Attachment system for prosthesis

Abstract

An attachment system secures a residual limb to an artificial limb in a comfortable and substantially non-rotational manner. The attachment system offers proximal anchoring of the residual limb in a hard socket, by connecting a side surface of a residual limb liner to the side surface of the socket. Preferably, this connection is accomplished using an extension member extending from the liner through a portion of the socket interior, through the socket wall, and attaching to a latch mechanism. The preferred attachment system requires no clearance in the bottom of the socket well because neither the extension member nor the latch mechanism is located between the distal end of the residual limb/liner and the bottom of the well. The attachment system is preferably disposed entirely along the side of the limb and the side of the socket.

1 . An attachment system for a prosthesis comprising: 
 a prosthesis having a socket with a side wall surrounding and defining an interior well for receiving a user's residual limb, the socket having a proximal end, a distal end, a midway location halfway between said proximal end and said distal end, and a longitudinal dimension between said proximal end and said distal end;    a roll-on liner adapted to attach to a user's residual limb by surrounding the residual limb, the roll-on liner being received in the socket;    an extension member passing from the roll-on liner through an aperture in the socket side wall between the proximal end and the midway location and connecting to a lock that is outside the socket between the proximal end and said midway location.    
   
   
       2 . An attachment system according to  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of said extension members spaced at various radial positions around the liner.  
   
   
       3 . An attachment system according to  claim 1 , wherein said roll-on liner has a distal end and a proximal region, and wherein the extension member is attached to said proximal region.  
   
   
       4 . An attachment system according to  claim 3 , comprising a plurality of said extension members spaced at various radial positions around the liner, wherein at least one of said extension members is located at a lateral position on said proximal region and at least one of said extension members is located at a medial position on said proximal region.  
   
   
       5 . An attachment system according to  claim 1 , wherein said lock is a latch mechanism on said outer side surface of the socket, and wherein said extension member has a proximal end attached to a proximal region of said roll-on liner and a distal end releaseably locked in said latch mechanism.  
   
   
       6 . An attachment system as in  claim 1 , wherein said lock comprises a pivotal arm and a bias member, and the extension member further comprises a strap having transverse teeth in its upper surface and detents between said teeth, wherein the strap slides through the lock and is retained in the lock by the pivotal arm being biased into said detents.  
   
   
       7 . An attachment system as in  claim 6 , wherein said pivotal arm has a pivot axis and extends distally from said pivot axis and is adapted to be pivoted away from said socket to release the strap from the lock  
   
   
       8 . An attachment system as in  claim 1 , wherein the extension member further comprises a strap with a longitudinal axis, a width transverse to the longitudinal axis, and an extension at a distal end of the strap, the extension having a width that is less than half of the width of the strap.  
   
   
       9 . An attachment system as in  claim 8 , wherein said extension has a longitudinal channel with a ramped bottom wall.  
   
   
       10 . An attachment system for a prosthesis, comprising: 
 a liner adapted to fit over the residual limb of a user, said liner having a proximal region and a distal end, and an outside surface adapted to extend circumferentially all the way around the residual limb;    a strap secured to the proximal region of said liner's outside surface, said strap extending towards the distal end of said liner;    a socket for fitting over said liner and said residual limb, said socket having a proximal end and a distal end, a midway location half way between the proximal end and the distal end, an inside surface, and an outside surface;    an aperture in said socket for allowing said strap to pass from the inside surface of the socket to the outside surface of the socket, said aperture being placed between the proximal end and said midway location on said socket; and    a lock mechanism on the outside surface of said socket for receiving and securing said strap.    
   
   
       11 . An attachment system according to  claim 10  wherein said strap has a plurality of transverse detents on the top surface thereof.  
   
   
       12 . An attachment system according to  claim 11  wherein said lock mechanism comprises a buckle device with a spring-biased lever with a sharp edge for engaging one of said transverse detents.  
   
   
       13 . An attachment system according to  claim 10  wherein said lock mechanism comprises an unlatching mechanism operable at a distal end of the lock mechanism.  
   
   
       14 . An attachment system according to  claim 10 , wherein said lock mechanism comprises a ratchet buckle with a lever at its distal end, the lever being pivotal into a latch position near the socket wherein it secures the strap in the lock mechanism, and pivotal into an unlatch position away from the socket wherein it release the strap to slide out of the lock mechanism.  
   
   
       15 . An attachment system according to  claim 10  comprising two of said straps and two of said latch mechanisms, wherein one strap and one cooperating latch mechanism are located laterally on the liner and socket, and wherein one strap and one latch mechanism are located medially on the liner and the socket.  
   
   
       16 . An attachment system for a prosthesis, comprising: 
 a liner adapted to fit over the residual limb of a user, said liner having a proximal region and a distal end, and an outside surface adapted to extend circumferentially all the way around the residual limb;    a socket for fitting over said liner and said residual limb, said socket having an interior well defined by a sidewall, and a socket proximal rend, a socket distal end, and a socket midway location half way between said proximal end and said distal end;    a strap secured to said the proximal region of the liner, said strap extending towards the distal end of said liner and into said interior well;    a lock mechanism on said sidewall between said midway location and said proximal end of the socket for receiving and securing said strap, so that the prosthesis is suspended from the liner by the strap.    
   
   
       17 . The attachment system of  claim 16 , wherein the liner is adapted to create a suction suspension with the socket sidewall.