Patent ID: 7670386

Claim:
A socket for the attachment of a prosthesis to a residual limb comprising: a compliant fluid charged material providing an interface between a rigid shell attached to the prosthesis and the residual limb wherein the compliant fluid charged material comprises a substantially incompressible fluid with a predetermined viscosity moving through at least one porous matrix to provide viscous flow of the fluid under pressure and wherein the compliant fluid charged material further includes pockets of a compressible fluid held within the porous matrix; a plurality of pressure sensors, each sensor providing a signal corresponding to the local pressure in the compliant fluid charged material; a set of electrically actuated valves providing local control of the pressure between the compliant material and the residual limb; a stride sensor connected to the prosthesis and providing a signal indicating a swing cycle of the prosthesis; and a micro computer communicating with the stride sensor, the plurality of pressure sensors, and the electrically actuated valves, wherein the micro computer collects the signals from the stride sensor and the plurality of pressure sensors and controls the electrically actuated valves in response to the signals from the stride sensor and the plurality of pressure sensors to adjust the local pressure in anticipation of points of high pressure between the residual limb and the compliant material during the swing cycle.