Patent ID: 9078734
Filing Date: 2015-07-14
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
1. A prosthetic or orthotic device, comprising: a body configured to support at least a portion of a human limb of a user wearing the prosthetic or orthotic device; and a shock absorption member coupled to the body, the shock absorption member comprising one or more magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) springs disposed circumferentially around a core and disposed between a magnetizable upper disc and a magnetizable lower disc, between a first portion of the body and a second portion of the body, wherein the one or more MRE springs are selectively actuatable to vary a stiffness of the shock absorption member via the application of a magnetic flux to thereby adjust a stiffness of the body of the prosthetic or orthotic device to a level corresponding to an activity level of the user, wherein the core is constrained to move only axially based upon the stiffness of the one or more MRE springs.