A Biomimetic Prehensile Digit for Upper-Limb Amputees

上肢截肢者的仿生预握数字

• 批准号: 8774861
• 负责人: BRADLEY D VEATCH
• 金额: $ 47.42万
• 依托单位: INVISIBLE HAND ENTERPRISES, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-08-01 至 2016-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8774861
• 关键词: Address; Amputation; Amputees; Archives; Attention; Awareness; Benchmarking; Biomimetics; Clinical; Clinical Assessment Tool; Contralateral; Creativeness; Cumulative Trauma Disorders; Developing Countries; Development; Device Designs; Devices; Digit structure; Economic Development; Engineering; Ensure; Equilibrium; Female; Filament; Fingers; Fostering; Funding; Government; Hand; Healthcare Systems; Incidence; Industry; International; Lead; Life; Limb structure; Lubrication; Manuals; Marketing; Masks; Methods; Mission; Motion; Movement; Muscular Atrophy; Pain; Patients; Performance; Phase; Plant Resins; Polymers; Positioning Attribute; Process; Product Labeling; Production; Productivity; Prosthesis; Protocols documentation; Publishing; Quality of life; Relative (related person); Reporting; Research; Research Infrastructure; Resources; Role; Self Perception; Side; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Societies; Structure; System; Technology; Textiles; Translating; Translations; Underserved Population; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration; United States National Institutes of Health; Upper Extremity; Validation; Well in self; Woman; Work; commercialization; cost; design; disability; experience; flexibility; grasp; improved; innovation; manufacturing process; member; men; operation; packaging material; programs; public health relevance; self reliance; self-renewal; social; social stigma; sound; tool; volunteer

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Prostheses reduce the incidence of contralateral overuse syndrome in upper-limb amputees by encouraging balanced, bimanual limb usage. Benefits include reduced pain and muscular atrophy, increased productivity and self-reliance, improved self-image, a sense of well being, and increased social acceptance. Body- powered prostheses are used extensively in the United States (US) and abroad owing to their relative affordability, high reliability, and excellent utility. Invisible Hand Enterprises (IHE), LLC is developing an innovative biomimetic prehensile digit technology that will extend these benefits to two underserved populations: 1) partial-hand amputees, for whom very few components exist that enable useful grasp, and 2) upper-limb amputees worldwide who need prosthetic terminal devices resembling the anatomical hand with excellent cosmesis and realistic movement for reasons pertaining to social and cultural acceptance. In Phase I of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, IHE demonstrated technological and economical viability of its core digit technology. Polymer resins and high-performance textile filaments replicate key structures and functions of the anatomical finger, resulting in devices that are low-cost, lightweight, exceptionally robust, and that require no lubrication. As modular building-blocks, the digits are clinically flexible, enabling prosthetists to create partial-hand prostheses optimized t function in concert with remaining natural digits. Incorporated into a whole-hand terminal device, the digits deliver cosmesis and movements that are psychologically satisfying to amputees, particularly females, and that help deflect attention in regions where stigmas against limb deficiencies are deeply entrenched and often lead to social rejection. In Phase II, IHE will make necessary design refinements and translate its core technology into a modular digit form suitable for commercial distribution. Digits will also be integrated into an existing hand structur, developed previously, that was highly praised by amputee evaluators but rejected for its lack of cable-operation and realistic movement. These products will be clinically evaluated using validated and industry-approved assessment protocols along with extended field performance validations, all performed by volunteer subjects. Manufacturing infrastructure and production processes will be established to support Phase III commercialization activities. Both modular digits and whole hand terminal devices will be brought to market as commercial products using IHE's existing US and international distributors, along with humanitarian agencies. IHE's mission is to delight amputees in the US and abroad by providing affordable new options that help them relish living and enjoy an even higher quality of life. This work is important and worthwhile, and wholly consistent with the spirit and purposes of the National Institute of Health's SBIR program.

描述（由申请人提供）：假肢通过鼓励平衡的双手肢体使用来减少上肢截肢者对侧过度使用综合症的发生率。好处包括减少疼痛和肌肉萎缩、提高生产力和自力更生、改善自我形象、幸福感以及提高社会接受度。身体动力假肢因其相对实惠、高可靠性和出色的实用性而在美国和国外广泛使用。 Invisible Hand Enterprises (IHE), LLC 正在开发一种创新的仿生抓握数字技术，该技术将把这些好处扩展到两个服务不足的人群：1) 部分手截肢者，对于他们来说，几乎没有能够进行有效抓握的部件，以及 2) 上肢出于与社会和文化接受度相关的原因，世界各地的截肢者需要类似于解剖学手的假肢终端装置，具有出色的美观性和逼真的动作。在小型企业创新研究 (SBIR) 计划的第一阶段，IHE 展示了其核心数字技术的技术和经济可行性。聚合物树脂和高性能纺织长丝复制了解剖学手指的关键结构和功能，从而使设备成本低廉、重量轻、异常坚固且无需润滑。作为模块化构建块， 手指在临床上是灵活的，使假肢师能够创建与剩余自然手指相一致的功能优化的部分手假肢。这些手指融入全手终端设备中，为截肢者（尤其是女性）带来心理上的满足感和动作，并有助于转移人们对肢体缺陷的耻辱根深蒂固并经常导致社会排斥的地区的注意力。在第二阶段，IHE将进行必要的设计改进，并将其核心技术转化为适合商业发行的模块化数字形式。数字还将集成到先前开发的现有手部结构中，该结构受到截肢评估者的高度赞扬，但因缺乏电缆操作和逼真的运动而被拒绝。这些产品将使用经过验证和行业批准的评估协议以及扩展的现场性能验证进行临床评估，所有这些均由志愿者受试者执行。将建立制造基础设施和生产流程以支持第三阶段的商业化活动。模块化数字和全手持终端设备将通过 IHE 现有的美国和国际分销商以及人道主义机构作为商业产品推向市场。 IHE 的使命是通过提供负担得起的新选择来让美国和国外的截肢者感到高兴，帮助他们享受生活并享受更高质量的生活。这项工作重要且有价值，并且完全符合美国国立卫生研究院 SBIR 计划的精神和宗旨。