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.

Study examines outcomes following mechanical prosthetic vs bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement

In a comparison of mechanical prosthetic vs bioprosthetic mitral valves among patients 50 to 69 years of age undergoing mitral valve replacement, there was no significant difference in survival at 15 years, although there were differences in risk of reoperation, bleeding and stroke, according to a study in the April 14 issue of JAMA.

16 Apr 2015

New article highlights need for optimization of warfarin therapy

Warfarin can be a challenging drug to manage. Long-term anticoagulation is recommended for patients with atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke, and for those with recurrent venous thrombosis or prosthetic heart valves.

1 Apr 2015

New UH research shows how non-invasive brain-machine interface can help control prosthetic hand

A research team from the University of Houston has created an algorithm that allowed a man to grasp a bottle and other objects with a prosthetic hand, powered only by his thoughts.

1 Apr 2015

Shape-memory alloy wires to drive artificial hands

Engineers at Saarland University have taken a leaf out of nature's book by equipping an artificial hand with muscles made from shape-memory wire. The new technology enables the fabrication of flexible and lightweight robot hands for industrial applications and novel prosthetic devices.

25 Mar 2015

Three Austrian men undergo bionic hand reconstruction

Three Austrian men have become the first in the world to undergo a new technique called “bionic reconstruction”, enabling them to use a robotic prosthetic hand controlled by their mind, according to new research published in The Lancet.

26 Feb 2015

Three innovative research projects aim to improve lives of people with mobility difficulties

A prosthetic hand controlled by the nervous system, robotic clothing to help people with walking, and biosensors to monitor how patients use equipment or exercise during rehabilitation are the focus of three research projects awarded £5.3 million by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

25 Feb 2015

CryoLife's revenues increase 5% to $37.2M in fourth quarter 2014

CryoLife, Inc., a leading medical device and tissue processing company focused on cardiac and vascular surgery, announced today its results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2014.

17 Feb 2015

Rehabilitation experts to develop prosthetic limb that moves and feels like natural one

Rehabilitation experts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine hope to one day give people with an arm amputation a prosthetic limb that not only moves like a natural one, but "feels" like it, too.

12 Feb 2015

Three groups of researchers receive BRAIN Initiative funding to improve artificial limb technology

Three groups of researchers who have received support from the National Institutes of Health will obtain funding from the President's BRAIN Initiative to improve artificial limb technology. The new awards will be funded and administered by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and will build on the fundamental discoveries that were made possible by NIH support.

10 Feb 2015

Researchers win $2.5 million DARPA contract to study prosthetic limb technology

A research team led by Paul Marasco, Ph.D., of Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, has won a $2.5 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The contract was awarded through DARPA's new Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces (HAPTIX) program, which aims to deliver naturalistic sensations to amputees and enable better control over their prosthetic limbs through direct connections to users' nervous systems.

10 Feb 2015

Utah researchers receive $1.4 million to develop implantable neural interface

University of Utah researchers have received $1.4 million to further develop an implantable neural interface that will allow an amputee to move an advanced prosthetic hand with just his or her thoughts. The neural interface will also convey feelings of touch and movement.

9 Feb 2015

PPDC awards grants to three companies developing new medical devices for children

The Philadelphia Pediatric Medical Device Consortium announces its first three awards to companies developing new medical devices for children.

4 Feb 2015

Understanding how the brain works in individuals with autism

New research could lead to a better understanding of how the brain works in people with autism.

3 Feb 2015

JHU Applied Physics Laboratory awarded $4 million to develop retinal prosthesis system

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, in Laurel, Maryland, has received $4 million in funding from the Mann Fund to develop a next-generation retinal prosthesis system. The Mann Fund was created by philanthropist Alfred E. Mann 15 years ago to support the development of biomedical technologies.

16 Jan 2015

Bilateral shoulder-level amputee controls APL's Modular Prosthetic Limbs

A Colorado man made history at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) this summer when he became the first bilateral shoulder-level amputee to wear and simultaneously control two of the Laboratory's Modular Prosthetic Limbs.

22 Dec 2014

ETH Zurich, University of Zurich jointly open new translational research centre

ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich are taking their long-standing partnership to a new level with a new translational research centre. The two universities are founding the Wyss Translational Center Zurich (WTZ) with funds donated by Hansjörg Wyss to the ETH Zurich Foundation.

14 Dec 2014

Breakthrough research could lead to prosthetic retinas for people suffering from retinal damage

Scientists have developed a new light-sensitive film that could one day form the basis of a prosthetic retina to help people suffering from retinal damage or degeneration. Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers collaborated with colleagues from Tel Aviv University and Newcastle University in the research, which was published in the journal Nano Letters.

5 Dec 2014

DePuy Synthes Spine receives FDA clearance to market VEPTR/VETPR II Devices for TIS treatment

DePuy Synthes Spine today announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the VEPTR/VEPTR II Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib Devices for the treatment of Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome (TIS), a rare congenital condition where severe deformities of the chest, spine or ribs impair breathing and lung growth in children.

5 Dec 2014

New study describes revolutionary novel device that has potential to treat eye diseases

The aging process affects everything from cardiovascular function to memory to sexuality. Most worrisome for many, however, is the potential loss of eyesight due to retinal degeneration.

3 Dec 2014

Research findings have major implications for public dental health resources, costs for patients

The latest research from the University of Adelaide challenges current thinking on whether many people with tooth loss really need dentures.

2 Dec 2014