Biarticular energy-recovering transfemoral prosthesis for trip prevention and sit-to-stand assistance

The invention is a prosthetic leg for above-knee amputees that helps prevent tripping and provides support for strenuous movments. The design harvests energy from walking to further lift the foot and decrease the risk of tripping. The invention also harvests energy during the sitting motion and uses it to power the leg when the user stands up.

The prosthesis is unpowered and lightweight, with polycentric joints and a single pneumatic actuator. The actuator harvests, stores, and releases energy in both tension and in compression and is biarticular, allowing it to power both the knee and the ankle. The invention's unique geometry allows it to exert forces at the joints that can mimic the muscle forces produced in a healthy leg during specific movments. The technology is currently designed to mimic leg forces during sitting and standing, but could also be tuned to mimic leg forces of other movements. While walking, the invention harvests energy from the leg's momentum and uses it to lift the foot higher off the ground during swing, increasing toe clearance. This decreases the chance of tripping and greatly increases walking safety, especially among the elderly and impaired who fall more frequently and can sustain serious injureies from a fall. The combination of these two functions makes the invention ideal for low-mobility prosthetic users.

The invention is currently at TLR 3, and the authors are seeking commercial partners who are interested in continuing the invention's development and bringing it to market, or who would wish to implement this technology under a license.