Patent ID: 6755870
Filing Date: 2004-06-29
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A leg prosthesis comprising:a thigh portion; a lower leg portion; a knee joint connecting the thigh portion and the lower leg portion so that a knee angle is formed between the thigh portion and the lower leg portion; said knee joint comprising a damping element for controlling the knee joint movement, angle detection means for detecting the knee angle and force detection means for detecting a force acting on the prosthesis; a control unit for controlling said damping element as a function of the detected values of said knee angle and said force; and an adjusting device; wherein the control unit is structured and arranged to control said damping element as a function of control parameters (P) previously stored for different gait velocities; and the adjustment device is structured and arranged to select a control parameter (P) from said previously stored control parameters as a function of the type of gait and the detected values of said knee angle and said force, to change the selected control parameter (P) to a value (Pâ€²) equal to or different from the previously stored value as a function of the type of gait and the detected values of said knee angle and said force, to store the changed control parameter (Pâ€²) instead of the selected control parameter (P), and to use the changed control parameter (Pâ€²) as a starting point in a subsequent step.