Prosthetic News and Research

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Prosthetic (Prosthesis) devices, such as an artificial leg, that replace a part of the body. Prostheses are typically used to replace parts lost by injury (traumatic) or missing from birth (congenital) or to supplement defective body parts. Inside the body, artificial heart valves are in common use with artificial hearts and lungs seeing less common use but under active technology development. Other medical devices and aids that can be considered prosthetics include artificial eyes, palatal obturator, gastric bands, and dentures.

New discovery has implications for better restoration of sight in AMD patients

Macular degeneration causes blindness in millions of people in the Western world. It is the most common cause of severe vision loss in the Western world among those aged 50 and over, and its prevalence increases with age.

26 Dec 2019

New wearable skin-integrated haptic VR device can be controlled and powered wirelessly

Sensing a hug from your friend through a video call with him/her may become a reality soon. A joint-research team consisted of scientists and engineers from City University of Hong Kong and Northwestern University in the United States has developed a skin-integrated virtual reality system, which can be controlled and powered wirelessly.

20 Nov 2019

Standard methods not adequate to detect prosthetic joint infections in rheumatic disease patients

Standard diagnostic methods are not adequate to identify prosthetic joint infections in patients with rheumatic diseases, according to findings from a new study by researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

12 Nov 2019

Tips to help older adults maintain good oral health

Older adults are at an especially high risk for mouth and tooth infections and the complications that can come with these problems.

10 Nov 2019

Breakthrough in developing bionic legs

For a brief time, Kerry Finn felt like "The Terminator" or "The Six Million Dollar Man."

30 Oct 2019

A new breakthrough in bionic legs

For a brief time, Kerry Finn felt like "The Terminator" or "The Six Million Dollar Man." The 60-year-old retired truck driver from Salt Lake County, Utah, lost his left leg to vascular disease from type 2 diabetes.

30 Oct 2019

Rock icon receives replacement heart valve in New York City hospital

Mick Jagger owes some thanks for the fact he's alive and strutting to Ajit Yoganathan and his lab crew. In fact, millions of people do.

30 Oct 2019

Electrical brain implants enable patient to have 'mind control' of motorized prosthetic arms

In a set of proof-of-concept experiments, Johns Hopkins researchers have implanted electrodes in both sides of the brain of a person who is mostly paralyzed — with minimal sensation in his hands — to enable him to have some “mind control” of motorized prosthetic arms.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 15 Oct 2019

Imperial scientists aim to re-engineer stump skin for more comfortable prosthetics

People who have had limbs removed often use false arms and legs, known as prosthetics, to improve mobility and independence - but 75 per cent of prosthetic-wearing amputees encounter problems like skin tears, ulceration, and blisters.

10 Oct 2019

New smart prosthetic sockets aim to improve comfort, performance in prostheses

As a physically active college student Trevor LeMaster is no stranger to bodily aches and pains. He is a runner and a former high school wrestler who experiences soreness and workout injuries. LeMaster is also a transfemoral amputee and has first-hand knowledge of the impacts the fit of his prosthetic device has on his residual limb.

9 Oct 2019

New prosthesis feels and acts like original limb

A new prosthesis powered by microscopic electrodes implanted in the thigh muscles of the wearer transmits natural sensations when the limb is touched, as well as with the movement of the limb.

3 Oct 2019

Hope for an artificial hand with new simulation

A study has revealed a simulation that incorporates the hand's skin, muscles, bones, tendons and joints, which will be valuable for the development of biologically-inspired robotic hands.

27 Sep 2019

Oral health plays increasing role in overall health of the elderly

Oral health is a critical component to overall health for all ages, but according to dental and medical experts from UConn Health, vigilance is especially critical for the elderly.

26 Sep 2019

Wearable brain-machine interface could help disabled people to control a wheelchair or vehicle

Combining new classes of nanomembrane electrodes with flexible electronics and a deep learning algorithm could help disabled people wirelessly control an electric wheelchair, interact with a computer or operate a small robotic vehicle without donning a bulky hair-electrode cap or contending with wires.

20 Sep 2019

New neuroprosthetic technology combines robotic control with users’ voluntary control

EPFL scientists are developing new approaches for improved control of robotic hands - in particular for amputees - that combines individual finger control and automation for improved grasping and manipulation.

11 Sep 2019

Mesh electronics could make brain stimulation the new therapeutic norm

Implantable brain electrodes have been around for quite some time now, both for diagnosing and treating neuropsychiatric conditions like Parkinson’s disease. However, one limitation of conventional probes is their size and rigidity, compared to the soft, gelatinous consistency of the brain.

6 Sep 2019