Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Leg
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-25
2001-06-05
Willse, David H. (Department: 3738)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Leg
C623S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241775
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A microfiche appendix containing Pascal language source code for specifying the components of an artificial limb consisting of 38 microfiche images on one microfiche card is filed herewith. A portion of the disclosure of the patent document is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owners have no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent & Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to a method of specifying the components of an artificial limb, a method of constructing such an artificial limb, and to apparatus for specifying the components.
An artificial limb comprises many components which must fit together correctly to ensure correct functioning of the limb. Components for a complete limb can be sourced from one or more manufacturers. In many cases, one manufacturer's product range can cover a diverse range of options and can be used with another manufacturer's products in the construction of a single limb. Thus, it can be a complicated and skilled job to select components which permit a limb to perform the required functions and which fit correctly together. Furthermore it is difficult accurately to estimate the cost of a complete limb prior to construction since errors in its specification may not be realised until construction is attempted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and means of specifying the components which make up an artificial limb.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of specifying the components of an artificial limb, comprising the steps of providing at least one logical unit table arranged to contain data relating to a class of the components; providing a plurality of component records located in said at least one logical unit table, in which each of said component records is arranged to hold data relating to a respective plurality of components of the same class, and in which at least one of said component records relates to a generic component; providing for said at least one generic component record an associated set of specific component records and at least two option lists, each of which lists relates to a defined characteristic of the component of the associated generic component record; in which the user selects an option from each list; and in which a unique specific component record is identified from said associated set thereof that is compatible with each selected option.
An artificial limb may be constructed from individual components associated with component records as specified in accordance with the first said aspect of the invention.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of specifying the components of an artificial limb, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of logical unit tables arranged to contain data relating to respective classes of the components; providing a plurality of component records located in at least one of the logical unit tables, in which each of said component records is arranged to hold data relating to a respective plurality of components of the same class, and in which at least one of said component records relates to a generic component; providing for said at least one generic component record an associated set of specific component records and at least two option lists, each of which lists relates to a defined characteristic of the component of the associated generic component record; in which the user selects an option from each list; and in which a unique specific component record is identified from said associated set thereof that is compatible with each selected option; providing an interface field for each respective component record, said interface fields being arranged to hold data relating to an interface of the component to which the respective component record relates; and generating a list of compatible component records from at least one logical unit table other than the logical unit table containing the said identified specific component record, the said compatible component records being compatible with the said identified specific component record taking account of the data held in the interface fields of the said identified specific component record and the component records in said other logical unit table.
An artificial limb may be constructed from individual components associated with component records as specified in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, to include the specific component to which the or each identified specific component record relates and at least one component to which a compatible component record relates.
A plurality of sets of selectable option lists may advantageously be provided for the or each generic component record, and a specific component record may be identified from each of said sets.
It may be arranged that the specific component record or records available for selection in one or more of the sets of selectable option lists is dependent upon which specific component record has already been identified from one or more other of said sets of selectable option lists or other component record.
It is to be understood that more than one of the component records may relate to a respective generic component. Accordingly, option lists and specific component records, and their associated specific components, may be available for each generic component record.
In this way, where a component record generically relates to a general description of a component, one or more subsets thereof can be specifically identified. A subset may, for example, relate to a specific size, or a specific manufacturer, or a specific material, or a left-or-right-sided component. The selection procedure may involve the user being presented with a set of options, specific components, for selection, or being asked questions, the answers to which are used in the determination of the specific component. It will be appreciated that identification selection of one specific component may effect, for example restrict, the range of other components that are compatible therewith. Accordingly, the selection procedure may respond to the selection of a specific component by varying the selection available for specifying in respect of an associated component of the limb.
The classes of components in an above-knee prosthesis will typically be a socket, an alignment mechanism, a shin/knee component, an ankle component, a foot and a cosmesis. Once a component record has been selected, which might for example be from the logical unit related to the shin component class, a list of compatible component records relating to the class of ankle components may be generated. Since the information held in the interface fields relating to the particular shin component has been taken into account when generating the list, the list will only include component records relating to ankle components which can be connected to the chosen shin component. For other amputation levels different classes of component may be selected.
Preferably a further component record is selected from the generated list and a further list of compatible component records is generated based on the further component record. This may for example be a list of feet that can be connected to the chosen ankle component. By repeating this process, to select a component from each class i.e. from each logical unit table, a complete limb may be specified and then constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Preferably the method includes selecting a further component record from the first list, generating a further list of compatible component records based on the further component record and repeating the selection and list generation steps until the required number of components have been specified.
Typically the method includes providing an interface table and furthe
Chas. A. Blatchford & Sons Ltd.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Willse David H.
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