamber between an inner surface of the receiving and connecting means and the residuum when the residuum has been received by the means for receiving;
• and
• means for controlling fluid pressure within the chamber, which creates positive fluid pressure and negative fluid pressure within the chamber to provide pressure therapy to the residuum received within the means for receiving, wherein the means for controlling pressure is configured to adjust the pressure in the chamber based on input from sensors that sense at least one of location of the residuum, location of a liner on the residuum, temperature of the residuum, temperature of a liner on the residuum, and blood gas within tissue of the residuum.

A method for securing a prosthesis to the residuum of a limb of an amputee and for providing pressure therapy to the residuum when the amputee is using a prosthetic limb, the method comprising:

• placing a socket onto a residuum of a lower limb of an amputee, wherein the socket is shaped to receive the residuum and is configured to connect to a prosthetic lower limb, and wherein the socket is also shaped to form a chamber between an inner surface of the socket and the residuum when the residuum has been received within the socket;
• and
• controlling a change between positive and negative pressure within the chamber to provide pressure therapy to the residuum by oscillating the positive and negative pressures at a predetermined amplitude and frequency.