Several people have written to us offering gas pedal devices or left foot gas pedals for amputees or people who cannot use their right foot on the gas pedal.  If you know of someone who could use such a device, write to us and we will try to connect you with someone who would like to donate a device.

Prosthetic technology has been advancing quickly, especially with respect to prosthetic legs.  New technology allows leg amputees to participate in many sports and activities that enhance quality of life.  The same may not be true of prosthetic arm technology.  While there are exciting efforts currently under development to create “bionic” arms, upper limb amputees still face many limitations in dealing with everyday life issues.  The resumption of athletic pursuits with a prosthetic arm may often seem unrealistic.  

Because the number of people with prosthetic arms is small, even relatively simple sports-related prosthetic arm modifications may not be available to the typical person.  But it may be that, with a limited amount of funding and access to basic engineering resources, some useful arm modifications could be developed to allow those with prosthetic arms to enjoy some of the activities that were important to them before their amputation, or to take on new activities to enhance their life.  For example, some engineering students at Duke University developed an arm modification that allowed a young man who lost an arm in Iraq to resume rock-climbing.

The Given Limb Foundation would like your ideas! Are there activities you would like to take on, if only your prosthetic arm had some modification to allow it?  Have you made modifications to your arm to allow you to participate in sports or other recreational activities?  Do you have information to share about how you or others you know have resumed athletic activities after an amputation?  

We have learned that the Challenged Athletes Foundation has grants available to those who need assistance with equipment, travel, etc., in order to resume athletic pursuits. We welcome other ideas for funding as well as ideas for prosthetic modifications.

 I hope all interested in prosthetic developments saw this week’s 60 Minutes…if not, below is a link to the video.  Jon Kuniholm, the Duke biomedical engineer featured in the story, is a Given Limb board member and we are all proud of his team’s accomplishments.  In fact, Peter Truskey, whose summer work at Duke was reported in this blog, was part of the team focused on the arm that was featured by Jon on the show.  Peter’s work was funded by another Given Limb board member.

 http://www.cbs.com/primetime/60_minutes/video/video.php?cid=927554855&pid=k9ZHLvJ5VysMnDVZurp9S3UPlYaOloDm&play=true&cc=0

As of now, the student on the myoelectric signal processing project has written software to classify and analyze the data. He is still working out a few bugs in the data analysis, but so far the processor is mostly able to classify and recognize classes of data….which, translated, means it is able to identify electrical “signatures” for different types of arm movements.  Additionally, the team has written the software for showing the data in real time. The next step, in addition to finishing up some final parts of the software, is to connect the signal processing to a real signal. Using a beagle board (like the guts of a mini computer …no screen or keyboard, just the innards needed to “drive” an arm or a hand), the team will be able to hook up live electrodes and test out the processor with some real data. Stay tuned!

One of the great things about the myoelectric signal processor project is that it is all “open source,” which means others can have access to the software to collaborate and make improvements.  In order to keep the software open source, all of the signal processing is being performed in the commonly used software Javascript.  Data analysis is being performed to measure the range and repeatability of the measurements (for the truly data-savvy out there, the student is using a Linear Descriminant Analysis (LDA), as well as using a Gaussian statistical model). Additionally, the signal processor will be able to plot out the  voltages being recorded by the electrodes in real time. This plot is similar to an electrocardiogram signal and will show voltages versus time. This will be useful because it will allow the team to see the voltage reactions from different movements and it will also allow them to make sure that the electrodes and circuit board are properly connected and all voltages are being recorded.

The student has been working on the signal processing aspect of the myoelectric arm project. The role of the signal processing is to collect live data from a circuit board that is connected to the electrodes placed on the person’s arm.  First the person is guided through a series of hand motions while the device is attached. These include certain types of grips or movements like pointing. The data comes in as voltages which are then run through a series of algorithms or programs to classify the data. Once the data is classified then the subject should be able to move their hand more freely and the signal processor will recognize certain classes of movement.  Next post will be more about how the information from this research will be shared.

Duke student engineer Peter Truskey has continued to work the “myopen” project this summer with Given Limb board member, Jon Kunihom, as mentor.  In mid-July they attended a conference where they demonstrated the project and what they had completed to that point. Up until the conference, Peter continued to work on the software for the collection and analysis of the data. The software was written into Javascript so that it was completely open source and would be available to anybody to make changes to it. Since they returned from the conference, however, they have shifted their focus onto making a prototype of the board they been designing. The board is the centerpiece of the project and is where the  electrodes that collect the electromyograms (EMGs) will connect. The board will collect the analog data and using the software, process it and output a signal. Peter has been helping them with some final pieces of the board recently so that it can be prototyped. Some of the main issues they have been focusing on is what components to use.  They have been designing several similar prototypes with certain parts being varied. They should be ready to make these prototypes shortly, and once they are made, they can test them to determine the final design.  What this all means is that technology is now one step closer to creating a higher functioning myoelectric arm.  Stay tuned.

As board members for Given Limb, we are constantly interested in and monitoring what is happening on the forefront of research in both mechanical and myoelectric prosthetics.  One interesting project, which is ongoing at Duke University, is based on the electrical signals generated by skin and muscle cells in our body.  A student is working to design a device capable of collecting skin surface electromyographic signals (electrical signals generated by the cells) from the arm and then process the data and deliver it to a host device.  The host device is basically a computer, which could be anything from the operator of a prosthetic arm to a video game controller.  More information on the project can be found at:
 http://openprosthetics.wikispot.org/Open_Myoelectric_Signal_Processor.

Prosthetic Arm Clearinghouse Encourages Innovation–Innovation in prosthetic arm design has been slow, largely because the market for prosthetic arms is small and the development costs are high, due to the complex functions of the hand and arm.  But Jonathan Kuniholm, a marine reservist who lost his arm when his platoon was ambushed and an IED exploded outside of Baghdad on New Year’s Day 2005, is trying to get innovators to collaborate online to make better prosthetic arms for amputees.

Jonathan, a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, founded the Open Prosthetic Project (OPP) to encourage engineers, designers and innovators to share their ideas and designs with others.  The OPP acts as a clearinghouse of ideas–contributors are invited to join an ongoing discussion about prosthetic arm design, and to give and take ideas to and from the site.  Nothing is proprietary, and the hope is that this process will encourage design improvements that will benefit upper limb amputees across the country and the world.

Click here to see the full “Scientific American” article.

Monkeys Think, Moving Artificial Arm as Own—Past studies have shown humans who have been paralyzed for years can control a cursor on a computer screen with a cursor. This new study, conducted by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, shows that two monkeys with sensors implanted in their brains, can control a mechanical arm to reach for food and even adjust to the size and stickiness of morsels. Experts not involved in the study said the findings were likely to accelerate interest in human testing, especially given the need to treat head and spinal injuries in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. (Source: New York Times, May 29, 2008)