Success in Advanced Prosthetics
Bionics are electronics made to better a disabled humans life. The bionic system can function like a human’s limb, to improve someone’s life and make things easier for them. The major idea here is that we are living in a world where new discoveries are being made all the time.
Bionic legs have now been created to directly interact with nerve impulses, a prosthetic completely controlled by the brain like any other body part. There has also been a bionic leg with powered knee and ankle joints making it easier for amputees to walk. Both inventions are extremely advanced and far superior to the passive prosthetic, but neither has been created for commercial use.
Bionic legs have now been created to directly interact with nerve impulses, a prosthetic completely controlled by the brain like any other body part. There has also been a bionic leg with powered knee and ankle joints making it easier for amputees to walk. Both inventions are extremely advanced and far superior to the passive prosthetic, but neither has been created for commercial use.
Thought Controlled Bionic Limb
Zac Vawter walking through the Willis tower in Chicago.
The impressive technique of Targeted Muscle Reinnervation(TMR) uses brain signals sent to rehabilitated nerve ends of an amputated limb to communicate with a computerized prosthetic . This process allows the patient to think about moving his limb and it does so just as a human being with all of its other limbs.
Zac Vawter, the man in the image on the left, underwent TMR surgery in 2009. After going through three years of rehabilitation, the leg was put to the test publicly when climbing 103 flights of stairs to the top of the Willis Tower in Chicago. While this would have been extremely difficult, and perhaps impossible with a normal prosthesis, Vawter performed the task very naturally, finishing the climb in under an hour. This technology is invasive and very advanced, commercial use is still some ten years away. This leg that Vawter is blessed with has a price tag of 8 million dollars. This advancement in technology allows for disabled humans to walk and cooperate in everyday activity.
Zac Vawter, the man in the image on the left, underwent TMR surgery in 2009. After going through three years of rehabilitation, the leg was put to the test publicly when climbing 103 flights of stairs to the top of the Willis Tower in Chicago. While this would have been extremely difficult, and perhaps impossible with a normal prosthesis, Vawter performed the task very naturally, finishing the climb in under an hour. This technology is invasive and very advanced, commercial use is still some ten years away. This leg that Vawter is blessed with has a price tag of 8 million dollars. This advancement in technology allows for disabled humans to walk and cooperate in everyday activity.
Vanderbilt Prosthetic
Another new lower limb prosthetic has been developed at Vanderbilt University which allows humans to walk without the leg dragging gait characteristic of a normal prosthetic. The device uses the latest advances in computer, sensor, electric motor and battery technology to give it bionic capabilities.
It is the first prosthetic with powered knee and ankle joints that operate in unison to help create a normal walking movement. This device was designed for everyday life and makes it substantially easier for an amputee to walk, sit, stand and traveling up and down slopes as well as steps. The device weighs only about nine pounds which is less than a human leg, and allows the amputee to walk 25% faster than someone with a passive, everyday prosthesis.
It is the first prosthetic with powered knee and ankle joints that operate in unison to help create a normal walking movement. This device was designed for everyday life and makes it substantially easier for an amputee to walk, sit, stand and traveling up and down slopes as well as steps. The device weighs only about nine pounds which is less than a human leg, and allows the amputee to walk 25% faster than someone with a passive, everyday prosthesis.
Below is a diagram of first and second generation prosthetic legs created at Vanderbilt University.
Is There an Advantage?
Herr wearing two prosthetics that he created.
Hugh Herr is the director of Biomechanics group at MIT. Herr got his master's in mechanical engineering at MIT and his PhD in biophysics at Harvard. He and his team are responsible for creating prosthetic devices that feel and act like biological limbs. Herr, a double amputee himself, has dedicated his life to develop more advanced prosthetic legs and wears two of which he designed. His prosthetic is thought controlled and made to work like muscles, completely reflexive. Herr believes because of this model, science will only continue to advance and amputees will soon be at an advantage over humans with biological limbs.
He stated in a recent interview, “My biological body will degrade in time due to normal, age-related degeneration. But the artificial part of my body improves in time because I can upgrade." When Herr is 80 years old, he will be able to walk much better than the average human at that age. The advancement is ground breaking. Soon it will benefit to have prosthetic legs.
He stated in a recent interview, “My biological body will degrade in time due to normal, age-related degeneration. But the artificial part of my body improves in time because I can upgrade." When Herr is 80 years old, he will be able to walk much better than the average human at that age. The advancement is ground breaking. Soon it will benefit to have prosthetic legs.
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Hugh Herr does public speaking events explaining this new technology and showin off this prosthetic that he created. Hugh Herr also has a great story to tell about how he lost his legs and ho it inspired him to dedicate his life to bettering the prosthetic device. In the brief clip he talks about the genreral make up of his prothetic legs and some of the advantages to being a double amputee and having the luxury of such advanced machinery.
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References
1. Smellie, A. (20 N). http://www.dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2063647/Bionic-generation-Britons-using-new-prosthetics-think-like-real-limbs.html
2. Salisbury, D. (2011, April 17). Vanderbilt university. Retrieved from http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2011/08/bionic-leg/
3. Hochman, P. (2010, February 1). Bionic legs, i-limbs, and other super human prostheses you. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/1514543/bionic-legs-i-limbs-and-other-super-human-prostheses-youll-envy
Images and Videos
1. 2. abilitychicagoinfo.blogspot.com
3. google.com/images
1. Smellie, A. (20 N). http://www.dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2063647/Bionic-generation-Britons-using-new-prosthetics-think-like-real-limbs.html
2. Salisbury, D. (2011, April 17). Vanderbilt university. Retrieved from http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2011/08/bionic-leg/
3. Hochman, P. (2010, February 1). Bionic legs, i-limbs, and other super human prostheses you. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/1514543/bionic-legs-i-limbs-and-other-super-human-prostheses-youll-envy
Images and Videos
1. 2. abilitychicagoinfo.blogspot.com
3. google.com/images
USciences
WR 102-06
Nicholas Nardini