Rotating Prosthetic Pump Mechanism for Vacuum Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing prosthetic devices face challenges in securely attaching to residual limbs, leading to discomfort, pain, and potential injury due to unpredictable vacuum generation and excessive weight, particularly with mechanical pumps that rely on user motion for negative pressure creation.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic system utilizing a pivoting or rotating mechanism at a joint to generate vacuum within the socket, reducing the need for user-applied force and minimizing bulk, with a pump mechanism that moves between configurations to draw and expel fluid, creating a consistent vacuum without the need for long tubes or complex compression cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical pump relying on user motion is used to generate vacuum, then the system can be lightweight and simple, but the vacuum generation becomes unpredictable and inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The pump mechanism utilizes dynamic motion of the prosthetic limb during normal use to drive vacuum generation. The pump components are positioned and configured to be actuated by the natural movement and weight-bearing actions of the user's residual limb, converting previously wasted motion into useful work for creating negative pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the user's own body weight and movement to power the pump mechanism without requiring external power sources or additional user effort. The weight-bearing action of the limb automatically drives the pump components to generate vacuum, making the system self-powered and eliminating the need for batteries or motors.
2Weight of moving object
If a mechanical pump is used to generate vacuum, then the system can be simple, but the pump becomes bulky and significantly increases the weight of the prosthetic limb
Solution Approach 1:
The pump mechanism is divided into multiple discrete components including a piston, cylinder, check valves, and connecting elements that can be distributed throughout the prosthetic structure. This segmentation allows the vacuum generation function to be integrated into existing structural elements rather than adding a separate bulky pump assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump mechanism components are merged with the structural elements of the prosthetic limb. The cylinder and piston are integrated into the limb structure, and the check valves are incorporated into existing fluid passages, combining the vacuum generation function with the load-bearing structure to eliminate additional weight.
3Loss of time
If the pump mechanism is located far from the socket, then the system can be simplified, but fluid transport time increases and leaks become more likely
Solution Approach 1:
The pump mechanism is positioned and configured to begin vacuum generation as soon as the limb makes contact with the ground during the weight-bearing phase. The check valves and fluid passages are pre-configured to immediately draw fluid from the socket, eliminating delays between weight-bearing initiation and vacuum generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump mechanism is extracted from distant locations and repositioned to be in direct proximity to the socket. This extraction of the pump from remote positions and placement near the fluid source eliminates long fluid transport pathways, reducing leak risks and accelerating vacuum generation.
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 provides a secure, consistent vacuum attachment with reduced discomfort and weight burden, enhancing proprioception and reducing the risk of injury by using a lightweight, low-profile design that integrates the pump mechanism closer to the socket, minimizing leaks and volume fluctuations.
Implementation Method 1
The pump system can thus generate a vacuum in a socket using a pivoting or rotating movement between the first and second parts
Implementation Method 2
When a load is applied to the prosthetic system, the support member flexes or bends, which, in turn, causes a movable member of the pump system to pivot or rotate about the joint
Data Source
AI summary
A prosthetic system includes first and second parts rotatable relative to one another about a joint. The first and second parts are adapted to form at least part of a weight bearing connection between a prosthetic foot and a socket. A pump system includes a pump mechanism operatively connected to the first and second parts. Rotation of the first part and/or the second part about the joint moves the pump mechanism between an original configuration in which the volume of a fluid chamber defined by the pump mechanism is zero or near-zero, and an expanded configuration in which the volume of the fluid chamber is increased.