Eastern Michigan University, College Park Industries Develop New Technology to Shed Light on How Forces Affect Amputees, Prosthetics
By marketwire.com,Publication Date: August 13, 2009
Article features a new device for monitoring the forces impacting a prosthetic leg during walking. The device, the Intelligent Prosthetic Endoskeletal Component System (iPecs), was invented and developed by scientists at Eastern Michigan University and College Park Industries with assistance of a grant from the National Institutes of Health. The device is incorporated into the prosthetic system, where it measures the force being transmitted from the ground into the wearer’s leg. The iPecs can monitor the position of the foot and tell which way the toes are pointing. It can reveal twisting, direction of force, and other parameters that will help clinicians and researchers refine the way a prosthetic limb fits and performs. The instrument combines standard strain gauges with cell phone technology to provide an accurate measurement without battery packs and wires. It can be set up to transmit data wirelessly to a computer or record it on a memory card for later download. By its ability to collect data in a real-world environment, the iPecs takes gait analysis beyond the laboratory. Initially intended as a research tool, its inventors hope the device will become as commonplace for amputees as heart rate monitors are to cardiac patients. The iPecs is planned for release in the fall of 2009.
Published by: Marketwire, Incorporated (Website:http://www.marketwire.com/)
Link to text: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Eastern-Michigan-University-1030441.html
