Patent ID: 8308816

Claim:
A prosthetic limb assembly comprising: a flexible liner shaped to accept at least a portion of a patient's residual limb, the flexible liner including an interior, an exterior, and a liner distal end including at least one surface feature; a plunger pin mounted to the liner distal end; a socket shaped to receive the liner and the patient's residual limb, the socket including a socket interior, a proximal opening for receiving the residual limb, and a socket distal end; a locking mechanism mounted within the socket distal end and including a central opening sized to receive the plunger pin, the locking mechanism releasably engaging the plunger pin when the residual limb and the liner are inserted into the socket, wherein a proximal end of the locking mechanism includes at least one surface feature for releasably and sealingly engaging the at least one surface feature of the distal end of the flexible liner; and a vacuum device operatively connected to the socket such that the vacuum device is operative to withdraw air from the interior of the socket; wherein the surface feature of the liner distal end includes at least one of an annular projection and an annular groove; and wherein the surface feature of the proximal end of the locking mechanism includes the other of the annular projection and the annular groove.