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US 9,259,332 B2Granted
Prosthetic vacuum system
AssigneeLincolnshire Manufacturing LLC
InventorsMorris J Danzig, Harry David Bush, Donald Ray McKinney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved prosthetic device with a vacuum system for maintaining a negative pressure seal between the socket and the residual limb. The vacuum system includes a vacuum surge chamber which maintains seal vacuum and increases battery life. The system is small, lightweight, and concealable within the prosthetic device so that it neither impedes use of the device nor detracts from a cosmetically accurate limb.
Claims21
A vacuum system for maintaining a negative pressure in a cavity between a socket of a prosthetic device and a residual limb on which the prosthetic device is attached, the vacuum system comprising:
- a concealable vacuum surge chamber comprised of a sealed reservoir having a volume capacity in the range of about 1.0 to about 1.75 cubic inches,
- a vacuum pump,
- a power source,
- tubing,
- tubing connectors, and
- means for sensing pressure and actuating the system, wherein,
- a. the cavity is operatively connected to the surge chamber and the vacuum pump with the tubing and tubing connectors;
- b. the means for sensing pressure and actuating the system comprises a pressure sensor which is operatively associated with one of the cavity and the surge chamber,
- i. said sensor being capable of triggering an actuation event when the negative pressure decays to a predetermined differential from atmospheric pressure to actuate the vacuum pump to increase the negative pressure in the cavity,
- ii. said sensor being capable of triggering an actuation event when the negative pressure reaches a predetermined threshold to de-activate the vacuum pump;
- c. said vacuum surge chamber being concealed in a component of the prosthetic device so that it neither impedes use of the device nor detracts from a cosmetically accurate limb.
8 more elements
A vacuum system for maintaining a negative pressure in a cavity between a socket of a prosthetic device and a residual limb on which the prosthetic device is attached, the vacuum system comprising:
- a vacuum surge chamber comprising a sealed reservoir having a volume capacity in the range of about 1.0 to about 1.75 cubic inches,
- a vacuum pump,
- a power source,
- tubing and tubing connectors, and
- a circuit board operatively connected to a pressure sensor for sensing pressure and actuating the system, wherein,
- a. the cavity is operatively connected to the surge chamber and the vacuum pump with the tubing and tubing connectors;
- b. the pressure sensor is operatively associated with one of the cavity and the surge chamber,
- i. said sensor sends a signal to the circuit board when the negative pressure decays to a predetermined differential from atmospheric pressure to actuate the vacuum pump to increase the negative pressure in the cavity,
- ii. said sensor triggers an actuation event when the negative pressure reaches a predetermined threshold to de-activate the vacuum pump;
- c. said vacuum surge chamber is concealed in one of a shoe insert or in a hollow portion of a leg pipe of a prosthetic device, so that it neither impedes use of the device nor detracts from a cosmetically accurate limb.
7 more elements
A prosthetic device comprising:
- a cosmetically accurate limb for extension from a residual limb of a user to a prosthetic foot,
- a vacuum system for maintaining a negative pressure in a cavity between a socket of a prosthetic device and a residual limb on which the prosthetic device is attached, the vacuum system comprising:
- a vacuum surge chamber comprising a sealed reservoir having a volume capacity in the range of about 1.0 to about 1.75 cubic inches,
- a vacuum pump,
- a power source,
- tubing and tubing connectors, and
- a circuit board operatively connected to a pressure sensor for sensing pressure and actuating the system, wherein,
- a. the cavity is operatively connected to the surge chamber and the vacuum pump with the tubing and tubing connectors;
- b. the pressure sensor is operatively associated with one of the cavity and the surge chamber,
- i. said sensor sends a signal to the circuit board when the negative pressure decays to a predetermined differential from atmospheric pressure to actuate the vacuum pump to increase the negative pressure in the cavity,
- ii. said sensor triggers an actuation event when the negative pressure reaches a predetermined threshold to de-activate the vacuum pump;
- c. said vacuum surge chamber is concealed in one of a shoe insert in a hollow portion of a leg pipe of a prosthetic device, so that it neither impedes use of the device nor detracts from a cosmetically accurate limb.
9 more elements
A prosthetic device comprising:
- an artificial limb for extension from a residual limb of a user to a prosthetic foot,
- a vacuum system for maintaining a negative pressure in a cavity defined between a socket attached to the artificial limb and the residual limb on which the prosthetic device is attached, the vacuum system comprising:
- a vacuum surge chamber comprising a sealed reservoir having a volume capacity in the range of about 1.0 to about 1.75 cubic inches,
- a vacuum pump,
- a power source,
- tubing and tubing connectors, and
- a pressure sensor for sensing pressure within the cavity and actuating the system,
- wherein the cavity is operatively connected to the surge chamber and the vacuum pump with the tubing and tubing connectors and the sensor triggers an actuation event when a negative pressure in the cavity reaches a predetermined threshold to de-activate the vacuum pump.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.