Patent ID: 7033400

Claim:
A coupling system for use in fabricating a total contact prosthetic limb socket and for coupling the prosthetic limb socket to a prosthetic limb structural assembly, the coupling system comprising: a resilient deformable cup having an interior cupped surface and an exterior lower surface, wherein the interior cupped surface is adapted for receiving a positive model of a residual limb and for positioning the coupling system relative to the positive model of the residual limb during fabrication of the prosthetic limb socket; a coupling plate operatively connected to the exterior lower surface of the resilient deformable cup; a sheet of material operatively covering an assembly of the coupling plate, the resilient deformable cup and the positive model of a residual limb; and means for operatively securing the sheet of material to the coupling plate thereby enabling a temporary vacuum to be created between the positive model of a residual limb and the sheet of material during fabrication of the prosthetic limb socket wherein said vacuum causes the interior cupped surface of the resilient deformable cup to conform to an outer contour of the positive model of a residual limb.