The 42-year-old micro-computer wizard, a former employee of Texas Instruments, had years of experience designing industrial and medical- diagnostic system controls before a fellow bowler introduced him to a Houston area prosthetist. The practitioner had several innovative ideas and was seeking help with mechanism aspects.

     "Before this, I'd never had any exposure to prosthetics," Tompkins noted. "But then I saw a three-year-old girl- an arm amputee- who needed to be able to brush her hair. That really hooked me emotionally..."

     Once Tompkins became involved in the research, however, he knew that nothing substantial could be achieved in the field of myoelectrics until a core problem was resolved- better prosthetic batteries.

     That was approximately seven years ago; since then, the versatile innovator has created a myoelectric control system that vastly improves function and convenience for wearers.

     "A lot of the products I've since designed have come out of my frustrations in looking at the available technology in prosthetics," he explained.

     "I wanted to create a new control system, but didn't want to do it within the limitations on the existing batteries."

     Locating a more functional battery was the first step, he noted. With an improved energy source in place, Tompkins set about designing a more sophisticated control unit. It was meant for upper limb amputees previously considered unsuitable candidates because of extreme youth or inadequate muscle signals.

     His creation is a microcomputer-based module known as the ACS-1000 Animation Control System (ACS). Integral to its operation are a fitting and monitoring device termed a Prosthesis Configuration Unit (PCU), and high-performance lithium-ion batteries. The end result is a microcomputer-guided prosthesis with tailored capabilities, a longer life, faster recharge, and improved cosmesis.

     With lab work well underway, Tompkins began refining the device in 1994 in conjunction with C. Michael Schuch, CPO, of Duke University Medical Center's Prosthetics and Orthotics Department. Tompkins, founder and president of Animated Prosthetics, moved his family and business from Texas to Greensboro, North Carolina, to be closer to the famed research facility and prosthetic patients. Field testing started in early 1996.

     Since then, six upper extremity amputees, including a young child with a congenital deficiency, have been fit with the new prosthesis which adapts to Otto Bock and VASI hand and wrist components. According to Tompkins, results have exceeded their expectations- particularly in the area of battery life and quick recharging. A major plus has been the ease and accuracy in designing and modifying the control unit, thanks to the prosthesis configuration unit (PCU).

     Initially, the inventor noted, a prosthetist works with whatever muscle signals the amputee is able to deliver. Various tasks and arm operation factors such as myoelectric signal level, hand speed, proportional or on/off control, and maximum grip can be programmed according to the wearer's ability. The PCU, a portable device with a video screen, is linked to the control system by wireless telemetry, letting the practitioner actually see how the prosthesis is functioning while it is being worn. Tompkins explained that as the amputee becomes more adept, configurations can also become increasingly sophisticated by reprogramming the controls without rebuilding the prosthesis. This customizing feature represents a major savings in the prosthetist's time and in resulting costs, he added.

     Further, permanent memory in the control system tracks data such as the number of open/close cycles or battery recharges so the prosthetist can tell exactly how extensively and how well the amputee is using the prosthesis.

     "This sort of information is invaluable these days, when managed care organizations and other funding sources are demanding reports on rehabilitation outcomes," Tompkins noted.

     He gives major credit for the performance of his advanced prosthesis to the lithium-ion batteries which have greater power densities than nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride varieties. Plus, he points out, the new batteries are lighter, smaller per given output, longer lasting, and faster recharging. They come in four prosthetic styles- from adult to infant- the smallest of which is flat, flexible, and about the size of a business card. All mount inside the prosthesis.

     Cost and practitioner's learning curve are other favorable aspects of the new technology, according to the inventor.

     "The initial price for the control module is slightly more than a pediatric myoelectric unit, but when the overall system is considered, cost is comparable to other myoelectric systems."

     "And, within a few hours, we can show a prosthetist how to use the diagnostic equipment for design and modification. Prosthetists don't have to enroll in lengthy training sessions," he emphasized.

     Elated with the results they've seen so far, Schuch and Tompkins presented their advanced myoelectric system in mid-march. A formal paper on the new technology was featured at the 23rd Annual Meeting & Scientific Symposium in San Francisco for members of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists.

     While not a practitioner, Mike Tompkins has educated himself extensively concerning the needs of the upper extremity amputees, and he is enthusiastic about working in the O&P field in conjunction with its professionals.

     "In the beginning, being an outsider was an advantage to me. I didn't know of any of the barriers, nor was I blinded by any limitations! Once I saw how primitive some of the prosthetic controls were, I simply knew something had to be done!"

Reprinted by permission of ACA In Motion Magazine
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