Patent ID: 8579771

Claim:
An apparatus for reducing an exerted energy during a locomotion cycle from mechanical energy of a living body, the apparatus comprising: first and second parts configured to be disposed across a joint of the living body; one or more members connecting the first and second parts and having an axis of rotation substantially disposed at the joint; and an elastic element connected to at least one of the first and second parts and the one or more members, the elastic element having an active range during a portion of the locomotion cycle in which the elastic element is substantially engaged and an inactive range during another portion of the locomotion cycle in which the elastic element is substantially disengaged, wherein the active range corresponds to absorbing mechanical energy of the living body only during a portion of the locomotion cycle during which muscles of the joint would otherwise be doing work across the joint to absorb mechanical energy of the living body; and the inactive range corresponds to a portion of the locomotion cycle during which the muscles are doing work across the joint to increase mechanical energy of the living body.