Tag: Prosthetics

Hydrogel Injections Treat Antibiotic-Resistant Infections After Hip, Knee Replacements

sarah JonasResearch Results

In APL Bioengineering, researchers develop an injectable hydrogel that treats infections around prosthetics without the problems caused by current treatments. The black phosphorus-enhanced gel has a porous structure, excellent injectability, and rapid self-healing properties. Tests show it has good stability and low toxicity to tissue cells, and irradiating the gel with near infrared light causes it to release silver ions. This process was highly efficient at inhibiting S. aureus, common bacteria that cause disease in humans.

2022 AANEM Innovation Award Winner Announced

sarah JonasAnnouncement

American Association of Neuromuscular &
Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM), is excited to announce Timothy R. Dillingham, MD, MS,
as the recipient of the 2022 Innovation Award. This award honors forward-thinking members for
designing and developing products, services, or processes to enhance or transform the quality of
patient care through technology and innovation.

Microfluidic-Based Soft Robotic Prosthetics Promise Relief for Diabetic Amputees

sarah JonasResearch Results

In Biomicrofluidics, scientists reveal their development of a new type of prosthetic using microfluidics-enabled soft robotics that promises to greatly reduce skin ulcerations and pain in patients who have had an amputation between the ankle and knee. They started with a recent device that uses pneumatic actuators and miniaturized the actuators by designing a microfluidic chip with 10 integrated pneumatic valves to control each actuator. The control box is small and light enough to be worn as part of the prosthesis.

Novel Wearable Armband Helps Users of Prosthetic Hands to ‘Get a Grip’

sarah JonasResearch Results

A new study could be a game changer for users of prosthetic hands who have long awaited advances in dexterity. Researchers examined if people could precisely control the grip forces applied to two different objects grasped simultaneously with a dexterous artificial hand. They designed a multichannel wearable soft robotic armband to convey artificial sensations of touch to the robotic hand users. Subjects were able to successfully grasp and transport two objects simultaneously with the dexterous artificial hand without breaking or dropping them, even when their vision of both objects was obstructed. The study is the first to show the feasibility of this complex simultaneous control task while integrating multiple channels of haptic/touch sensation feedback noninvasively.

Liquid Metal Sensors and AI Could Help Prosthetic Hands to ‘Feel’

sarah JonasResearch Results

Prosthetics currently lack the sensation of “touch.” To enable a more natural feeling prosthetic hand interface, researchers are the first to incorporate stretchable tactile sensors using liquid metal and machine learning. This hierarchical multi-finger tactile sensation integration could provide a higher level of intelligence for artificial hands by improving control, providing haptic feedback and reconnecting amputees to a previously severed sense of touch.