Device with a wall designed to tightly enclose a body part

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10292841-B2
Application number	US-201214233624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2012
Priority date	Jul 20, 2011
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

A device with a wall ( 6 ) designed to tightly enclose a body part is made of an electrically non-conductive material ( 9 ) and has a shape adapted to the body part or adapting thereto as a result of the elasticity of the wall, wherein an inner face ( 7 ) of the wall ( 6 ) comes to bear on the skin ( 14 ) of the body part, and the inner face ( 7 ) is provided with at least one electrically conductive portion ( 4 ) which, in order to transmit electrical signals from or to the skin ( 14 ) of the body part, is arranged all the way through the electrically non-conductive material ( 9 ) of the wall ( 6 ), permits reliable transmission of electrical signals with a simple design of the liner, by virtue of the fact the electrically conductive portion ( 4 ) is covered by the electrically non-conductive material ( 9 ) and is connected to at least one conductor ( 5, 5 ′) passing through the electrically non-conductive material ( 9 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liner configured for use between a body part and an inner surface of a prosthetic socket, the liner comprising:
a tubular shaped wall having a closed distal end and a side wall, the tubular shaped wall configured to tightly enclose the body part on an exterior of a wearer, the wall comprising an electrically nonconductive material and a shape which is adapted to the body part or adapts thereto by virtue of an elasticity of the tubular shaped wall;
wherein the tubular shaped wall is configured to bear on a skin surface of the body part via an inner face, and the inner face is provided with at least one electrically conductive section, the at least one electrically conductive section being arranged on the side wall to transmit electrical signals from or to the skin of the body part through the electrically nonconductive material;
wherein the at least one electrically conductive section is integrated into and surrounded by the electrically nonconductive material except along the inner face and is connected to at least one conductor, the at least one conductor passing internal the electrically nonconductive material from the at least one electrically conductive section to the closed distal end;
an amplifier circuit which is covered by the nonconductive material of the tubular shaped wall is connected by at least one terminal of the amplifier circuit to the conductive section, and is arranged directly on the conductive section, and at least one other terminal of the amplifier circuit is connected to the at least one conductor;
a surface-wide electrically conductive layer positioned on an outer surface of the tubular shaped wall opposite the electrically conductive section and the at least one conductor, the outer surface being arranged opposite the inner face, the surface-wide electrically conductive layer is arranged to guard the electrically conductive section and the at least one conductor against interference signals.

2. The liner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductor is formed integrally with the at least one electrically conductive section.

3. The liner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrically conductive section is connected to a separate conductor laid in the nonconductive material.

4. The liner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductor comprises metal.

5. The liner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface-wide electrically conductive layer is formed so that the surface-wide electrically conductive layer can be connected to a terminal of an electricity supply.

6. The liner as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the surface-wide electrically conductive layer is arranged for connection to a ground potential of the electricity supply.

7. The liner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the amplifier circuit has at least one transistor.

8. The liner as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the amplifier circuit is formed by a field-effect transistor (FET) with its terminals.

9. The liner as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one transistor is a field-effect transistor (FET).

10. The liner as claimed claim 1 , wherein the nonconductive material of the tubular shaped wall is a hydrophobic material.

11. The liner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrically conductive section consists of a hydrophilic material.

12. The liner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface-wide electrically conductive layer is positioned on the outer surface along at least the side wall and closed distal end.

13. The liner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface-wide electrically conductive layer is positioned on the outer surface from at least the at least one electrically conductive section to the closed distal end.

14. The liner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface-wide electrically conductive layer is electrically insulated from the at least one electrically conductive section and the at least one conductor.

15. A liner configured for use between a body part and an inner surface of a prosthetic socket, the liner comprising:
a tubular shaped wall configured to tightly enclose the body part on an exterior of a wearer, the tubular shaped wall comprising:
a closed distal end;
a side wall;
an electrically nonconductive material;
at least one conductor extending internal the electrically nonconductive material to the closed distal end;
an inner face arranged to contact a skin surface of the body part;
an outer surface arranged opposite the inner face;
an electrically conductive section integrated into and surrounded by the electrically nonconductive material except along the inner face at the side wall, the electrically conductive section being connected to the at least one conductor;
a wall shape which adapts to a shape of the body part by an elastic property of the tubular shaped wall;
a surface-wide electrically conductive material positioned on the outer surface opposite the electrically conductive section and the at least one conductor, the surface-wide electrically conductive layer being insulated from the electrically conductive section and the at least one conductor and arranged to guard the electrically conductive section and the at least one conductor against interference signals;
wherein the electrically conductive section is configured to transmit electrical signals from or to the skin of the body part through the electrically nonconductive material of the tubular shaped wall;

a plug appendage at the closed distal end of the tubular shaped wall, wherein at least one of the electrically conductive section and the at least one conductor extends within the electrically non-conductive material to the plug appendage at the closed distal end.

16. The liner as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one conductor is formed integrally with the electrically conductive section.

17. The liner as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the electrically conductive section is connected to a second conductor that is separate from the at least one conductor and positioned in the nonconductive material.

18. The liner as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the second conductor comprises metal.

19. The liner as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the tubular shaped wall further comprises an amplifier circuit which is covered by the nonconductive material of the tubular shaped wall, is connected by at least one terminal to the electrically conductive section, and is arranged directly on the electrically conductive section, and at least one other terminal of the amplifier circuit is connected to the at least one conductor.

20. The liner as claimed in claim 19 , wherein surface-wide electrically conductive layer is formed so that it can be connected to a terminal of an electricity supply.

21. The liner as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the surface-wide electrically conductive layer is arranged for connection to a ground potential of the electricity supply.

22. A device configured for use between a body part and an inner surface of a prosthetic socket, the device comprising:
a tubular shaped wall having a closed distal end, an inner face, an outer surface, and a side wall, the outer surface being arranged opposite the inner face, the tubular shaped wall configured to tightly enclose the body part on an exterior of a wearer, comprising an electrically nonconductive material and a shape which is adapted to the body part or adapts thereto by virtue of an elasticity of the tubular shaped wall;
wherein the tubular shaped wall

Assignees

• Mosler Lueder
• Graimann Bernhard
• Ottobock Se & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Mosler Lüder
• Graimann Bernhard

Classifications

• A61F2/7812 Primary

  Interface cushioning members placed between the limb stump and the socket, e.g. bandages or stockings for the limb stump · CPC title

• A61F2/72

  Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric · CPC title

• A61F2002/6827

  Feedback system for providing user sensation, e.g. by force, contact or position · CPC title

• A61F2002/5056

  Laminates, i.e. layered products · CPC title

• A61N1/0452

  Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS] · CPC title