Patent Application
20250009529
The disclosure relates to a prosthetic device having a metal component with a sacrificial anode.
Prosthetic devices having metal components may be exposed to harsh elements, such as rain, snow, sleet, and salt or chlorinated water. While many components in prosthetic devices are fabricated from composite and polymeric materials, some components are adapted to being formed by metals such as steel, aluminum, or titanium, or combinations of metal such as aluminum and steel, to indicate a few. The metal components provide superior properties over other materials, particularly in structural components involving repeated use. The metal components include adapters for connecting various components such as a prosthetic socket to a knee in a lower limb prosthetic system, clamps for securing to a pylon, adapter for a foot, valve assemblies for vacuum systems, and other known components used in a prosthetic system including a metal component.
While these metal components may be weatherproof, the weatherproof device allows use in a wet and/or humid environment, such weatherproof devices do not allow submersion. Fresh water splashing against the metal component from any direction likely will have no harmful effect, yet such water excludes salt and chlorinated water.
The metal components should be waterproof. Waterproof connotes that there is permanent protection against harmful ingress of water. For example, in a prosthetic foot, even after submersion in water, a waterproof prosthetic foot's structural parts maintain their integrity and continue to provide full support, function, and durability. Even if waterproof, consistent exposure to hard elements may still cause corrosion of the components, leading to a deterioration in the appearance and structure of such components.
If a metal component is repeatedly exposed to harsh elements, its appearance and functionality may deteriorate. Corrosion of the metal components may occur, which may impede the performance of a prosthetic system and lead to a lack of trust by the user due to an unsightly appearance. For example, there may be an appearance of flattened, mushroomed or otherwise deformed machining marks due to corrosion, which may lead to more drastic peaks and valleys along with the metal component. In addition, high spots may arise that can generate high stresses leading to deformation of the peaks.
The corrosion may lead to material removal from one surface and generate debris that adheres to another surface. The corrosion can be mechanical and generated due to micromotion between two surfaces. It can also occur due to chemical reduction and oxidation processes that corrosively transfer material from one surface. It can also be a combination of these processes. The surface of the metal component may discolor. Changes in the color of the surfaces can occur due to corrosion, and there may be visible debris generated by such corrosion.
As it is desired to create minimal impact to the prosthetic device to assure that it is both weatherproof and waterproof, there is a need for means that do not significantly alter the structure and design of a prosthetic component to make it weatherproof and waterproof. It is desirable to configure existing prosthetic devices at minimal cost to assure they are resistant to harsh elements, including water, particularly salt and chlorinated water.
The embodiments described herein offer a solution to the problem of weatherproofing and waterproofing existing prosthetic devices having metal components.
According to a first embodiment, the prosthetic device includes a metal component having a sacrificial/galvanic anode. The sacrificing/galvanic anode, such as a zinc insert or pad, sacrifices itself to protect the steel (or other metal material) when in touch with the elements (water & especially saltwater). The anode corrodes more easily than the other parts in the prosthetic system. The corrosion products from the zinc are deposited on the steel, resealing it from the atmosphere and therefore stopping corrosion.
In this embodiment, the anode is preferably formed from zinc. The anode is pressed into an opening formed by the metal component and essentially can be placed anywhere on the surface where corrosion protection is needed. The embodiment is not limited to a single anode, and multiple anodes may be employed.
The provision of a sacrificial/galvanic anode with a metal component in a prosthetic system benefits in an improvement in appearance and structural integrity as there is no debris generated and material deterioration, and the possibility of surface stresses created by corrosion is mitigated.
The metal component is arranged to accommodate an anode without structurally modifying the metal component aside from providing means for placement of the anode. In a preferred embodiment, the metal component has an opening in which the anode is press-fitted into the opening. Preferably the anode is flush with an outer surface of the metal component so as not to protrude therefrom, yet providing sufficient exposure to harsh elements, and therefore protect the remainder of the metal component.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the embodiments of the disclosure will become readily apparent and better understood given the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.
A better understanding of different embodiments of the disclosure may be had from the following description read with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like elements.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments are shown in the drawings and will be described below. It should be understood, however, there is no intention to limit the disclosure to the embodiments disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, combinations, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure and defined by the appended claims.
It will be understood that, unless a term is defined in this patent to possess a described meaning, there is no intent to limit the meaning of such term, either expressly or indirectly, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning.
The term “comprises (or comprising)” means its definition as is standard in patent terminology, being an open-ended term that is generally synonymous with “includes,” “having,” or “containing.” Although “comprises,” “includes,” “having,” and “containing” and variations thereof are commonly-used open-ended terms.
In practicing the prosthetic device having a metal component with a sacrificial anode, such as a zinc insert or pad, the anode sacrifices itself to protect the steel or other metal material when in touch with harsh elements, such as salt or chlorinated water. The anode corrodes more easily than the other parts in the prosthetic system. The corrosion products from the zinc are deposited on the steel, resealing it from the atmosphere and stopping the corrosion of the metal components.
A sacrificial anode is used to prevent corrosion through cathodic protection. For example, zinc may be classified as a galvanic anode. The galvanic anode does not require an external power supply and instead relies on its natural potential of being more electro-negative than the potential of the structure being protected. For this disclosure, zinc will be considered a preferred material for the anode but can be replaced by other materials such as aluminum or magnesium or other suitable materials having protective properties.
The protective properties of zinc anode result from a strongly negative reduction potential, which is more negative than the metal it is protecting. Oxidants, which corrode metals, will oxidize the zinc anode rather than the protected metal structure, thus preventing corroding. Sacrificial anodes release electrons, slowly corroding the anode in place of the actual metal in use, which is less negatively charged.
When the zinc anode is placed close to another metal with a greater reduction potential, it makes the other metal the cathode of the electrochemical system. When an oxidant attacks the metal surface, electrons flow through the system and are removed from the zinc anode. An important metric of a zinc anode is its utilization factor, which specifies how much of the anode can be used before it loses its protective properties. The mass of a zinc anode needed for a particular protective application can be calculated.
An example of an adapted in a prosthetic foot is found in U.S. Pat. No. 9,579,220, granted Feb. 28, 2017, and a valve or valve components that may be formed from metal are found by example in U.S. Pat. No. 9,486,335, granted Nov. 8, 2016, each of these patents being incorporated by reference.
The prosthetic foot is merely exemplary and the concepts described herein in connection to a sacrificial anode may be extended to prosthetic knees, sockets, and any feature having a metal component. Likewise, these concepts can be extended to other articles such as orthopedic devices and other wearable devices.
As further shown in
The opening is accorded its ordinary meaning of an aperture or gap, especially one allowing access or an open or empty space in or between things. The opening 124 defines or marks out the boundaries of a depth corresponding to a height h of the anode 126. The first end 132 of the anode 126 is preferably flush or at level with a surface 128 of the locking part 122, such that a surface area 134 of the first end 132 of the anode 126 is exposed. According to variations, the opening or the anode may be sized and configured to be recessed relative to the surface 128 or protruding outwardly from the surface. Either of such variations may be selected depending according to how the anode serves.
Referring to
The anode 126 defines a diameter d at least at the first end 132 that corresponds to a diameter or width of the opening 124 to which it opens along the surface 128. The first end 132 of the anode may define a symmetrical, uniform shape, and may be adapted to be replaced upon exhaustion, and a new anode can take its place.
The anode 126 is preferably secured to the adapter 112 in a tight-fitting relationship. For example, the anode may be press-fit, also known as an interference fit because it is fastened to the metal component by force or friction. The anode, as in the cylindrical form of
The anode is preferably constructed from a zinc alloy, as zinc is known as a preferred material as an anode for corrosion resistance to saltwater. Preferably, the zinc alloy is at least 99% pure zinc. Alloys of aluminum or magnesium may be used as an anode.
Referring to
For example, as illustrated, the shape 152 may have an undulating profile so that the anode 150 tightly fits or locks within the enclosure 158 due to corresponding shapes. Thus, the anode takes the shape of a star-like appearance but can take other known shapes to correspond to the shape of the enclosure defined by the metal component. The anode may be shaped to have threads or other locking surfaces that enable a mechanical fitting of the anode to a metal component, such as by screwing or a frictional fit with cooperating surfaces of the metal component as internal threads to the opening.
Referring to
From the embodiment of
A kit can be provided for retrofitting a metal component in a prosthetic device. For example, while an opening in an adapter can be shaped for receiving a tool, as in a hex or star key, for adjusting the adapter, an anode can be correspondingly configured and dimensioned to fit within such opening once the adapted is suitably adjusted. Thus, the anode can be removed from the opening for further adjustment or replacement with a new anode to readjust the adapter.
A method may be provided to install or retrofit a metal component in a prosthetic device with an anode. The anode can be press-fitted into an opening formed by the metal component, or the method may involve forming an opening for accommodating a correspondingly sized anode. Such a method may involve the replacement or removal of the anode from the opening.
The embodiments and methods for determining the anodes and their locations provide improved corrosion resistance to metal components in prosthetic devices. The concepts of the anodes can be extended to other articles employing the same criteria or including different or additional criteria to improve corrosion resistance, such as in orthopedic devices.
It is to be understood that not necessarily all objects or advantages may be achieved under any embodiment of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the anode may be embodied or carried out so it achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
The skilled artisan will recognize the interchangeability of various disclosed features. Besides the variations described, other known equivalents for each feature can be mixed and matched by one of ordinary skill in this art to construct a prosthetic device with anodes under principles of the present disclosure. The skilled artisan will understand that the features described may be adapted to other types of articles. Hence this disclosure and the embodiments and variations thereof are not limited to prosthetic devices.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2022/050562 | 11/21/2022 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63283355 | Nov 2021 | US |
