The FDA-cleared LUKE arm, an integrated prosthetic arm from Mobius Bionics LLC, is set to enter the market in late 2016.
Developed by DEKA Research & Development Corp and manufactured by Universal Instruments Corporation, the prosthetic arm is targeted toward people with forearm to shoulder-level amputations.
Its features include: a powered shoulder with the capability to reach overhead or behind the back; a powered elbow and a powered, multi-movement wrist; and a hand with four independent motors and a conforming grip.
Additional features include a grip-force sensor; a variety of controls including electromyographic electrodes and foot-mounted inertial measurement sensors; and protection against water and dust, according to a media release from Mobius Bionics LLC.
DEKA developed the prosthetic arm under a federal interagency agreement with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Revolutionizing Prosthetics program, with additional funding from the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command through a contract with the Army Research Office, the release notes.
“Up to this point, design in prosthetic arms has been limited to incremental changes. We developed the LUKE arm to change the game for amputees – creating an innovative, integrated system that offers greater functionality and independence to our wounded warriors and other amputees,” explains Dean Kamen, president of DEKA.
For more information, visit Mobius Bionics LLC.
[Source(s): Mobius Bionics LLC, Business Wire]
