Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Advancements in prosthetics
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Advancements in prosthetics
In the current world of rapid technology advancement, the progress in the research and development of prosthetic limbs is facing an upward trend as well. As the production of prostheses begin to pick up pace, a particular bionic arm secures the spotlight, returning hope to the lives of every amputee - the LifeHand 2. The fact is that, although many prostheses seek to replace the missing limbs of amputees by detecting muscle movements, they fail to address the issue of sensory feedback and this is what makes the LifeHand 2 special - besides providing the user with neural-controllability, it also restores the sense of touch to its user.
LifeHand 2 is the name given to a bionic arm that is still in development. It is the refined successor of LifeHand 1, a thought-controlled prosthetic hand which was unveiled in the year 2009. Like its predecessor, LifeHand 2 can act according to the wishes of the human mind, by transmitting and receiving neural impulses through implanted electrodes in the human’s arm. LifeHand 2, however, is programmed to present its user with an additional function of sensory feedback, while LifeHand 1 allowed only neural-controllability.
The LifeHand 2 project, which is still in process, is headed by Prof. Silvestro Micera and his team of Italian and Swiss researchers. Working together with him are Prof. Eugenio Guglielmelli who oversees the analytical and computational model development processes, Prof. Paolo Maria Rossini, Clinical Director of LifeHand 2, Prof. Maria Chiara Carrozza who is in charge of developing the prosthesis hand, Prof. Thomas Stieglitz who develops the electrodes, and their teams. The project is currently being developed in the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna Biorobotics Institute, centered...
... middle of paper ...
...mary sources)
1. Universita Campus Bio-Medico Di Roma. LifeHand 2 – Official Video. [Youtube] 5th February 2014. Retrieved from
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6T9tD7rQEA>
WEBSITE REFERENCES (Secondary sources)
1. NPR News Health Blog. Rob Stein. An Artificial Arm Gives One Man The Chance To Feel Again. [Online] 5th February 2014. Retrieved from
< http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/05/271948355/an-artificial-arm-gives-one-man-the-chance-to-feel-again>
2. Stuff Of Genius Blog. Christian Sager. Dismemberment Plan : Lifehand 2 Develops Sensational Prosthetic. [Online] 7th February 2014. Retrieved from
< http://www.geniusstuff.com//blog/dismemberment-plan-lifehand-2-develops-sensational-prosthetic/>
NEWSPAPER REFERENCES (Secondary sources)
1. The Stars Newspaper International News. Bionic Hand Allows Amputee to Feel Again. 6th February 2014.
His aim was to in-crease amputees’ confidence in the use of their prosthetics and their mental attitude. He recruited 100 volunteer amputees and put them through the programme. The results sug-gested that he achieved his aim he noted improvements in the physical and mental well-being of the volunteers. They also gained confidence in using their prosthetic which aided their recovery. Their mental well-being was particularly important as it was noted that a positive mental attitude and acceptance of the prosthetic resulted in a quicker recovery time (Dillingham, T.R., 1998).
...m these advancements that are from human body parts. Instead, it is imperative to honor and preserve those who have made these interventions possible
One such example that they could potentially be referring to is a prototype for a limb that has sensors capable of sensing and reading signals sent to missing limb from the spine. The sensor within the prosthetic was developed by the Imperial College in London, and is currently still being developed. When asked about how the development of prosthetics had lead the research team to look toward the spine, Dr. Dario Farina, who is one of the lead researchers on the team, said that, “When an arm is amputated the nerve fibres and muscles are also severed, which means that it is very difficult to get meaningful signals from them to operate a prosthetic. We've tried a new approach, moving the focus from muscles to the nervous system. This means that our technology can detect and decode signals more clearly, opening up the possibility of robotic prosthetics that could be far more intuitive and useful for patients” (Smith). Overall, one could see why someone would see this as a finished and market ready advancement, but this method of sensory technology is still just in development, and simply opens up the possibilities for expanding the field of robotic
...has put these people there for a reason. You always think your problems are bad until you go and see others. These doctors make it possible for children to have all of their limbs. We have been blessed by this hospital.” (Rudder).
It is important to note, however, that there are no reviews on the aforementioned product, therefore, it is not possible to ascertain if the tactile stimulation the VINCENTevolution 2 provides is satisfactory. Prosthetics, especially prosthetic hands would be revolutionized by the integration of tactile sensation. Not only would it make the prosthetic easier to use as the integration would prevent slip and allow for more successful application of grasping forces, but it could also alleviate ailments that often accompany limb amputation such as phantom pain by using heater arrays that can maintain body temperature, giving artificial limbs a more natural
The skin technologies that have recently been created are astonishing. The remarkable breakthrough has made a huge advance in technology happen. Muscle and nerve control operation is when electrodes are permanently implanted into the nerves and muscles allowing the amputees limb to have total direct control. With this new muscle to nerve action
...ter screen an arm that was placed onto his stump. When Ture Johanson saw his arm on the computer screen, he was able to control his own movements using his own neural command. In this particular study, Johanson was asked to perform numerous movements with his phantom hands such as driving a racecar. By driving a racecar, Catalan found that the subject moved muscles at the end of his existing arm to show the intent of moving his missing hand. From this study, subjects who had been experiencing PLP for several years had longer periods without pain and had shorter periods of intense pain. In addition, the phantom hand was relaxed from a tight fist to a half-open position. This study is different from others because the control signals are retrieved from the arm stump, and thus the affected arm is in charge. Moreover, it uses the signals from the damaged limbs itself.
The two controversial topics discussed below share a single goal: to enhance the quality of life of a human individual. The first topic, transhumanism, is a largely theoretical movement that involves the advancement of the human body through scientific augmentations of existing human systems. This includes a wide variety of applications, such as neuropharmacology to enhance the function of the human brain, biomechanical interfaces to allow the human muscles to vastly out-perform their unmodified colleagues, and numerous attempts to greatly extend, perhaps indefinitely, the human lifespan. While transhumanist discussion is predominantly a thinking exercise, it brings up many important ethical dilemmas that may face human society much sooner than the advancements transhumanism desires to bring into reality. The second topic, elective removal of healthy limbs at the request of the patient, carries much more immediate gravity. Sufferers of a mental condition known as Body Integrity Identity Disorder seek to put to rest the disturbing disconnect between their internal body image and their external body composition. This issue is often clouded by sensationalism and controversy in the media, and is therefore rarely discussed in a productive manner (Bridy). This lack of discussion halts progress and potentially limits citizens' rights, as legislation is enacted without sufficient research. The primary arguments against each topic are surprisingly similar; an expansion on both transhumanism and elective amputation follows, along with a discussion of the merit of those arguments. The reader will see how limits placed on both transhumanism and elective amputation cause more harm to whole of human society than good.
This can be possible as they remapped nerves grow deeper allowing for sensation on the Modular Prosthetic Limb (M.P.L.). According to many who have had the same surgery, they are able to feel the sensation of texture. How cool is to be able to think of a movement and also feel with the same Prosthetic limb.This just the part of the testing this been doing, but want to improve till they are able to have no surgeries, and no extra implants to control the arm. They want to have a cap with sensors that will work by sending brain signals to the brain. While we wait for this in the future, they have partner to collaborate with commercial opportunities. This gives us hope we should see more M.P. L in the
The previous insert from William Lee Adams’ article, Amputee Wannabes, describes a 33-year-old man’s wish for amputation of his foot. There was nothing physically or medically wrong with this limb; John only stated that he did not feel comfortable with his own body and felt as though his foot was not a part of him. John’s leg was amputated above the knee, and he went on to describe that the operation resolved his anxiety and allowed him to be at ease in his own body (Adams, 2007).
L. R. Hochberg, M. D. (2006). Neuronal ensemble control of prostetic devices by a human with tetraplegia. Nature, 164-71.
Schimelpfening, Nancy. Robots for Humanity: Restoring Function to the Disabled Through Technology. 21 December 2013.
Biomechanical engineering is driven by needs similar to those of biomedical engineering. There is always a constant need to improve medical equipment while keeping it cost efficient. These are the two main needs for all biomedical engineers. Biomechanical engineering is specifically dedicated to applying the scientific of knowledge mechanical systems and engineering to biology and the human body. One of the many needs that drives this biomedical subfield is society’s need for more advanced equipment and machinery. Some recent advances show this need. In the last decade, biomechanical engineers have invented and innovated new robots and machines that can assist a surgeon in surgery or serve as an artificial liver. These machines satisfy the need to improve and innovate new equipment that can save lives and improve how people in the medical field perform their
By convention, the field of healthcare research was entirely occupied by physicians and doctors. They were the ones who came up with new methods to treat diseases and get better results from diagnostic tests. Technology, on the other hand, was always looked at as a way to solve problems that we faced that didn’t pertain to the medical sector. It was employed to enhance the quality of life and make day to day work easier. But as technology progressed, so did the areas of application. The structural balancing techniques which were previously used to hold a building steady were now being used to develop near-perfect artificial joints and prosthetic limbs. Transparent polymers, developed to enhance robotic vision, were being suggested as a candidate for an artificial lens for the human eye. Before anyone could even understand what was happening, engineering had taken up the mantle to further medical technology to dizzying new heights.
Prosthetic limbs, one of the examples of physical enhancement, have improved to such an extent that the capabilities and...