Modular Prosthetic Socket with Adjustable Connector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional prosthetic devices are costly, difficult to fabricate, and require specialized tools and facilities, making them inaccessible to many individuals, especially those with varying residual limb shapes and sizes, and they do not accommodate changes in limb volume over time.
Innovation Solution
A modular prosthesis system with an adjustable outer shell, inner liner, and connector that allows for customizable fit through directional and angular adjustments, accommodating differences in residual limb shape, circumference, and gait, using components like rocker bolt assemblies and deformable liners for comfort and support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional prosthetic devices are fabricated using traditional methods, then they provide structural integrity and functionality, but they are costly, difficult to fabricate, and require specialized tools and facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthetic device is divided into modular components including a socket component, a connector component, and a pylon component. Each module can be independently manufactured using standard tools and then assembled through simple connection mechanisms, eliminating the need for specialized fabrication facilities while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector component serves multiple functions: it connects the socket to the pylon, provides alignment adjustment capabilities, and enables easy assembly and disassembly. This multi-functionality reduces the number of specialized components needed, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining device functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional prosthetic devices are designed for specific residual limb shapes, then they provide precise fit for individual users, but they cannot accommodate variations in limb shape, circumference, and volume changes over time
Solution Approach 1:
The socket component incorporates adjustable features including removable shims and adjustable connectors that allow the fit to be dynamically modified as the residual limb changes shape or volume over time. This enables a single prosthesis to maintain precise fit throughout the user's rehabilitation and usage periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis includes adjustable parameters such as connector angles, socket positioning, and pylon alignment that can be modified to accommodate variations in residual limb characteristics. These parameter adjustments allow the device to adapt to different limb shapes and volumes without requiring custom fabrication.
3Ease of operation
If prosthetic devices require alignment adjustments after fabrication, then they can accommodate gait variations, but the adjustment process is time-consuming and requires specialized facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The connector component is pre-designed with multiple alignment positions and adjustment mechanisms that allow gait alignment to be modified simply by repositioning components rather than requiring complex realignment procedures. This preliminary design of adjustment capabilities enables quick modifications without specialized facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis includes user-adjustable features such as removable shims and repositionable connectors that can be easily modified by the user or provider without requiring specialized tools or facilities. This self-service capability significantly reduces adjustment time and eliminates the need for specialized alignment facilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of placing a prosthetic system over a residual limb, said method comprising the steps of: providing the prosthetic system; and placing an outer shell of the prosthetic system on the residual limb having an above-knee amputation, the outer shell at least partially surrounds the residual limb, an outer side and an inner side of the outer shell on opposite sides of the residual limb, an upper edge of the outer side above a greater trochanter, the inner side below a lowest edge of an ischium without being directly below the lowest edge of the ischium.