PNEUMATIC FOOT OF PROSTHESIS FOR LOWER LIMB Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: medical engineering; prosthetics for missing limbs. SUBSTANCE: invention resides in the following: pneumatic filler of artificial foot's heel cooperates during supporting phase of patient's step with foot's shape-forming casing and framework which casing is mounted in support assembly and transmits onto it and further on onto carrying structure of shin supporting reaction of resting on heel. Spherical shape of foot's chamber ensures required rising elastic resistance to load during resting on foot's heel region. Locking devices of pneumatic fillers are grouped together on foot's upper platform. Volume and pressure in chambers are adjusted in process of adjusting prosthesis to make it suited to patient's individual specific features and they are restored in process of operation by pumping additional air. Locking device permits to perform this operation repeatedly during entire period of foot's operation, while ensuring reliable sealing of pneumatic fillers. Pneumatic foot is offered in market with complete, or partial set of pneumatic fillers depending on user's specific requirements. Thus, some functional varieties of foot are provided only with pneumatic fillers in heel region in order to impart to foot only "elastic heel" property with control rigidity whereas other varieties are provided only with pneumatic fillers in rear region of foot in order to achieve good packing of foot in shoe. EFFECT: enhanced total structural rigidity in sagittal plane of foot. 2 cl, 5 dwg