With ongoing and trying debates dealing with the issue of stem cell research, it seems that such a future is moments away and yet still too far. The ability to understand certain diseases, clone body parts, and replace amputated or missing parts, are few of the many positive aspects that we expect from the continuing efforts in this field. However, in the mean time, a few companies are perfecting a different art of replacing limbs with prosthetic limbs. One special company, Touch Bionics, has taken the liberty to broadcast its success stories with its i-LIMB system. In recent news, for example, an Iraq war veteran was given the chance to experiment a new artificial arm, triumphing into a new era of biomaterial revolution. Able to provide a service to those who had helped us in a time of need, we can only hope to further such a pioneering innovation.
Sergeant Juan Arredondo is a brave man, who unfortunately, was affected by the protracted terror in Iraq. He and three others were exposed to a bomb two years ago, costing the young man his hand. Lindsay Block is another woman who had lived with prosthetics her whole life, having been born without an arm at birth. John German faced the grim circumstance of being diagnosed a bit too late with the thoracic outlet syndrome and was forced to have his hand amputated from his body. Such examples serve as a horrid reality for a few of these people who have dealt with prosthetics , including the myoelectric hand. This hand is what allows these men and women to cope with their lives, but of course, with some difficulty. After having been fitted with the i-LIMB hand, their lives have changed only for the better. So let us unravel the knowledge behind this product- a product leading people toward happier and healthier lives!
Touch Bionics was founded on an idea that developed back in 1963, at the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital in Edinburgh. Thorough research was conducted for children affected by Thalidomide,. After a brief hiatus, the research continued in 1988 to create arms, shoulders, wrists, and hands. Throughout the nineties, the partial hand system started to receive recognition internationally and led to many awards in the coming years. Touch EMAS (EMAS standing for Edinburgh Modular Arm System) was then established, soon to be changed to Touch Bionics that included a technology appeal for its consumers. Now responsible for the i -LIMB hand as well as the ProDigits, together both products are able t o provide enhanced lives for those who use them.
The i-LIMB hand is a unique prosthetic hand that not only models the similar physical features of a natural hand but also the sensitive gripping and holding aspects. Using high strength plastics, the hand is lightweight yet strong, providing the best combination for its customers. Combining the old with the new, the i-LIMB system uses a two-input myoelectric (muscle signal) to open and close the hand’s life-like fingers. An electric signal is produced from the muscle that activates the Myoelectric controls. Looking further into the design, the ProDigits, or the individual fingers, are able to model the movements of regular fingers. Their unique design even allows for consumers to easily remove and replace each finger in the case of damages or other emergencies, unlike old myoelectric hands that force the person to wait extended periods of times.
An important feature of the i-LIMB hand is the gripping ability that a normal hand would posses, but as in all efforts mimicking the human body, requires a great deal of effort to emulate. Starting with the thumb, a part of the human body that has encouraged our dominance on this planet, it is able to rotate into many of the same positions. The gripping features are simply controlled again by the signals that our body emits, which allow for a person to adjust the amount of grip needed to hold an item. A few types of grips that we take for granted that this i-Limb can imitate, include the key grip (thumb closes down onto the side of the index finger), the power grip (all fingers and the thumb close down together), the precision grip (index finger and thumb meet), and index point (thumb and fingers close but the index finger remains extended).
So now we have this amazing figure of a hand that can copy most if not all the movements of a hand, but also looks like a real hand. Touch Bionics accomplishes this feat via two methods that can satisfy any patient. The first is through the unique i-LIMB skin, which fits like a glove over the robotic fingers and hand. The other way is with high-definition cosmesis, which includes blending the hand anatomically with the rest of the body to augment a more natural look. The skin itself is a conglomeration of efforts that were developed to project a breakthrough in the lifelike material.
This hand is a stepping stone in the mechanical sense, but would not be considered a success without the background technology that accompanies the product. As Touch Bionics explains, “Two small metal electrode plates, which detect the minute electrical signals generated by the remaining muscles in the limb stump, are placed against the skin to pick up signals.” Most patients who have an amputated limb experience a phantom feeling, emitting signals as if that limb still existed. Such signals are what trigger the hand to move and allow for patients to adjust to the feeling of a hand accordingly.
Allowing for individuals to continue their lives and blend back into society are usually dreams for those who have undergone such a terrible event. As some of Touch Bionics executives have stated, ““We are delighted that this world-breaking technology which emanated from NHS [National Health System] Scotland has reached this important milestone of commercial acceptance.” For those wishing to contribute this area of technology, the company and many like it, are looking for training and occupational therapists, sales and business development experts, and of course, electro-mechanical engineers. Such a hand takes hours of work, many minds of creativity, and a motivation to help those truly in need- perhaps the opening of this gateway will only instigate the excellence to continue!
Learn more: www.touchbionics.com
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