KNEE MODULE Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC A61F2/64 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention concerns medical equipment, namely artificial organs and aims at prosthetics of lower limbs. A knee module contains a knee joint and an attached brake assembly. The knee joint comprises an upper part of the joint, a middle of the knee joint, a lower part of the joint, a pivot centre, a hinge axis rigidly connected with one part of the joint. The pivot centre is parallel, ventral and distal with respect to the hinge axis. The brake assembly includes a closed spacer chamber that concentrically envelopes at least partially the hinge axis of the knee joint along the perimetre. Said chamber is filled with a brake fluid and provided in the middle of the knee joint, and divided with the axis of the knee joint on the interconnected flexion and extension cavities. The hinge axis represents a hydropiston. Besides the module comprises a pneumatic mechanical assembly that adjusts swing phase and is attached to the knee joint, with its upper and lower parts. The middle of the knee joint with the provided spacer chamber is rigidly connected to the pivot centre which is located from the extension side within the middle of the knee joint. The hinge axis comprises a fixed hydropiston and is rigidly connected to the lower part of the joint. The middle of the knee joint with the spacer chamber is provided to rotate about the hinge axis that conditions the volume change of the flexion and extension cavities. The upper part of the joint from the extension side is established on the pivot centre to swing and envelope the middle of the knee joint towards flexion; and from flexion side it envelopes, contacts and actuates under compressive force a brake valve mechanism provided in the middle of the knee joint. Besides said upper part is connected from flexion side with the pneumatic mechanical assembly. The flexion and extension cavities of the spacer chambers are interconnected with a channel that passes from the extension cavity within a junction of the fixed hydropiston to the internal surface of the spacer chamber, through the brake valve mechanism that blocks the channel under compressive force, through the middle of the knee joint towards the flexion cavity. In the hydropiston which functions as the hinge axis, there is formed channel that also joins the cavities of the spacer chambers wherein a brake adjusting mechanism is established, and which is connected to the channel that joins the flexion and extension cavities.

EFFECT: higher adaptability to the swing phase adjustment.

19 cl, 3 dwg