The Psyonic Hand, a revolutionary technology, aims to be the first commercial prosthesis with both myoelectric control and sensory feedback, thus it creates different hand grasps and a sense of touch and pressure. It also incorporates 3D printed pieces which drastically reduce costs. In conjunction with ROMP, University of Illinois MD/PhD student, Aadeel Akhtar aims to deliver the device for 1/10th of the cost of most commercially available myoelectric prostheses.
“This is an affordable design that will quickly become available to all of the world’s amputees. There are 2.4 million arm amputees in the worldwide. Most of them do not have access to any sort of prosthetic care let alone advanced bionic systems.” says ROMP co-Founder David Krupa.
The current field trial, organized by the Range of Motion Project (ROMP), arranged for Ecuadorian amputees to participate in clinical tests and provide direct user feedback. Psyonic engineers used ROMP’s on-site 3D printer lab to fabricate and make immediate improvements to the product’s design.
These events in Ecuador are also the subject of a feature length documentary by Legendary Pictures, the producers of the biopic Steve Jobs, which will highlight ROMP and Aadeel Akhtar. The Konwiser brothers are directing the film.
ROMP is a for-impact healthcare organization that provides prosthetic and orthotic technology to those who do not have access to these services. It operates a full-time prosthetic clinic in Zacapa, Guatemala, as well as programs in Ecuador, the United States, and Chiapas, Mexico. It estimates that it has delivered over 2500 prosthetic devices to patients in need throughout the Americas.
PSYONIC is a technology startup whose mission is to deliver advanced, neurally-controlled prosthetic hands with more functionality and lower cost than other state-of-the-art prostheses. Psyonic co-founder, Patrick Slade, was selected as a 30 under 30 entrepreneur in Healthcare by Forbes Magazine.
