Dual-Function Intelligent Prosthetic Foot

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的长期目标是开发假肢足技术，该技术可以为行走和站立任务提供不同的功能。虽然目前的假肢可以非常有效地完成特定的任务（例如走路、跑步或站立），但截肢者必须经常选择一种假肢来在所有日常活动中获得合理的良好表现。这导致了一种妥协，因为行走的生物力学要求与站立的不同。因为走路和站立是每天最常见的两种功能任务，双功能假肢脚可以在两种生物力学行为模式之间切换。提出的生物力学行为包括不同的足底形状和行走和站立的刚度。在行走过程中，脚有效地在地面上滚动，在一个运动，促进了凸出的脚底部形状。在站立时，需要一个稳定的支撑基础，这是由凹脚底部形状促进。每个任务的理想刚度还取决于对动态和静态稳定性的不同要求。基于步态力学的研究，需要根据任务调整形状和刚度。该项目的具体目标是：1。根据用户的活动，设计并构建计算机控制下具有独立行走和站立模式的假肢足样机，并测试其刚度、可调节性、快速模式切换等力学特性。2. 对原型假肢脚对截肢者行走和站立的影响进行概念验证测试。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this project is to develop prosthetic foot technology that can function differently for walking and standing tasks. Although current prostheses can be very effective for particular tasks (e.g. walking, running, or standing), an amputee must often choose a single prosthesis to achieve reasonably good performance across all daily activities. This results in a compromise, because the biomechanical demands of walking are different from those for standing. Because walking and standing are two of the most common functional tasks performed daily, a dual function prosthetic foot could switch between two biomechanical modes of behavior. The proposed biomechanical behaviors include different foot bottom shapes and stiffnesses for walking and standing. During walking, the foot effectively rolls over the ground, in a motion that is facilitated by a convex foot bottom shape. During standing, a stable base of support is needed, which is facilitated by a concave foot bottom shape. The ideal stiffness for each task also depends on the differing demands of dynamic and static stability. Based on studies of gait mechanics, both shape and stiffness should be adjusted for the task. The Specific Aims of this project are to: 1.To design and construct a prosthetic foot prototype with separate modes for walking and standing under computer control based on the user's activity, and test its mechanical characteristics such as stiffness, adjustability, and fast mode switching. 2. To perform proof-of-concept testing of the prototype prosthetic foot's effect on walking and standing in amputees. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The two most common mobility issues for lower limb amputees are discomfort and fatigue. Persons wearing prosthetic feet find it uncomfortable to stand for long periods or to walk more than moderate distances. These issues are in part due to the fact that walking and standing have different biomechanical demands, which must be addressed by a single prosthetic foot. We propose to develop a computer-controlled prosthetic foot that can switch between different biomechanical characteristics depending on the user's task. The prosthetic foot is intended to improve stability for standing, and reduce impact forces on the leg during walking, and to automatically switch between characteristics during daily life. Such technology may improve comfort and reduce fatigue for amputees.