Prosthetic limb with replaceable fairing
View Patent ↗A prosthetic limb has an outer surface that is a mirror image of an intact limb. The intact limb is scanned and the surface data is manipulated to create a virtual mirror image. The end of the amputated limb is also scanned to obtain socket data. A virtual limb is designed using a computer program based upon the mirror image and end of the amputated limb data. The computer program is also used to design a removable fairing that provides color and texture to the prosthetic limb.
1. A method for creating a prosthetic limb comprising:
obtaining surface data for an intact limb;
creating a prosthetic limb design having an outer surface that corresponds to a mirror image of the surface data;
producing limb fabrication data and fairing fabrication data from the prosthetic limb design;
using the limb fabrication data, fusing a plurality of material particles together to form the prosthetic limb; and
using the fairing fabrication data to fabricate a fairing, an inner surface of the fairing fitting around the outer surface of the prosthetic limb that corresponds to the mirror image of the surface data.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
applying a metal layer to an outer surface of the fairing.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
applying a colored layer to an outer surface of the fairing.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
applying a colored dye to an outer surface of the fairing.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
applying a metal layer to an outer surface of the prosthetic limb.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
applying a colored layer to an outer surface of the prosthetic limb.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the prosthetic limb design includes a framework having a plurality of openings.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the fairing is discontinuous, the fairing covering a first portion of the prosthetic limb and not covering a second portion of the prosthetic limb.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
covering a first portion of the prosthetic limb with the fairing; and
leaving a second portion of the prosthetic limb exposed.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first portion of the prosthetic limb is a front surface of the prosthetic limb and the second portion of the prosthetic limb is a back surface of the prosthetic limb.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first portion of the prosthetic limb is a front surface of the prosthetic limb and the second portion of the prosthetic limb is a side surface of the prosthetic limb.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the prosthetic limb includes a framework having cross section templates.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the fairing includes a metal material.
14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
performing one or more of the finishing processes on the fairing: plating, texturing, brushing, polishing or sand blasting.
15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
applying a graphical design to the fairing.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the fairing includes a recessed surface.
17. A method for creating a prosthetic limb comprising:
obtaining surface data for an intact limb;
creating a prosthetic limb design having an outer surface that corresponds to a mirror image of the surface data;
producing limb fabrication data and fairing fabrication data from the prosthetic limb design;
using the limb fabrication data, fusing a plurality of material particles together to form a plurality of layers that are fused to form the prosthetic limb; and
using the fairing fabrication data to fabricate multiple interchangeable fairings, an inner surface of the fairings fitting around the outer surface of the prosthetic limb that corresponds to a mirror image of the surface data.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the prosthetic limb design includes a framework having a plurality of openings.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the interchangeable fairings are discontinuous, the interchangeable fairings covering a first portion of the prosthetic limb and not covering a second portion of the prosthetic limb.
20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
covering a first portion of the prosthetic limb with the interchangeable fairings; and
leaving a second portion of the prosthetic limb exposed.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first portion of the prosthetic limb is a front surface of the prosthetic limb and the second portion of the prosthetic limb is a back surface of the prosthetic limb.
22. The method of claim 20 wherein the first portion of the prosthetic limb is a front surface of the prosthetic limb and the second portion of the prosthetic limb is a side surface of the prosthetic limb.
23. The method of claim 17 wherein the prosthetic limb includes a framework having cross section templates.
24. The method of claim 17 wherein the fairings include recessed surfaces.