Patent ID: 6869560

Claim:
A process for manufacturing a flexible sleeve serving as interface between a prosthesis or an orthesis and a stump or stump replica of a limb of a patient, wherein said process comprises the steps of: selecting a sleeve preform ( 2 ) of generally conical or cylindrical shape, which consists of a prefabricated hollow element made of a flexible thermoformable material selected from the materials consisting of a polyolefin foam, an ethylene-vinyl acetate foam by themselves or a blend of said materials with other thermoformable materials; said sleeve preform having a closed end of rounded shape possessing dimensions, which are matched to those of the stump, or stump replica which is to be fitted with the prosthesis or with the orthesis; heating said sleeve preform ( 2 ) until said preform softens; slipping said softened sleeve preform ( 2 ) over the stump or stump replica ( 1 ) thereof; matching the shape of the softened sleeve preform ( 2 ) to that of the stump or of the stump replica ( 1 ); cooling the shaped preform ( 2 ) while being arranged on the stump or on the stump replica; and removing the flexible cooled sleeve preform which constitutes the final sleeve ( 4 ) from the stump or from the stump replica.