Prosthetics

Prosthesis is a term used for replacing a human body part which has been damaged or cut accidently with an artificial one. Hybrid prosthetic limb is a combination of mechanical and electrical circuit in which a controller gives command to electrically driven motor for the gripper opening and closing. Signal for the gripper opening or closing is acquired from the other shoulder movement. A strap on the shoulder is tied to a string which switches on or off the limit switch to give a trigger signal. This trigger signal actuates the motor in the gripper to perform open or close operation.

Prosthetics has always been part of most of our history, and it has come a long way since then. Forms of prosthetics date way back to the Civil War, and has made a lot of progress throughout the years. During the Civil War, many soldiers would have to be amputated everyday to save their lives. For example, in the text “I Will Not Get Out of Heart Yet,” it states that “Soldiers shot in the arm or leg on the battlefield were highly likely to develop potentially fatal infections, and the only way to prevent a painful death was to cut off the damaged body part.” Despite this fact, prosthetics were extremely uncomfortable to wear and were considered “crude contraptions” and “ were usually made of wood or steel --- that were awkward and painful to wear.” Many soldiers did not like having prosthetic limbs, as they were uncomfortable to wear and awkward to move around with.

The timeline of prosthetics extends far. As humans, we are very adaptable. A person can lose a hand or leg and learn how to do most of same things they could do before but to make things easier, artificial body parts were invented. Some of the earliest prosthetics were peg legs and hook hands which were very common for those who could afford them. Then, the Renaissance (1400s-1900s), copper, iron, steel, and wood were very common during this time period. As generations pass, plastics, polycarbonates, resins, and laminates were introduced as light, alternatives to wood and leather. Our generation, has advanced prosthetics the most thanks to new technologies and the improvement of materials. Prosthetic design has advanced to highly specialized

The National Academy of Sciences established the Artificial limb Program in 1945. The program was created in response to the abundance of World War II veteran amputees. These veterans had limited options; crude, wooden or metal prostheses. For those who chose none their life was confined to a wheelchair or a bed. As time passed, new improvements were developed to provide not only comfort to the amputees, but to help them control and use the limbs better to improve their quality of life. For many years wood was the dominant material for a prosthesis, but over the last 20 years materials have emerged to give greater comfort and confidence for amputees.

One of the solutions that Pro-sthetic Printers developed is a glove functioning as a prosthetic hand with a rechargeable source located in a “watch” compartment. There will be a number pad on the top of the hand, used to control the motions of the fingers. Each joint will have a number assigned to it, as seen in Figures 1 and 2. The numbers can be pressed in specific sequences to trigger specific types of motion along the joints and grips. The grip can then be released by pressing a cancel button on the number pad. Our idea is to make a new version of the Glove One, which is a robotic glove that has the capabilities of a basic cell phone. This model will have a shape similar to the Glove One model and will also have a similar range of motion. The prosthetic shall be able to slide over the users palm, like a glove, and will have hollow finger protrusions. The hollow finger protrusions allow for the user’s remaining anatomic fingers to work together with the prosthetic fingers. Our model will have five fingers that can be programmed based on the user’s needs. There will also be a velcro strap across the palm to ensure that the prosthetic model will not slip off. The fingers of our model will have different joints so that the user can have a wide range of motion. Our prosthetic model will be able to do more complex motions than just the whole hand grasp, as seen in Figures 3,4 and 5.

Modern prosthetic limbs have become very advanced in the last decade. They now have the ability to grip objects, have running limbs, and many more wonderful things. Although these prosthetics are great, they are lacking some key extras that amputees would relish. What amputees really want is their sense of feeling back. They want to reach out with their prosthetic limb and be able to tell if the stove is on or off. They want to be able to press the gas of an automobile. This sense, that all non-amputees take for granted, would be a great place to start the improvement of the perfect prosthetic limb. To accomplish such a daunting task, engineers must figure out an alternative source that could interact with the amputees still intact nerve endings. This way they can use their still functioning nerves to communicate with their pseudo-nerve and have the ability to move their prosthesis around with complete control of it and its sense of touch. I believe this has not

My aptitude has caused me to pursue a career in biomechanics, specifically prosthetics. The main reason why I want to design prosthetics is because I aspire to help reduce the disadvantages that people face because they have lost a body part either when they were born or through a traumatic experience. I made this realization when I was distributing hygiene kits, which caused me to appreciate what I had and to think about how I could offer them more. I also think that I would like to study biomechanics in order to reduce the injuries that athletes and adults receive by observing common accidents and how the damage can affect how the body part continues to function. I cannot wait to simulate lifelike movement in robots by learning from

Electrical engineers are addressing the sensation issue by creating stretchable materials embedded with a dense network of sensors made of ultrathin gold and silicon. The network of sensors are arranged in a serpentine shape that can be elongated if stretched. The sensors can detect heat, pressure and moisture. Even though there are 400 sensors per millimeter there needs to be much more advancement before the electrical engineers can match the sensation created by natural skin. Sensation mimicking is just one problem, but the bigger problem that still needs to be addressed is to create connections to the human nervous system so that the wearer of the prosthetic can truly feel what is going on. Currently, there is a big gap as to what can be conveyed to the brain.

leg. If the body accepted the prosthetic into the neurological system it would be easier to

Blue, from a printer, and in the shape of a small boys hand, it would change a life. Eleven thousand dollars is the price that prosthetic hands cost; however, Jeff Powell knew there was a cheaper way to provide a helping hand, and using a 3D printer he created one for twenty dollars.

Prosthetics were originally created by blacksmiths and armor makers, to provide amputees the chance to get their missing limb back. Whether it was to walk again or to pick something up, they agreed that something was better than nothing. A prosthesis is described as, “An artificial replacement of a part of the body, such as a tooth, a facial bone, the palate, or a joint” (Medical Definition of Prosthesis). The early history of prosthetics was traced back to at least 300 B.C. However, the first written reference to prosthetics was written by a surgeon, Ambroise Paré, from France, in the 1500’s. Because he was a military surgeon, he had numerous injuries he had to care for. He then began designing and creating limbs to assist

The history of prosthetics dates back to the early “Egyptians between 950 and 710 B.C. according to the discovery in 2000 of the world’s first prosthetic toe, composed of wood and leather, from the mummified remains of a noblewoman.” (Advancements in Limb Prosthetics

‘Prostheses come in many forms; limbs, cochlear implants, dental implants and now the bionic eye is making its mark and a difference.’ (Dr. John D. Bissell, August, 2015)

The whole world was dramatically changed when prosthetic limbs were invented in 1500 B.C. This is showing the advancement in prosthetic limbs. Researchers keep finding better ways to advancing prosthetic limbs to make it easier on patients, and allowing them to have more of an independent life. When it comes to prosthetic limbs there are many advantages to getting one. Prosthetic limbs can bring many advantages that can help you throughout your life time, and they can be beneficial to helping people become more and more independent on their own. There are many advantages of getting a prosthetic limb; such as feeling better about yourself, having more independence, fitting in more freely, and learning

to be able to have any sense of touch. Dynamic prosthesis, the more popular choice, uses