Germany-headquartered prosthetics manufacturer Ottobock HealthCare reports that it has agreed to acquire Boston-based BionX Medical Technologies Inc for an undisclosed price.
With this acquisition, Ottobock now takes over the global marketing of the emPOWER Ankle prosthetic foot and ankle solution, which BionX manufactures.
“Innovations are our key growth driver. Combining the know-how of Ottobock and BionX is a crucial step towards reaching goals such as the intuitive prosthetic leg more quickly,” says Professor Hans Georg Näder, president of Ottobock HealthCare GmbH, in a media release from Ottobock.
“I am certain that this transaction constitutes an important step towards shaping the future of bionic prostheses by combining Ottobock’s proven track record of setting standards of care for amputees with BionX’s groundbreaking product and innovation capabilities,” states Professor Hugh Herr, BionX founder and developer of the emPOWER Ankle.
Herr also directs the Center for Extreme Bionics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The emPOWER Ankle features an active drive system, consisting of sensors and microprocessors integrated into the prosthesis that determine the energy, resistance, and flexion in the ankle joint required for each step, reflexively adapting to the respective situation. This in turn replaces the function of the muscles and tendons in the foot, and supplies additional energy to the user while walking, according to the release.
[Source: Ottobock HealthCare]
