Robohand goes on sale

 

The world's most sophisticated prosthetic device, developed by British engineers, goes on sale for £8,500.

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The i-LIMB, made by Touch Bionics, mimics the actions of a real human hand by including five individually powered digits.

The technology can also be adapted for patients whith partial hands as a result of congenitally missing fingers or an accident.

Much of the clinical trialing of the system was carried out in the US, using soldiers who have lost limbs in combat.

According to Sergeant US Army (retired) Juan Arredondo, who lost a hand in Iraq: "Every day that I have the hand, it surprises me. Now I can pick up a styrofoam cup without crushing it.

"With my other myoelectric hand, I would really have to concentrate on how much pressure I was putting on the cup. The i-LIMB hand does things naturally. I can just grab the cup like a regular person."

The system works by offering an intuitive control system powered by a traditional myoelectric signal input to open and close the hand.

These signals are determined by the muscles remaining in the patient's limb and picked up by electrodes that sit on the surface of the skin.

Improving the grip of artificial hands

This level of control allowed for the development of a rotating thumb, which can be used to form a number of different grips and allow users to hold items in a number of ways, including between thumb and forefinger.

Donald McKillop, of Kilmarnock in Scotland, was one of the first patients to be fitted with the device: "I was amazed by how quickly I could learn to do things with the i-LIMB hand, even only an hour after being fitted with it.

"The most important thing is the movement of the fingers, that’s what really makes the difference. It’s truly incredible to see the fingers moving and gripping around objects that I haven’t been able to pick up before.

"The hand does feel like a real replacement for my missing hand and it is now very natural for me to pick up all sorts of objects. It makes everyday activities much easier," he said.

According to Stuart Mead, Touch Bionics CEO: "We have always existed to change the lives of patients with severe injuries and disabilities, and it is thrilling to feel that we are able to accomplish that goal."

Touch Bionics, who are based in Scotland, was established to exploit intellectual property owned by the NHS.

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