Monday, June 29, 2009
Toyota Working on Thought Controlled Wheelchairs
Not to be outdone by Honda with their assisted walking device earlier this year, Toyota has announced that they are working on a wheelchair that can be navigated with brain waves. You think of the direction and the wheelchair goes in that direction.
Photo Credit: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO / AFP
The interface control works such that a computer analyzes brain waves through electroencephalography electrodes while an individual thinks of a direction to move. The system then translates those wave patterns into a movement direction of the chair. Toyota reports that the delay between thought and movement can be as small as 125 milliseconds with an accuracy rating of 95%.
This technology is in the very beginning stages of development, but the hope is that this type of interface can be used for rehabilitation and technology development for patients with limited mobility. Toyota has shown a video of this system in operation, but has not given it to the pubic and has no definitive time table for commercial development.
RIKEN Press Release : Real-time control of wheelchairs with brain waves
Daily Mail : Toyota develops wheelchair that can be steered using brain waves
Flashback : The Future of Legs Is Here, Well, in Detroit
(hat tip: Jalopnik)
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wooden Legs Have Come a Long Way
Wooden legs sure have come a long way since they were first used as artificial prostheses. In the latest issue of Journal of Materials Chemistry, there is a report on the recent developments at the Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics in Italy in which scientists have turned wood into something similar to bone, a material that may one day be used to create custom replacement parts.
Researchers heated the wood to decompose organic material to leave only the carbon template. Then, they reacted the template with calcium, oxygen, and carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate that was then converted to hydroxyapatite. This hydroxyapatite scaffold mimics the structure of bone. The advantage of this process is the architectural make-up of the wood's structure that affords the ability of cells and blood vessels to grow through it, much like real bone.
'Current [hydroxyapatite] production processes do not generate an organised hierarchical structure,' says Anna Tampieri. 'Materials able to maintain adequate properties at extremely high temperatures and mechanical stress are highly sought after for use in several different applications, such as space vehicles. An intriguing possibility is that of simultaneously achieving high values of strength and toughness, for which ordinarily there is a trade-off. In addition, new materials with extreme physical properties, such as thermal expansion or piezoelectricity, can be obtained.'
More from the Journal of Materials Chemistry : Trees take on tissue engineering; From wood to bone: multi-step process to convert wood hierarchical structures into biomimetic hydroxyapatite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering...
Advanced Ceramics @ Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics...
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Friday, June 5, 2009
Dean Kamen's Prosthetic Arm to Undergo Trials
We've been excitedly covering DARPA sponsored Luke Arm development by Deka Research and Development for a few years now. The device is without a doubt the most advanced prosthetic yet developed, and it may soon become available as a real product because the VA is beginning a large scale clinical trial to test its capabilities.
From the Department of Veterans Affairs:
In collaboration with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the study marks the first large-scale testing of the arm, which allows those who have lost a limb up to their shoulder joint to perform movements while reaching over their head, a previously impossible maneuver for people with a prosthetic arm.The study is under the direction of Dr. Linda Resnik at the Providence, R.I., VA Medical Center. Veterans fitted with the arm will provide feedback to guide engineers in refining the prototype, before it is commercialized and also made available through the VA health care system.
A unique feature of the advanced arm is its control system, which works almost like a foot-operated joystick. An array of sensors embedded in a shoe allows users to maneuver the arm by putting pressure on different parts of the foot. The current version uses wires to relay the signals to the arm, but future versions will be wireless.
The arm can also be adapted to work with other control systems, including myoelectric switches, which are wired to residual nerves and muscles in the upper body and respond to movement impulses from the brain, shoulder joysticks or other conventional inputs.
Press release: New Mobility for Veterans, Service Members, Other Americans
More from Washington Post..
Flashback: Latest Update on DoD, DARPA, and Dean Kamen's Prostheses; DARPA Backs Luke Arm; Update: Dean Kamen's Luke Arm; Cyborg Arm: DARPA Recruits Dean Kaman
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Friday, May 8, 2009
Robotic Hand Powered by Compressed Air and Rubber Bands
From the press release:
The Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech has developed a unique robotic hand that can firmly hold objects as heavy as a can of food or as delicate as a raw egg, while dexterous enough to gesture for sign language.Named RAPHaEL (Robotic Air Powered Hand with Elastic Ligaments), the fully articulated robotic hand is powered by a compressor air tank at 60 psi and a novel accordion type tube actuator. Microcontroller commands operate the movement to coordinate the motion of the fingers...
The grip derives from the extent of pressure of the air. A low pressure is used for a lighter grip, while a higher pressure allows for a sturdier grip. The compliance of compressed air also aids in the grasping as the fingers can naturally follow the contour of the grasped object.
Here's a video of the hand in action:
Press Release: Virginia Tech's RoMeLa develops a low cost, dexterous robotic hand operated by compressed air
(hat tip: Engadget)
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Next Generation of Ossur Power Knee in Action
Ossur, a developer of prosthetic implants, announced that last week its second generation Power Knee bionic prosthesis was implanted in a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The Power Knee uses sensor and actuators, coupled with artificial intelligence to better mimic natural walking with less effort by the patient.
In 2006, working in partnership with Victhom Human Bionics, Ossur introduced the POWER KNEE, representing the most advanced technology of its kind with the ability to replace lost muscle function and provide increased safety. Used mostly within the Department of Defense and the Veterans Healthcare Administration, the POWER KNEE marked a new milestone in amputee mobility, safety and advancing natural motion through a powered gait process.Just three years later, working closely with Walter Reed Army Medical Center and in collaboration with partner Victhom Human Bionics, the next generation of the POWER KNEE has been developed. "The second generation is smaller, sleeker, quieter, lighter and is expected to become widely used by both unilateral and dual amputees," stated Lt. Col. (Dr.) Paul F. Pasquina, chief, Integrated Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center, according to Inside Nova.
Lieutenant Colonel Greg Gadson is the first in the world to receive the commercially-ready prosthetic knees and will soon be followed by other patients at WRAMC. LTC Gadson was serving in Baghdad in May of 2007 when the truck he was riding was struck by a bomb, leaving him on the side of the road bleeding and in and out of consciousness. Ten days later, he was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with first his left leg amputated, then his right. His undoubting spirit and triumph over tragedy has made him a role model and leader among champions. Notwithstanding the 2008 Super Bowl Champions, the New York Giants, who credit Gadson with giving them the motivation they needed in what became a legendary season. "LTC Gadson was a leader on the football field at West Point. He was a leader to his battalion in combat. And he's been a leader in our rehabilitation environment," added Pasquina.
"It's sort of like driving a school bus and then someone puts you in a sports car," Gadson explained. "You still know how to drive, but it’s quite a different feeling. I just hope this is a path for people to really expand their lives," Gadson said.
According to Ossur, a full commercial release of the Power Knee is expected by 2010.
Press Release : Next Generation of the POWER KNEE(TM) in Early Release at Walter Reed Army Medical Center...
Product page: Ossur Power Knee...
Flashback : The Power Knee
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Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Future of Legs Is Here, Well, in Detroit
Engineers from Honda are in Detroit this week for the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, where they will show off and demonstrate the latest advancements of their walking assist and bodyweight support devices. We have previously covered the development of these, now you can see them in action, on a limited basis.
We couldn't make it to New York to try them out, but the folks at WIRED were able to and captured their experiences on video.
These leg supports are designed to provide assistance in walking and climbing for patients with a variety of neuromuscular disorders. Honda has not stated a specific time frame of when these devices will come to market, or what that market will be. However, this technology seems to offer a great promise for patients who need mobility assistance.
Honda : Bodweight Support Device
WIRED : Honda's Robolegs Help People Walk
Flashback : Honda Makes Public New Robotic Walking Assist Device; Walking Assistant From Honda; Honda Walking Assist Device Update: Feasibility Testing; Mystery Robotic Assist Walking Device
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Latest Update on DoD, DARPA, and Dean Kamen's Prostheses
We have followed the Defense Department's investment in developing advanced prosthesis spurred by noted medical technology developer Dean Kamen. Over the weekend, CBS 60 Minutes, took us on a behind the scenes tour of Dean Kamen's company, DEKA, and the most recent advancements in prosthesis development.
Ling [Dr. Geoffrey Ling, an Army colonel and neurologist who's leading the Revolutionizing Prosthetics program] told Pelley [60 Minutes correspondent] it's a very large scale project. "It is very much like a Manhattan Project at that scope. It is over $100 million investment now. It involves well over 300 scientists, that is engineers, neuroscientists, psychologists.
The technology development is fascinating and ever improving, but clearly there is a ways to go to make this prosthetic cost effective and more functional for widespread implementation.
60 Minutes: The Pentagon Bionic Arm...
NOTE: Please join us in welcoming a new addition to Medgadget editorial board. Martin Neumann is a a post-doc in Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering at University of Illinois. In addition to holding a PhD in Nuclear Engineering, he is also a medical student, now finishing his second year. In between exams, upcoming USMLE, post-doc work, ets, he will be blogging to educate all of us. This is his first post.
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Robot And Its Biological Brain
Scientists from the University of Reading have cultured cells from rat brains and used the matrix to control a robot's movement, keeping it from hitting the wall.
The robot's biological brain is made up of cultured neurons which are placed onto a multi electrode array (MEA). The MEA is a dish with approximately 60 electrodes which pick up the electrical signals generated by the cells. This is then used to drive the movement of the robot. Every time the robot nears an object, signals are directed to stimulate the brain by means of the electrodes. In response, the brain's output is used to drive the wheels of the robot, left and right, so that it moves around in an attempt to avoid hitting objects. The robot has no additional control from a human or a computer, its sole means of control is from its own brain.The researchers are now working towards getting the robot to learn by applying different signals as it moves into predefined positions. It is hoped that as the learning progresses, it will be possible to witness how memories manifest themselves in the brain when the robot revisits familiar territory.
Professor Kevin Warwick from the School of Systems Engineering, said: "This new research is tremendously exciting as firstly the biological brain controls its own moving robot body, and secondly it will enable us to investigate how the brain learns and memorises its experiences. This research will move our understanding forward of how brains work, and could have a profound effect on many areas of science and medicine."
Video from the New Scientist:
University of Reading press release: Robot with a Biological Brain: new research provides insights into how the brain works...
More at the New Scientist...
(hat tip: Drudge Report)
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Friday, June 20, 2008
A More Natural Prosthetic Foot
While still in its prototype phase, the Tensegrity foot is designed to mimic the action of a jointed foot to allow for a more natural and stable gait. Built by inventor and mechanical engineer Jerome Rifkin, the artificial foot bends like a normal foot and ankle, and conforms to the terrain underneath it. The prosthetic options for foot amputees is limited due to the complexity involved in mimicking the weight-bearing action and propulsion involved with the foot. Mechanical prosthetics often do not mimic the motion of a natural foot, and other prosthetics cost a significant amount and are not covered by insurance.
The Tensegrity foot is different. POPSCI explains:
Rifkin built something that combined the natural step of a bionic foot with the simplicity and low cost of a mechanical prosthetic. His jointed foot has a heel, a forefoot, a big toe—and no joint at the ankle. Instead, a novel midfoot joint, which connects the heel and forefoot, does the job of both the ankle and the arch. Like an ankle joint, it flexes up and down to give the wearer a more natural step. And, like a real midfoot joint, it creates a flexible arch in the middle of the foot. A spring and cable connect it to a second joint at the toe, to create extra push-off at the end of each step. Other tensioned steel cables serve as the tendons and ligaments that govern its range of motion—the user doesn’t control it, it simply responds to the pressure of walking. Because the front and back of the foot can move independently, it can react to uneven terrain.With input from 11 amputee test users like Link, Rifkin is refining his fifth (and, he hopes, final) prototype, made primarily of magnesium for its strength and low weight. Early results indicate that the one-pound foot reduces the amount of energy required for each step because it uses the force absorbed by the spring and joints to help propel the foot forward. “It’s the equivalent of taking a 50-pound pack off your back,” he explains. That’s on par with the best bionic feet, without all the expensive motors and artificial intelligence."
Image: How the K3 Promoter Works: A flexible midfoot joint makes the prosthetic stable on uneven ground, and a spring-loaded toe provides push-off for each step.
More from POPSCI.COM
Company page:: Tensegrity Prosthetics
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Fluidhand: Prototype Prosthetic Device
Fluidhand (pictured above), a new prosthetic device currently developed as a prototype, is being tested at the Orthopedic University Hospital in Heidelberg. In addition to being softer and more natural than other conventional hand prosthetic devices, it allows the user to fully wrap around and grip objects while providing feedback to give the amputee a sense of the strength of the grip. An 18 year old patient at the hospital was the first person in the world to test and compare the 
Fluidhand to the i-LIMB (previously covered by Medgadget here, and pictured to the right) and a second patient is soon to be fitted with the new prosthesis.
Unlike its predecessors, the new hand can close around objects, even those with irregular surfaces. A large contact surface and soft, passive form elements greatly reduce the gripping power required to hold onto such an object. The hand also feels softer, more elastic, and more natural than conventional hard prosthetic devices.The flexible drives are located directly in the movable finger joints and operate on the biological principle of the spider leg - to flex the joints, elastic chambers are pumped up by miniature hydraulics. In this way, index finger, middle finger and thumb can be moved independently. The prosthetic hand gives the stump feedback, enabling the amputee to sense the strength of the grip
Press Release: A new prosthetic hand is being tested at the Orthopedic University Hospital in Heidelberg / Grip function almost like a natural hand
We'd like to welcome Rohit Joshi, a medical student at McMaster University in Canada, as an associate editor of Medgadget, this being his first post in the role.
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Friday, March 14, 2008
Femtosecond Lazers: Killing Cancer & Fusing Metal to Bone
University of Missouri scientists are working to bring functional femtosecond lasers [as in beams] out of the real of sci-fi and into the real world of medicine. Lead researcher, and professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Robert Tzou explains how this new technology could revolutionize everything from dentistry to oncology to joint replacement surgery.
What makes the femtosecond laser different from other lasers is its unique capacity to interact with its target without transferring heat to the area surrounding its mark. The intensity of the power gets the job done while the speed ensures heat does not spread. Results are clean cuts, strong welds and precision destruction of very small targets, such as cancer cells, with no injury to surrounding materials. Tzou hopes that the laser would essentially eliminate the need for harmful chemical therapy used in cancer treatments.“If we have a way to use the lasers to kill cancer cells without even touching the surrounding healthy cells, that is a tremendous benefit to the patient,” Tzou said. “Basically, the patient leaves the clinic immediately after treatment with no side effects or damage. The high precision and high efficiency of the UUL allows for immediate results.”
Practical applications of this type of laser also include, but aren’t limited to, the ability to create super-clean channels in a silicon chip. [Ed note: we can think of more applications later...] That process can allow doctors to analyze blood one cell at a time as cells flow through the channel. The laser can be used in surgery to make more precise incisions that heal faster and cause less collateral tissue damage. In dentistry, the laser can treat tooth decay without harming the rest of the tooth structure.
Associate Professor Yuwen Zhang and Professor Jinn-Kuen Chen recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to use the laser to “sinter” metal powders—turn them into a solid, yet porous, mass using heat but without massive liquefaction—a process which can help improve the bond between joint implants and bone.
“With the laser, we can melt a very thin strip around titanium micro- and nanoparticles and ultimately control the porosity of the bridge connecting the bone and the alloy,” Zhang said. “The procedure allows the particles to bond strongly, conforming to the two different surfaces.”
(hat tip: Gizmodo)
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Monday, February 4, 2008
DARPA Backs Luke Arm (Updated below)
This morning we wrote that DARPA is about to decide whether to continue development of the world's most advanced prosthesis, now called the Luke Arm. A press release from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory announcing $31 million of funding from DARPA, and Hopkins' leading role in the next stage of development, sounds like a bright green light for the project.
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., has received a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to complete development of a prosthetic arm that will be controlled, feel, look and perform like a natural limb. Funding will support Phase 2 of DARPA’s Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009 (RP 2009) program, an ambitious effort to provide the most advanced medical and rehabilitative technologies for military personnel injured in the line of duty.In Phase 1, the APL-led RP 2009 team of approximately 30 organizations developed two prototypes. The first prototype, presented to DARPA less than a year after the project started, is a fully integrated prosthetic arm that can be controlled naturally, provide sensory feedback and allows for eight degrees of freedom – a level of control far beyond the current state of the art for prosthetic limbs. The Proto 1 limb system also includes a virtual environment used for patient training, clinical configuration, and to record limb movements and control signals during clinical investigations.
The second prototype, demonstrated at DARPA Tech 2007 last August, has 25 individual joints that approach the natural speed and range of motion of the human limb. These mechanical limb systems are complemented by a range of emerging neural integration strategies that promise to restore near-natural control and important sensory feedback capabilities.
Press releases: DARPA Gives APL-Led Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009 Team Green Light for Phase 2; APL to Lead Team Developing Revolutionary Prosthesis
UPDATE: It appears that we've got mixed up by all the ongoing bionic arms projects. Medgadget reader TroyTurner left the following important comment:
I would like to clarify some of the information in your article above as it appears that two great research efforts are being confused &/or intermingled. While your headline, accompanying photo, and first sentence are about the Deka "Luke Arm", the rest of the story is about the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHU-APL) device. Of course this also means that your headline isn't totally accurate. DARPA has awarded a phase II contract to JHU-APL, not Deka (though that is still being pursued.)In 2004/5, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded two distinctly separate prosthetic arm development projects.
One was called "Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2007", and was awarded to DEKA R&D (www.dekaresearch.com). The Deka effort, now being referred to as "The Luke Arm" (pictured in your post above), has been completed. The goal of this project was to build the very best prosthetic upper limb that could be built using currently available technology. It is possible that DARPA will fund a phase II for further work, though that has not yet happened.
The other award, "Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009", went to the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHU-APL). Managed by Stuart Harshbarger at JHU-APL, this international effort to develop an advanced neural controlled upper limb is well described in the news release from JHU-APL that you've included in your post above.
An important distinction between the two programs is that the APL effort includes the development of true neural control of the device, while the Deka "Luke Arm" is currently controlled using myoelectric controls, though Deka is working with other organizations to enable additional control methodologies.
Because of the goals & program names, this can be confusing even for folks who are close to the work. Great things coming out of these efforts: of course some amazing advances in prosthetics, but I also believe we're also going to see advances in many other area of biomed, robotics, etc. in years to come with roots embedded in these efforts.
Agreed. The search of our archives brings the following post from April 2007 about the JHU-APL integrated prosthetic arm project: Bionic Arm 2.0, Watch Out Dean Kaman. We appologize for the confusion.
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Update: Dean Kamen's Luke Arm
Dean Kamen's project to design and build the most advanced arm prosthesis, now called the Luke Arm, has wrapped up its mandate, and DARPA, the sponsor of the project, will be deciding whether to continue funding the arm and apply for clinical trials.
In order to make a better arm, Kamen first had to figure out what was wrong with the old one. Part of the reason the technology was still in “the Flintstones” was a lack of agility: a human arm has 22 degrees of freedom, not three. The Luke Arm prosthetic is agile because of the fine motor control imparted by the enormous amount of circuitry inside the arm, which enables 18 degrees of freedom. The engineers fought for space inside the arm and created workarounds when they couldn’t have the space they needed, such as using rigid-to-flex circuit boards folded into origami-like shapes inside the tiny spaces, which are connected by a dense thicket of wiring.The arm has motor control fine enough for test subjects to pluck chocolate-covered coffee beans one by one, pick up a power drill, unlock a door, and shake a hand. Six preconfigured grip settings make this possible, with names like chuck grip, key grip, and power grip. The different grips are shortcuts for the main operations humans perform daily.
The Luke arm also had to be modular, usable by anyone with any level of amputation. The arm works as though it had a very complicated set of vacuum cleaner attachments; the hand contains separate electronics, as does the forearm. The elbow is powered, and the electronics that power it are contained in the upper arm. The shoulder is also powered and can accomplish the never-before-seen feat of reaching up as if to pick an apple off a tree.
It must be less than what a native limb would have weighed, because in an amputee the human skeletal system can no longer be used as a method of attachment. Instead, for amputations above the elbow, a user is strapped into a kind of harness. Deka engineers modeled the arm based on the weight of a statistically average female arm (about 3.6 kg), including all the electronics and the lithium battery. Amazingly, titanium, the legendarily light material, is too heavy to keep the arm under its weight limit—it can’t be made thin enough without bending—so the arm is mostly aluminum.
More at IEEE Spectrum Online...
Flashbacks: Dean Kamen's DARPA Arm in the Lab, Dean Kamen and His Arm, Dean Kamen's Robotic Arm Part Deuce, Cyborg Arm: DARPA Recruits Dean Kaman, Dean Kamen Talks Medgadgets
(hat tip: Engadget)
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Monday, January 28, 2008
Bluetooth: The Next Advancement for Prosthetics
Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill has some of the hottest legs in town when he wears his cutting edge, bluetooth enabled bionic prosthetics.
Now, he's starting to walk again with the help of prosthetic legs outfitted with Bluetooth technology more commonly associated with hands-free cell phones."They're the latest and greatest," Bleill said, referring to his groundbreaking artificial legs.
Bleill, 30, is one of two Iraq war veterans, both double leg amputees, to use the Bluetooth prosthetics. Computer chips in each leg send signals to motors in the artificial joints so the knees and ankles move in a coordinated fashion.
Bleill's set of prosthetics have Bluetooth receivers strapped to the ankle area. The Bluetooth device on each leg tells the other leg what it's doing, how it's moving, whether walking, standing or climbing steps, for example.
"They mimic each other, so for stride length, for amount of force coming up, going uphill, downhill and such, they can vary speed and then to stop them again," Bleill told CNN from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he's undergoing rehab.
"I will put resistance with my own thigh muscles to slow them down, so I can stop walking, which is always nice."
CNN Video...
(hat tip: /.)
Flashbacks: The Power Knee, Adaptive Prosthetics, Rheo-Knee: Walk Your Way, Proprio Foot™...
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Thursday, January 10, 2008
Dr. Sethi and the Jaipur Foot
The New York Times has a nice obituary on Dr. Jaipur who changed the lives of countless amputees with his advanced, affordable prosthetics.
From the Times...
The Jaipur foot, which has never been patented, is available in more than 25 countries, most of them poor, many of them with great numbers of land-mine victims. Unlike many high-priced prostheses in developed countries, it can be made by traditional craftsmen, lasts more than five years and costs about $30, making it affordable for mass distribution...Dr. Sethi came up with his invention after years of extensive research. He was helped by Ramachandra Sharma, a semiliterate craftsman who had been teaching lepers to make handicrafts and who became his assistant.
The two made a foot of vulcanized rubber but found it too heavy and stiff. So they filled the shell with sponge rubber and modified the design. They used a stiff piece for the metatarsals and added microcellular rubber for the heel, cutting wedges at its upper end to make a universal joint.
Since 1971, when Dr. Sethi presented the foot to British orthopedic surgeons at Oxford, the Jaipur foot has revolutionized lives in war-torn countries. It is very flexible, allowing the wearer to run, climb trees or pedal bicycles. It is well suited to the needs of many Asian countries in which most people sit, eat, sleep and pray on the floor. Using the Jaipur foot, a Bollywood actor and dancer, Sudha Chandra, was even able to perform a demanding dance sequence in the movie musical "Nache Mayuri."
Technology notes from JaipurFoot.org:
1) The limbs made with this technology are closest to a normal human limb. The Jaipur Foot has virtually got the same range of movements which a normal human foot has. It has dorsi-flexion, inversion, eversion, supination, pronation and axial rotation allowing a amputee not only to walk comfortably, but also squat (sitting on hunches), kneeling, crouching, sitting cross legged, walking also on undulated terrain, running, climbing a tree and driving an automobile. In other words, it is an all-functional, all-terrain limb. The other limbs with SACH foot cannot have these flexions and functions. There are some Multi Axial Feet but these allow specific limited flexions and functions.
2) Jaipur Foot is cosmetically also closest to the human foot with toes etc. Once Jaipur Foot was developed many other companies in the world added these cosmetic feature to their limb products to look like normal Foot or Jaipur Foot.
3) Jaipur Foot is water proof as many other artificial limbs in the world are.
4) Jaipur Foot is a dual purpose foot. It may be worn with shoes or without shoes depending on the desire and the need of the patients. This feature is crucial for meeting the cultural needs of many regions of the world. For example most of the modern limbs can be used only with the shoes on with the result that such amputees cannot enter the temples, mosques etc and cannot pray or perform NAMAZ.
5) The normal life of Jaipur Foot piece is around 3 years.
Read on at NYT...
Design...
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Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Synth Skin for Your [Super Human] Prosthetic Arm
What good is a super human prosthetic arm in an arm wrestling competition, if the metallic parts give it away? That's why DARPA continues to fund projects aimed at the development of a highly realistic prosthetic "skin."
The new artificial skin will incorporate many more sensors and will cover the metallic prosthesis, leading to a more natural-looking bionic arm. The skin-a rubbery polymer called polyimide that has been infused with tiny carbon nanotubes-is flexible, stretchable, lightweight, and tough. Initially designed for airplane pressure sensors, the polymer is durable, resistant to high temperatures, and piezoelectric. That is, it generates electricity in response to pressure or force, so you can measure pressure applied to its surface, says NIA's [National Institute of Aerospace's] Cheol Park, who is leading the pressure-sensor development. Carbon nanotubes enhance the piezoelectricity of the polyimide and make the polymer stronger, he says.Temperature sensors will be embedded under the polyimide layer. The trick is to transfer heat as quickly as possible from the polymer surface to the sensors. Again, carbon nanotubes, which conduct heat along their length unusually well, will play a key role. Researchers at ORNL are trying to make nanotube-embedded polymers that conduct heat as well as human tissue does, says Ilia Ivanov, a nanomaterials researcher at ORNL. They will impregnate the polymer with an array of vertically aligned nanotubes, which will transfer heat from the skin surface to the temperature sensors underneath. Ivanov says the heat transfer should be fast. In 2006, researchers showed that a heat pulse travels 20 times as fast in a polymer containing the nanotube arrays than in the pure polymer.
More in Wired...
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Monday, January 7, 2008
I-Limb Bionic Hand Gets Upgradable Bionic Arm
Director of rehabilitation engineering services at NHS Lothian in Britain, David Gow, believes his new i-Limb system (bionic arm, hand combo) from Touch Bionics is so superior to biological limbs that it may have to "scale down its power." We've been waiting our whole lives to hear those sweet words.
"The i-Limb system is better than a human arm. It is faster and can lift heavier weights than a human arm. It also looks good, has smooth movement, and operates with less noise than existing prosthetic arms. The technology is new and evolving."However, we might have to scale the power down to make it suitable for everyone. With something that has a better than human performance, our challenge is ethical.
"A patient would have the potential to hurt themselves or other people with it as it is actually better than a human arm. It could do damage.
"We have got to take safety very seriously. You have to attach it to the patient's body and that could cause damage if the weight is too heavy. It could snap their ribs. And it could be pretty scary flapping about."
Read more at the Scotsman...
Flashbacks: Video of i-LIMB Hand; World's First Bionic Hand Makes It to Market
(hat tip: Engadget)
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Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Hearing from Inside: The Latest on Otologics Prosthesis
To update our readers, The MIT Technology Review has an article on a fully implantable hearing prosthesis from Otologics that we wrote about a year ago.
The device is powered by a battery that is recharged when the user places a small radio transmitter against his or her head for 60 to 90 minutes. The transmitter is held to the skin by a magnet in the implant. An inductive coil in the implant converts the radio energy to electricity and recharges the battery with it. The battery can stay inside the body for at least five years, according to the company, before it needs to be replaced. The implanted components are hermetically sealed together to protect against leaks, so the electronics, microphone, and inductive coil are replaced as well. However, the piston in the middle ear remains in place.The results of a phase I clinical trial of the hearing aid were reported in the August 2007 issue of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery. Twenty subjects with moderate to severe hearing loss were implanted in one ear. (Seventeen of the subjects had worn conventional hearing aids prior to the study.) The subjects did somewhat worse than with the hearing aid they had previously worn: their ability to hear a range of single-frequency tones dropped between 5 and 12 decibels, and mean word-recognition scores dropped from the low 80 percent range to the high 60 percent range.
On the other hand, a satisfaction survey found that the subjects felt that the device not only improved their hearing, but also sounded more natural than their old hearing aid. The authors of the study speculated that new processing algorithms would improve the test results. Otologics has indicated that it is already working on this.
More from MIT Tech Review...
Flashback: Otologics' Fully Implantable Hearing Device
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Dean Kamen and His Arm
Below is a five minute video of Dean Kamen describing how he came into the business of developing an almost fully articulated prosthetic arm. There is no new information about the arm in this particular presentation, since we've seen the capabilities before.
Link...
Flashbacks: Dean Kamen's Robotic Arm Part Deuce; Cyborg Arm: DARPA Recruits Dean Kaman; Dean Kamen Talks Medgadgets
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» Airic's_arm from Festos (August 24, 2007)
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» Go-Go-Gadget Exoskeleton (June 29, 2007)
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