| Patient Area |
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This section of the website provides information on how our technology interacts with the patient.
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| Through continued research, development and testing, Animated Prosthetics is striving to provide prosthetic arms that are; |
| PREDICTABLE |
| When the prosthesis is matched to
you, you have better control of its functions. The prosthesis should always do what you
expect it to do. If not, it will never be an effective tool. The little girl pictured on the right is using her new hand to play a virtual pet. This video was taken 15 minutes after her arm was adjusted to match her abilities. When you play the video, notice her smooth deliberate pressing of the button then the immediate fast release. |
| CONFIGURABLE |
| The control system should be able
to be configured to match the patients changing conditions, especially for a new
patient. This patient lost her arm above the elbow in a boating accident. The prosthesis shown is considered a hybrid because it has a body controlled elbow and a myoelectric controlled hand. This unfinished version of the arm will have the cosmetic covers added after the fit and function have been proven. Initially it was thought that she would only be able to wear body powered components (elbow and hook) because her myoelectric signals were so low. The ACS was setup to open the hand using a single, tiny myoelectric signal, and to close automatically when she removed the signal. As she progressed, her signals increased, so the ACS was setup to give her direct control of both the open and close functions. As her progress continues, she will ultimately have variable speed and grip control. Her video clip shows her smooth operation of the elbow and hand. |
| RELIABLE |
| The control system must operate
consistently day to day. Many features were included in the ACS design to ensure that the
battery is charged and discharged properly, that no energy is wasted, and that the system
components are not stressed. These, plus many other features, add up to increased
reliability. This patient was born without an arm. She is a very active user, opening and closing her hand about 3000 times a day. View her video to see her at "work" and play. The ACS allows her great control and the battery lasts more than a day. Her previous prosthesis required her to carry several batteries to get a full days usage. |
| ADJUSTABLE |
| When it comes to a prosthesis, one
size does not fit all. This is true for the prosthesis control system also. In addition to
the many modes of operation that can be selected within the ACS, there are over 50
variables that can be adjusted to specifically match the prosthesis to the patient. A
device called the Prosthesis Configuration Unit (PCU) is used to allow the prosthetist to
monitor and change these values. The patient pictured here has a prosthesis with a hand and a wrist rotation device. Our control system is adjusted to match her capabilities. While watching her video notice how smooth the hand and wrist operations are and how fast the transition between hand and wrist is performed. |
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| PRESENTABLE |
| We are always working on new
components that are smaller and lighter. One reason for this is to increase the
cosmetic appeal of the arm. The smaller components allow the arm to have a natural size
and shape. If the patient is not self-conscious about the looks of the arm, they will more
likely wear it and use it. One example of components having a direct effect on the arm cosmetics, is the battery mounting method. Our batteries are designed to mount inside the prosthesis, where they are also protected from the environment. This method eliminates the large hump in the forearm required for removable batteries. The arm shown on the right is a below the elbow prosthesis. The glove over the hand and forearm has been has cosmetically enhanced to give the arm a very natural look. |
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| ADAPTABLE |
| A major advantage of using the ACS
is that it can control many different hands. So as a child grows and requires larger
hands, or if the needs of the patient change, the control system moves to the next hand,
reducing the refitting cost. Therefore all the patient customization moves to the next
hand, significantly reducing the learning time for the new prosthesis. The ACS can control all the hands shown in the photo plus several others. |
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| DURABLE |
| Testing, Testing, Testing, years of lab and real-life testing are behind our designs. We perform stress and destructive testing on all new components before they are added to our product line. Critical components are encapsulated in a protective coating to increase their resistance to environmental and mechanical factors. Additionally, every production ACS and battery is stress tested, long before it is on a patient, to detect and correct any potential problems. The photo shows an ACS module in a vacuum chamber. |
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©
Copyright 1999- 2000 Animated Prosthetics, Inc. |
