Energy-Harvesting Mesofluidic Impulse Prosthesis: e-MIP

项目摘要/摘要 踝关节的能量吸收和产生对步态效率、关节健康和 安全。对于截肢者来说，这也是影响残肢健康的一个重要因素。最近，一项研究 商业努力已经导致了脚踝动力系统，它提供了动力- 机电屈膝，降低步行的代谢成本，并显示出减少 对侧肢体的病理负荷。然而，这些设备复杂、昂贵、 笨重、体型庞大--所有这些因素都限制了广泛采用。 具有能量的介流脉冲假体(e-MIP)的目标是创造一种 价格低廉，重量轻的脚踝系统，不需要净能量输入 动力足屈和摆动相背屈。的能量密度和带宽 高压中尺度液压使脚踝能够无缝地获取能量 通常在步态中消散；储存在液体蓄积器中；并在有控制的、适时的情况下重新使用 强大的冲动。因此，动力系统的好处是在人体测量中实现的 大小和重量，以及临床上可行的系统复杂性。

Project Summary/Abstract Power absorption and generation at the ankle is critical to gait efficiency, joint health, and safety. For amputees, it's also an important factor in residual limb health. Recently, research and commercial efforts have resulted in powered foot-ankle systems, which provide powered- plantarflexion electromechanically, reduce metabolic costs of walking, and show reductions in pathological loading of the contralateral limb. However, these devices are complex, expensive, heavy, and physically large – all factors which limit widespread adoption. The objective of the energy-havesting mesofluidic impulse prosthesis (e-MIP) is to create an inexpensive, lightweight foot-ankle system which doesn't require a net energy input for powered plantarflexion and swing-phase dorsiflexion. The energy density and bandwidth of high pressure, meso-scale hydraulics enables an ankle that can seamlessly harvest the energy normally dissipated in gait; store it in fluid-accumulators; and reapply it in controlled, well timed power impulses. The benefits of powered systems are therefore realized in an anthropometric size and weight, with a system complexity that is clinically viable.