Bionic prosthesis: state-of-the-art rehabilitation device

In the last decades, the development of technologies has made enormous steps towards the future. Electric cars, harmless for the environment, high-speed trains reaching speeds up to 580 km/h, and, of course, prostheses capable of restoring the functionality of a lost limb. All of this is no longer science fiction, but our reality. Technologies in the sphere of prosthetics have developed to such a degree that the modern bionic prosthesis can be considered a full-fledge limb of a cyborg, the person of the future.

What are bionic prostheses?

A bionic prosthesis is bioelectric and myo-electric, it operates by using special myo-sensors to read the electrical potential generated during exertion by the preserved hand muscle tissues. Myo-sensors that ensure the correct reading of this electrical potential consist of sensitive electrodes. They transmit a readable signal to the microprocessor, the brain of the entire prosthesis that processes the received information using computer algorithms. As a result, the microprocessor, based on the received signal, in a fraction of a second forms commands and sends them to the motors that also actuate the active parts of the prosthesis.

At this time, the bionic prostheses are divided into two types:

Single-grasp
Multi-grasp

Single-grasp prosthesis

The prosthesis with one type of grasp is equipped with only one motor, which during its operation ensures one-complex opening-closing of the fingers when a signal comes from the processor.
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Multi-grasp prosthesis

The bioelectric prosthesis with several types of grasp has a motor for each finger. This allows it to perform a set of different grasps (gestures) and types of wrist opening-closing. The number of gestures and their modification are programmed into the prosthesis processor and depend only in individual preferences of the specific user.
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Bionic prostheses are suitable for adults with injury at the forearm level and are indicative in the following cases:

Congenital developmental defects like a stump at all levels;
Amputation stumps at all levels;
On a short and long stump and after exarticulation in the radiocarpal joint.

The Motorica team is engaged in developing and producing both single-grasp and multi-grasp prostheses with external power source. Bionic prostheses can be obtained for free with compensation from the government.