Title of Invention

"BAMBOO UPPER LIMB"

Abstract The Bamboo Upper Limb prothesis meant for above elbow amputees is a device made from appropriate portions of bamboo Dendrocalamus strictus, knitted socket for amputated stumps are fabricated, lined by high density foam is distally attached to the ball socket elbow joint, which intern joined to the supination and pronation device in the middle of bamboo forearm; the distal part of the forearm is joined to the wrist terminal device of the hand made from bamboo. The movement of elbow joint are controlled through guarded control cable to lock and unlock system in the elbow joint, while prehension of hand is controlled by another guarded cable; both movements controlled by cable are activated through the harness on the opposite shoulder. The entire arm so fabricated is covered by high density foam and skin coloured stockinet, while the hand is provided with gloves.
Full Text 4. DESCRIPTION
This invention of Bamboo Upper Limb relates to a mechanical device for functional replacement of most important segment of most versatile limb that a man has. Early application has the advantage of simple less expensive experiment socket, fitting, modifications which can be manipulated, adjusted, for helping the process of healing and edema subsiding in the residual limb.
The loss of limb from above elbow and a careful surgical amputation requires the maintenance of a gentle and skillful applied pressure of the interface material with a post amputation, rigid socket for soft tissue support as a temporary prosthetic device of Above Elbow Bamboo Prosthesis, is a psychological and physical support for a limbless life and a physical restoration of some of the functions with the addition of either a number of bamboo loops or two bamboo limb like projections added to the rigid socket with extended harness, helps healing with lesser loss of neuro muscular control pathways, less pain, and lesser is the period of hospitalization, earlier return to attainable functional rehabilitation. Simple modification with a provisional limb sockets with inexpensive fitment and functional restoration is assured in this above elbow bamboo prosthesis.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Above elbow amputees in our country, hardly find any post operative care of rehabilitation. They are discharged with only a discharge ticket with advice for a prosthesis. Their remote homes in villages hardly find any scientific solution. As and when they find the services of prosthetic care in camps, the absence of perfect fit, the weight of the limbs and difficulties of movement of joints and problems of daily use of the device leads mostly to failures and the prosthetic device is worn only for special occasion mainly for cosmetic purposes.
This observation lead to this invention of a lighter locally available bamboo prosthesis fabrication which can be readjusted, repaired locally and its utilization taken care of with the help of trained upgraded artisans.
A lighter arm with easier movements, simpler elbow joints, with overall intimacy of fit able socket and proper grasp in addition to supination and pronation are the main background of this invention.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention is related to prosthetic devices and are meant for above elbow amputees. The existing prothesis sold, looks satisfactory but after fitment, the movements become difficult and used for cosmetic purposes only. The present invention consists of an intimately fitting socket side depending on the length of the residual stump to the ball and socket joint of elbow which in turn joins the wrist hand assembly operated by above elbow Bamboo mat saddle harness connected to guarded cable for elbow lock and release system and a separate cable for prehension.
PRIOR ART
The above elbow prosthesis sold in the market are in three pieces. The shoulder harness, the elbow joint and either hooks or three finger mechanical hand substitutes; these are connected with two exoskeleton fibre glass arm and forearm. Terminal devices of hooks and hands are commercially available. Hands are cosmetically acceptable when covered by gloves; they are interchangeable with other attachments. It looks quite satisfactory but its utilization is limited by the difficult and cumbersome movement. The coordinaion needs a lot of training which takes a considerable time and is arduous.
A substitute prosthesis should not become a greater problem than the problem of going about with amputated above elbow stump without prosthesis.
Large number of designs of Upper Limb Prosthesis are available. Nevidac, Chandigarh, advertise a number of gasping terminal devices but in practical field they are not so successful. Various upper limb manufacturers also advertise hooks as well as hands but they have not been successfully tried in our country; Ottobock's three finger prehension hand are being used but are mostly used for cosmetic purpose and not used for daily living, exercises. Other expensive terminal devices are available in the West but they are expensive and repair facilities are not present in our country.
STATEMENT OF INVENTION
Bamboo Upper Limb comprising a device fabricated from bamboo culm of species Dendroc^amus strictus, it comprises a socket knitted by thin strips of Bamboo, an elbow joint, a supination and pronation device in the forearm and terminal device of bamboo hand with finger prehension; the knitted Bamboo socket is fabricated on a positive cast of Plaster of Paris from a Plaster of Paris mould of amputated stump, strips of bamboo layer has been used for knitting the socket, the knitted socket is lined by a suitable high density foam; distally the socket is connected to the elbow joint fabricated from bamboo, the intimate fitment of the socket to the skin surface and support is essential for successful maneuver of the rest of the limb fabricated;
a ball and socket elbow joint has been fabricated from strips of bamboo for making the socket, the ball is shaped from the solid culm of bamboo with the forearm projection, after shaping the ball is fused with a layer of high density polyethylene, a number of holes are made on circumference of the ball and fitted with eyelets to suit pins made for lock and unlock arrangement, a hole passing from the socket through the central axis of the ball is drilled, a sleeved stud passing through it and held in position with nuts and bolts on both ends of the stud to complete the ball and socket joint, projection of bamboo from the ball towards the forearm is attached to supinator and pronator assembly;
the pronation and supination is done by a joint comprising a cylindrical projection of Bamboo of upper segment is suited into the lower segment of Bamboo, in such a way that the cylindrical portion of the upper segment rotates freely in the uniform cylindrical hole of the lower segment, there are two pins welded on a closely fitting sleeve ring out side the circumference of the proximal forearm portion of bamboo in upper segment, and one pin is fixed to a similar closely fitting steel ring in the distal sectional diameter of the distal lower segment to limit the range of rotation movement of the lower segment in supinated and pronated positions;
distal segment of the forearm piece made of cylindrical bamboo is attached to the wrist piece of five finger prehension hand;
a wrist and hand assembly has four bamboo fingers and one thumb, each of them has single segment, a curved steel radial stud inserted through holes provided in the four fingers supported by two side plates of bamboo, bamboo spacers are provided between each finger to keep them separated from each other;
a steel radial pin is inserted through the holes provided in the four fingers near the radial stud, a bamboo lever linking the middle finger to the string wheel enables prehension movements, tapering spacers of bamboo has been provided to keep the fingers in position unifomily separated from each other, the base of a bamboo thumb is attached to side plates by a steel pin on which it pivots, a bamboo lever linking the thumb to the string wheel which enables flexion of the thumb towards the simultaneous flexion of the other four fingers converging towards the thumb in the five finger prehension movement, sleeves of mild steel have been used to keep the thumb in position;
a bamboo string wheel is mounted on a steel pin goes through the bamboo string wheel axis kept in place with spacers, and the pin is supported by bamboo side plates, a spiral sping is placed and attached with the bamboo string wheel in a seat provided for it, the outer part of spring is connected to a steel pin on a side plate of U shaped wrist assembly, a bamboo wrist piece is attached to distal forearm piece and the hand so fabricated with attached fingers and thumb as a terminal attachment, the cable attachment directly to the string wheel proximally passes through an opening in the outer cover gloves to the proximal portion of the cable is attached to the harness, the upper portion of forearm and upper arm socket are covered with foam and a sleeve of skin coloured stockinet is stretched over the entire upper limb assembly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES.
The brief description of the plan and the elevation will be clearer in the following figures:
Fig.1. is the plan of Bamboo upper limb prosthesis.
Fig.2. is the elevation of the upper limb.
Fig.3. is the bamboo hand with the five finger assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
The above elbow prosthesis consists of well fitted bamboo socket (13) of Fig.1 knitted on the plaster cast of the stump which is effective enough to allow full movements of the use of the shoulder with range of motion of the residual stump, so that, the entire prosthesis with components of elbow joints (10) of Fig.1, the supination pronation device (8) & (9) Fig.1 and the hand assembly (6) of Fig.1 are given effective and full control under the envelop of movement; the elbow movement are controlled by guarded controlled cable (15) Fig.1 proximal end of the guarded cable is joined with the harness control strap and the distal end passes down to the elbow lock and unlock system by pull on the release cable; the elbow joint (10) Fig.1 is a ball (2) of Fig.2 socket joint (1) of Fig.2 with the ball made of bamboo fused with a coat of high density polyethylene, the joint fitted with steel nut and bolt (17) of Fig.1, a series of holes on the ball for the locking and unlocking of the joint by the help of a cable (15) of Fig.1. The socket (2) of Fig.2 of the joint is made of strips of bamboo taken from
the strongest nodal part of bamboo culm, shaped and attached with the ball in its axis with a sleeved stud fixed in position with the nut and bolt.
Wrist hand assembly Fig.3 consists of four bamboo fingers Nos. (2), (3), (4), (5) and one thumb No.(1) made of a single segment each, and they are joined by a radial steel stud which is inserted through the four fingers. These fingers are separated by spacers and supported on two ends by the sides of the wrist piece made of bamboo. A steel radial pin is inserted in hole provided in the four fingers a little above the radial stud. The base of the thumb which is fabricated from bamboo is attached to the side of a wrist piece by the help of a steel screw passing through a steel sleeve in the thumb on which it pivots and is kept in place by a spacer.
The string wheel (3) Fig.3 is placed behind the thumb and fingers assembly by the help of a steel pin (7) of Fig.3 and is kept in place by two spacers placed on its sides; a spiral spring is placed and attached within the string wheel in the round socket provided therein with the outer part of the spring which connects to a steel pin fixed on the side of the wrist piece.
Harness is provided for prosthesis which attaches it to the residual limb consisting of the straps positioned in relation to the shoulder girdle to enable the amputee to control the prosthetic device. When residual arm is stretched the harness pulls the guarded cable connected to the string wheel which opens out the fingers and the thumb when the residual arm is relaxed, the spiral spring of the string wheel assists in prehension of the fingers and the thumb.






. I CLAIM:
1. Bamboo Upper Limb comprising a device fabricated from bamboo culm of species Dendrocaiamus strictus, it comprises a socket knitted by thin strips of Bamboo, an elbow Joint, a supination and pronation device in the forearm and terminal device of bamboo hand with finger prehension; the knitted Bamboo socket is fabricated on a positive cast of Plaster of Paris from a Plaster of Paris mould of amputated stump, strips of bamboo layer has been used for knitting the socket, the knitted socket is lined by a suitable high density foam; distally the socket is connected to the elbow joint fabricated from bamboo, the intimate fitment of the socket to the skin surface and support is essential for successful maneuver of the rest of the limb fabricated;
a ball and socket elbow joint has been fabricated from strips of bamboo for making the socket, the ball is shaped from the solid culm of bamboo with the forearm projection, after shaping the ball is fused with a layer of high density polyethylene, a number of holes are made on circumference of the ball and fitted with eyelets to suit pins made for lock and unlock arrangement, a hole passing from the socket through the central axis of the ball is drilled, a sleeved stud passing through it and held in position with nuts and bolts on both ends of the stud to complete the ball and socket joint, projection of bamboo from the ball towards the forearm is attached to supinator and pronator assembly;
the pronation and supination is done by a joint comprising a cylindrical projection of Bamboo of upper segment is suited into the lower segment of Bamboo, in such a way that the cylindrical portion of the upper segment rotates freely in the uniform cylindrical hole of the lower segment, there are two pins welded on a closely fitting sleeve ring out side the circumference of the proximal forearm portion of bamboo in upper segment, and one pin is fixed to a similar closely fitting steel ring in the distal sectional diameter of the distal lower segment to limit the range of rotation movement of the lower segment in supinated and pronated positions;
distal segment of the forearm piece made of cylindrical bamboo is attached to the wrist piece of five finger prehension hand;
a wrist and hand assembly has four bamboo fingers and one thumb, each of them has single segment, a curved steel radial stud inserted through holes provided in the four fingers supported by two side plates of bamboo, bamboo spacers are provided between each finger to keep them separated from each other;
a steel radial pin is inserted through the holes provided in the four fingers near the radial stud, a bamboo lever linking the middle finger to the string wheel enables prehension movements, tapering spacers of bamboo has been provided to keep the fingers in position uniformly separated from each other, the base of a bamboo thumb is attached to side plates by a steel pin on which it pivots, a bamboo lever linking the thumb to the string wheel which enables flexion of the thumb towards the simultaneous flexion of the other four fingers converging towards the thumb in the five finger prehension movement, sleeves of mild steel have been used to keep the thumb in position;
a bamboo string wheel is mounted on a steel pin goes through the bamboo string wheel axis kept in place with spacers, and the pin is supported by bamboo side plates, a
spiral sping is placed and attached with the bamboo string wheel in a seat provided for it, the outer part of spring is connected to a steel pin on a side plate of U shaped wrist assembly, a bamboo wrist piece is attached to distal forearm piece and the hand so fabricated with attached fingers and thumb as a terminal attachment, the cable attachment directly to the string wheel proximally passes through an opening in the outer cover gloves to the proximal portion of the cable is attached to the harness, the upper portion of forearm and upper arm socket are covered with foam and a sleeve of skin coloured stockinet is stretched over the entire upper limb assembly.
2. The Bamboo Upper Limb as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.


Documents:

699-del-2004-abstract.pdf

699-del-2004-claims.pdf

699-del-2004-complete specification(granted).pdf

699-del-2004-correspondence-others.pdf

699-del-2004-correspondence-po.pdf

699-del-2004-description (complete).pdf

699-del-2004-description (provisional).pdf

699-del-2004-drawings.pdf

699-del-2004-form-1.pdf

699-del-2004-form-19.pdf

699-del-2004-form-2.pdf

699-del-2004-form-3.pdf


Patent Number 243992
Indian Patent Application Number 699/DEL/2004
PG Journal Number 47/2010
Publication Date 19-Nov-2010
Grant Date 12-Nov-2010
Date of Filing 12-Apr-2004
Name of Patentee DR. BANERJI JYOTI BHUSHAN
Applicant Address SECRETARY VIKLANG KENDRA RURAL RESEARCH SOCIETY 13,LUKERGANG,ALLAHABAD-211001,U.P,INDIA
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 DR. BANERJI JYOTI BHUSHAN SECRETARY VIKLANG KENDRA RURAL RESEARCH SOCIETY 13,LUKERGANG,ALLAHABAD-211001,U.P,INDIA
PCT International Classification Number B23
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA