Accelerate Applications to Transhumeral and Higher Levels of Limb Loss
Abstract
Fiscal Year 2015 Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program priorities include the Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program, which includes innovations required to reset wounded Warriors, including those with major upper limb (UL) loss -- for duty performance as well as quality of life. This proposal describes a 2-year project to expedite and expand upon a very important Department of Defense-funded project already underway at Motion Control, Inc. -- a well-established manufacturer of upper limb (UL) prosthetic components. The existing project, within another year and a half, will complete development of a new work hand, the electric terminal device second-generation (ETD2), and several electric wrist modules that can be used separately, or together, to provide wrist rotation and/or wrist flexion in two directions. All of these components will be water resistant, and designed in very tough plastics and metal, to be used in heavy-duty work, and/or military environments, out of doors, impervious to water, dirt, and sweat. The new project will add a high-performance electric elbow to these components, designed to be just as rugged as the others, so that persons with UL loss, even up to the shoulder, are able to utilize these components in a practical, durable, electric-powered artificial arm system. To accomplish this ambitious task, in this short time period, will require completion of the new elbow, ETD2 and wrist projects, including completion of electronic controllers for each component, motor drives for each component, and a system of inter-connections for both physically attaching the components together, but also to connect them all electrically. Like all prosthetic components, the motor drives must be low noise, quick and smooth, and as small and lightweight as possible, while still delivering high torques. Fortunately, Motion Control has a long (30+ year) history of making powered components, and will draw upon that design and manufacturing experience. Also, the controllers and motor drives can draw upon the same microprocessors, and often the same motors, so each design can be somewhat modular. Plastics are stronger and tougher each year, and design tools and experience also improve with time. Drawing from these advantages, Motion Control is committed to providing rugged and practical components truly needed by not only the 200 patients with UL loss from the Middle East conflicts, but also for the much larger population of Veterans and civilians (100,000 or more, counting all UL loss persons).
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 2016
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610056
Entities
People
- Harold Sears
Organizations
- United States Army