Prosthetic Liner With Pneumatic Piston for Socket Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prosthetic liner systems with passive vacuum sockets experience discomfort and instability due to centrifugal forces, leading to a loose fit and feeling of instability during movement, as the existing technologies fail to provide a secure and comfortable attachment.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic liner system incorporating a pneumatic piston on the outside, which creates negative pressure between the liner and socket through user movement, enhancing retention and comfort by evacuating air and preventing reverse flow, with a blocking element to increase negative pressure and a reversible attachment mechanism for adjustable fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a prosthetic liner is arranged between the prosthetic socket and the stump to increase comfort, then the comfort is improved, but the attachment stability deteriorates due to centrifugal forces causing a loose fit during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatic principles by creating a vacuum (negative pressure) environment between the prosthetic liner and socket. A vacuum pump removes air from the sealed space, generating suction that firmly attaches the liner to the socket, preventing loosening during movement while maintaining comfort through the intermediate liner layer
2Reliability
If mechanical locking elements are provided at the distal end of the prosthetic liner to attach to the prosthetic socket, then the attachment is secured, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical locking elements with a pneumatic vacuum attachment system. The vacuum pump creates negative pressure that uniformly secures the liner to the socket without requiring additional mechanical locking components, thereby maintaining reliable attachment while reducing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum system provides self-adjusting attachment that automatically adapts to variations in stump volume and liner positioning. The negative pressure self-regulates to maintain secure attachment without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms or locking elements
3Stability of the object's composition
If the prosthetic socket is designed to be narrower than the molded stump model to compensate for volume variations, then the fit is improved, but the discomfort and instability increase due to centrifugal forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses vacuum pneumatic pressure to compensate for the narrow socket design. The negative pressure generated by the vacuum pump creates uniform suction forces that distribute pressure evenly across the liner, preventing discomfort and instability caused by centrifugal forces while maintaining the secure fit provided by the narrower socket
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves a secure, self-regulating attachment that optimizes retention between the prosthetic socket and liner, reducing discomfort and instability, while allowing for easy adaptation to different sizes and misalignments, ensuring a stable and comfortable fit.
Implementation Method 1
the air present in the space between the prosthetic liner and the prosthetic socket is sucked or pressed out
Implementation Method 2
the air present in the space between the prosthetic liner and the prosthetic socket is sucked or pressed out
Implementation Method 3
Reverse flow is prevented by a non-return valve
Data Source
AI summary
A prosthetic liner for application on a stump, the prosthetic liner including an elastic base, which has a proximal opening for insertion of the stump a receiving space, and a distal end. At least one pneumatic piston is arranged on the outer face of the prosthetic liner.