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.

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.

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.