Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Leg – Socket holder
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-01
2003-07-08
McDermott, Corrine (Department: 3738)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Leg
Socket holder
C623S027000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06589288
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates generally to prosthetic devices and, more particularly, to a male coupling component, conventionally known as a “plunger pin,” extending from a sleeve or liner worn on the patient's residual limb that is adapted to lock within a female coupling component, conventionally known as a “shuttle lock,” which is mounted within the rigid socket assembly of the prosthetic limb.
FIG. 1
shows a prior art socket assembly for a prosthetic limb. The prior art socket assembly includes a rigid molded plastic socket
10
sized and shaped to receive the patient's residual limb therein, a locking device
12
(such as a “shuttle lock”) positioned at the distal end of the rigid socket
10
, interconnection components
14
for maintaining the lock
12
within the socket and for mounting other components of the prosthetic limb to the distal end of the socket, and a silicone sleeve
16
adapted to be snugly fitted on (rolled onto) the patient's residual limb. This silicone sleeve
16
includes a plate
18
molded therein having an internally threaded boss
20
extending therefrom. A plunger pin
22
includes a externally threaded proximal end
24
adapted to be attached to the internally threaded boss
20
of the attachment plate
18
and includes a racheted distal end
26
that is adapted to be received within the center hole
28
of the lock
12
and to be locked within the center hole by a spring-loaded pawl (not shown). An example of such a silicone sleeve
16
and plunger pin
22
combination is an Alpha® Locking Liner, commercially available from the Ohio Willow Wood Company, Mt. Sterling, Ohio.
To don the prosthetic limb, a patient will roll on or slip on the silicone sleeve
16
so that the plunger pin
22
extends distally from the patient's residual limb and will then insert the residual limb into the plastic socket
10
such that the plunger pin
22
engages with the lock
12
. To release the plunger pin
22
from the lock
12
, a button
30
on the lock is activated to remove the pawl from within the hole
28
, thereby releasing the racheted distal end
26
of the plunger pin from within the hole
28
.
There are two main factors that typically cause problems with the prior art plunger pin
22
and lock
12
engagement. They are: 1) the patient has donned their locking liner
16
in a way that the plunger pin
22
is not oriented truly vertical from the center distal aspect of their limb, and 2) the lock
22
has inadvertently (during fabrication, for example) been positioned in the distal end of the socket
10
at an angle and/or dimensional offset from the distal center point. In the first case, the patient will have to re-don their locking liner
16
until the plunger pin
22
is vertical and centered on the distal end. In the second case, the socket
10
may need to be refabricated, thus positioning the lock
12
more neutrally or centered and perpendicular to the vertical axis of the limb.
SUMMARY
The present invention provides an improved plunger pin that, in an exemplary embodiment, has multiple levels of adjustability, including rotatable, pivotal and lateral adjustability. The present invention also provides a locking liner or sleeve incorporating such an adjustable plunger pin.
A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a male coupling assembly for locking engagement with a locking device of a prosthetic limb that includes: (a) a housing having an internal cavity and a center-hole extending into its distal end, communicating with the internal cavity; and (b) a cradle retained within the cavity, having a distal-facing outer surface that is laterally slidable with respect to the proximal-facing inner surface of the cavity, and the cradle including (c) a male coupling component (such as a plunger pin, for example) extending distally therefrom, where the male coupling component is adapted to be coupled to a female locking component (such as a shuttle lock, for example) of a prosthetic limb socket assembly, and further where the male coupling component extends distally through the center-hole of the housing. Therefore, cradle, and, in turn, the male coupling component is provided with, at least, multiple degrees of lateral adjustability with respect to the housing.
In a more detailed embodiment, the cradle includes a center-hole extending axially therethrough and the male coupling component includes a ball positioned on a proximal end thereof, where the ball has a diameter larger than the diameter of the center hole of the cradle, and where the ball of the male coupling component is seated in the center hole of the cradle to provide a ball joint coupling between the cradle and the male coupling component. Therefore, the male coupling component also has multiple degree of rotational and/or pivotal adjustability. In a further detailed embodiment, the male coupling assembly further includes a resilient shock absorber operatively incorporated between a male coupling component and the housing. In a more detailed embodiment, the resilient shock absorber is positioned, at least partially, between the proximal end of the male coupling component and the inner distal-facing surface of the cavity. In a further detailed embodiment, this resilient shock absorber is a cushion. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the distal-facing outer surface of the cradle has a substantially is domed shape and the proximal-facing inner surface of the cavity has a complimentary concave shape.
In an alternate detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the distal-facing outer surface of the cradle has a substantially domed shape and the proximal-facing inner surface of the cavity has a complimentary concave shape.
In another alternate detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the male coupled assembly further includes a fastener extending from a proximal end of the housing, which is adapted to releasably mount the male coupling assembly to a distal end of a liner, sleeve or socket worn on a patient's residual limb. In a more detailed embodiment, the fastener is an externally threaded boss that is adapted to be threaded into an internally threaded nut or projection extending from a plate integrally molded within, or otherwise attached to the liner, sleeve or socket worn on the patient's residual limb.
In another alternate detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the housing of the male coupling assembly is integrally molded within the liner, sleeve or socket that is adapted to be worn on the patient's residual limb.
In yet another alternate detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the housing includes a threaded outer circumferential surface that is adapted to be threaded into a threaded inner circumferential surface of a cavity extending into a distal end of the liner, sleeve or socket that is adapted to be worn on the patient's residual limb.
In yet another alternate detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention the male coupling component is a shaft having a plurality of tapered annular ribs longitudinally distributed therealong, where the annular ribs taper towards the distal end of the shaft. Therefore, the male coupling component is a plunger pin adapted for engagement with a spring-loaded pawl of the female locking component. In a further detailed embodiment, the cradle includes a center hole extending axially therethrough and the shaft of the male coupling component includes a ball positioned on a proximal end thereof, the ball has a diameter larger than the diameter of the center hole of the cradle, and the ball is seated in the center hole of the cradle to provide a ball joint coupling between the cradle and the shaft of the male coupling component. Therefore, the male coupling component is provided with multiple degrees of rotational and/or pivotal adjustability. In a further detailed embodiment, the male coupling assembly further includes a resilient shock absorber operatively incorporated betwee
McDowell Michael
Schall Scott R.
Slemker Tracy C.
Steinbarger Steve
McDermott Corrine
Prosthetic Design, Inc.
Stewart Alvin
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
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