Patent ID: 7169188

Claim:
A cup-shaped prosthetic socket for receiving a residual limb, said socket comprising a substantially dimensionally stable socket wall forming a thickness and having an outwardly facing outer side and an inwardly facing inner side; a substantially dimensionally stable socket distal end connected to the socket wall and jointly with said socket wall bounding a cup-shaped inside volume accessible to receive a residual limb through a proximal insertion opening bounded by a socket rim, the shape of the inside volume adapted to receive a residual limb in close fitting relationship; a chamber sealed relative to the inside volume and attached only at a location spaced near the socket proximal insertion opening end and along the inner side of the socket wall, said chamber extending at least some distance in a peripheral direction of the socket and being fitted with a sealing wall facing toward the inside volume of the socket, said sealing wall being made of an air tight, contour-conforming material and adapted to effect a seal between the inside volume relative to a residual limb, said sealing wall extending over a segment of the inwardly facing inner side of the socket between the proximal insertion opening and the distal end of the socket to thereby bound at least a portion of the inside volume of the socket and at least one pressure balancing duct formed through the thickness of the socket wall having an inner open end continuously in communication with the chamber and an outer open end that continuously communicates with a source of air that is at least at atmospheric pressure, the inner and outer ends defining orifices formed from the socket wall.