• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.283-289
• /
• 2014

This paper presents a design and optimization of the fully-active transfemoral prosthesis leg system. As it has one degree of freedom in knee joint, this prosthesis leg can imitate the human's gait. The weight of system, which makes the users more comfortable due to less tiredness, and the knee joint torque to rise stability of the system are major factors of prosthesis leg system. Thus the mechanism of prosthesis changes from 3-linkage type to geared type. The sensorized foot is also designed to effectively determine human's gait by measuring deformation of the foot during gait. Topology optimization is carried out for the sensorized foot to remove its unnecessary weight. The safety of optimized foot is verified by carrying out finite element analysis.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.30-33
• /
• 2008

Understanding the characteristics of amputee gait is key in developing more advanced prostheses. The aim of this study was to quantitatively analyze a stair-climbing task for transfemoral amputees with a prosthesis and to predict the muscle forces and joint moments at musculoskeletal joints using a dynamic analysis. A three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the lower extremities was constructed from a gait analysis using transformation software for two transfemoral amputees and ten healthy people. The measured ground reaction forces and kinematical data of each joint from the gait analysis were used as input data for an inverse dynamic analysis. Dynamic analyses of an transfemoral amputee climbing stairs were performed using musculoskeletal models. The results showed that the summed muscle forces of the hip extensor of an amputated leg were greater than those of a sound leg. The opposite was true at the hip abductor and knee flexor of an amputated leg. We also found that higher moments at the hip and knee joints of the sound leg were required to overcome the flexion moment caused by the body weight and amputated leg. Dynamic analyses using musculoskeletal models may be a useful means to predict muscle forces and joint moments for specific motion tasks related to rehabilitation therapy.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.685-694
• /
• 2001

In this study, a transfemoral prosthesis system of which both stance phase and swing phase are controllable has been developed for the recovery of the biomechanical function of the amputated leg. It consists of a 5 bar link mechanism, a hydraulic-rubber knee damper for stance phase control and a pneumatic cylinder controlled via a microprocessor for stance phase control. The mechanical characteristics of the knee damper which absorbs the impact energy generated at the heel contact were investigated. The characteristics of the pneumatic cylinder essential for the speed adaptation of the prosthesis during swing phase were also studied for its mechanical characteristics. The prosthesis was subject to the clinical tests, and the gait characteristics obtained were very close to those of normal subjects. The stance and swing controlled prosthesis that were developed in this study showed good stability during the stance phase and showed good controllability during the swing phase.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2000.11a
• /
• pp.504-509
• /
• 2000

In this study, a transfemoral prosthesis system of which stance phase and swing phase are controlled during walking has been developed for the recovery of the biomechanical function of the amputated leg. It consists of a 5 bar link mechanism, a hydraulic-rubber knee damper for stance phase control and a pneumatic cylinder controlled via a microprocessor for stance phase control. The mechanical characteristics and behaviour of the knee damper which absorbs the impact energy generated at the heel contact was investigated. The characteristics of the pneumatic cylinder essential for the speed adaptation of the prosthesis during swing phase was also studied for its mechanical characteristics. The prosthesis was subject to the clinical test ant the gait characteristics obtained were very close to those of normal. The stance and swing controlled prosthesis that were developed in this study showed good stability during the stance phase and showed good controllability during the swing phase.