ThunderCell Battery®, Wave Electrodes, MyoUnit, DemoUnit and MyoLogic Pro App are the new accessories of Adam’s Hand®, the World’s First Fully-Adaptive Hand.
What are the features of the accessories of the new prosthetic hand? What are the advantages of the new technologies developed and how can they enter the prosthetics market?
Components of a myoelectric prosthetic hand
A myoelectric prosthetic hand generally has eight main components:
- a myoelectrically operated terminal device (hook, single degree of freedom prosthetic hand or bionic hand);
- a prosthetic socket tailored by the orthopedic technician to completely fit the user’s stump;
- a cosmetic glove (optional) that improves aesthetics and resistance to dust and water;
- a quick disconnect wrist, which is the industry standard for the connection of the terminal device with prosthetic socket, battery and electrodes, and it allows passive pronation-supination of the prosthetic hand;
- an active wrist rotator (optional), required to perform active pronation-supination of the prosthetic hand;
- one or more EMG (electromyographic) electrodes, positioned on the muscles’ residual limb, which detect the muscular signals necessary to control the prosthetic hand (link articolo EMG);
- a battery required to power the terminal device, the wrist rotator and the electrodes;
- a software necessary for the setting of the operating parameters of the terminal device, the wrist rotator and the electrodes.
After a careful market study of the prosthetic hand business, in addition to Adam’s Hand® and the MyoLogic Pro App, we decided to design and develop our battery, the ThunderCell Battery® and our EMG electrodes, the Wave Electrodes – both with innovative features that differentiate them from our competitors’ devices – in order to offer a complete product with improved functionalities and high reliability. In addition to these devices, required for the implementation of the prosthetic system, we have designed and developed two other accessories, Myo Unit and Demo Unit, used by the orthopedic technicians for the installation and testing operations.
Furthermore, the new devices have been developed with the aim of ensuring compatibility with different upper limb prosthetic systems available on the market. In fact, thanks also to the quick disconnect wrist, Adam’s Hand® is compatible with batteries and electrodes of various devices currently available on the market, while our ThunderCell Battery® and Wave Electrodes can be used with various competitors’ terminal devices.
Adam’s Hand® accessories: innovation and functionality
Furthermore, Adam’s Hand® and its accessories allow the user to fully exploit the functionality of a prosthetic hand, thanks to the innovative technology and their ease of use.
Adam’s Hand® has been for BionIT Labs® the first project where we invested energy and skills. Over time we have strengthened our knowledge and we have deepened, with targeted market analyzes, both users and orthopedic technicians’ needs.
In fact, at BionIT Labs® we have always set up a user-centered development approach, which gives great consideration to the use and the experience of each device.
In particular, the need for a robust and reliable device has emerged, in order to obtain a prosthesis easy to use which can accompany both the user in carrying out the main activities of daily life and the orthopedic technician during installation and maintenance of the prosthesis.
Adam’s Hand® accessories: the technical features
We have worked to make Adam’s Hand® the center of an offer of products that help facilitate the intervention of the orthopedic technician, providing at same time the amputees with greater autonomy and control. Let’s find out in more detail the technical features of Adam’s Hand® accessories.
Adam’s Hand® accessories: the ThunderCell Battery®
ThunderCell Battery® is an interchangeable lithium-ion power system, with a capacity of 950 mAh. It can be fully recharged in just 1 hour through a USB-C connector.
It is a smart system, which powers the prosthetic system, and at the same time it’s able to send to Adam’s Hand® relevant information on its functioning, increasing the reliability of the entire system. Parameters such as the percentage of charge, the instantaneous temperature of the cells and the state of health of the battery, together with any operating errors, can be viewed by the orthopedic technician through the MyoLogic Pro App.
The ThunderCell Battery® has a waterproof design (IP67) and a multifunction button that allows the user to perform some important actions (switching on and off, checking the charge level, etc.) and to receive visual and acoustic feedback.
Adam’s Hand® accessories: the Wave Electrodes
The Wave Electrodes are active EMG electrodes. This means that the first steps of amplification and processing of the electromyographic signal take place directly through the integrated electronic board, before the transmission to the control board of the prosthetic hand.
These are compact and low-consumption devices, which ensure an accurate and fast reading of the user’s muscle signals. They feature a waterproof and dust-resistant (IP67) outer casing design. With a thickness of only 9 mm, they are among the thinnest active analog electrodes available on the market, in order to ensure the user greater comfort.
Furthermore, according to the country in which the prosthetic system will be fit and used, it is possible to choose between the Wave Electrodes model with a 50 or 60 Hz filter.
Adam’s Hand® accessories: the MyoLogic Pro calibration App
• MyoLogic Pro is a mobile App for the orthopedic technician, a professional figure who interfaces with the amputee and deals with the prosthesis’ fitting.
The App is connected to Adam’s Hand® thanks to Bluetooth Low Energy technology, which allows it to take full advantage of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrated in the prosthetic hand. Thanks to AI and a simple and intuitive interface, it’s possible to calibrate Adam’s Hand® in a few seconds, setting the prosthetic functioning in every detail and allowing the amputee to train the muscles through a virtual model of the prosthesis.
Through the App, the orthopedic technician can allow users to practice both calibration and use of the prosthesis, without waiting for the prosthetic socket to be manufactured. MyoLogic Pro App also allows the view of the main information relating to the Adam’s Hand® prosthetic hand and the ThunderCell Battery® supply module (functioning states, any warnings, etc.).
Adam’s Hand® accessories: Myo Unit e Demo Unit
Myo Unit is a device equipped with a display for real-time viewing of EMG signals, acquired through electrodes (analog or digital) positioned on the user’s muscles.
The orthopedic technician, in fact, uses this device to evaluate the EMG signals and understand if the user has sufficient innervation of the flexor and extensor muscles for the correct use of a myoelectric prosthesis. In addition, Myo Unit is very useful in the first phase of prosthesis fitting, when the technician chooses electrodes’ positioning on the residual limb.
The electrodes are connected to the Myo Unit by means of specific wiring, while the integrated Bluetooth Low Energy module allows short-range communication with the devices on which the MyoLogic Pro App is installed (e.g. the tablet used by the orthopedic technician). Through the App, the user can practice using a virtual model of the prosthesis, while waiting for his customized prosthetic socket to be created.
• Demo Unit is a demonstration unit that can be used to test Adam’s Hand® without the need to create the prosthetic socket.
In fact, this device features the quick disconnect wrist, which allows it to interact with the prosthetic hand.
The opening / closing of the prosthetic hand takes place thanks to two buttons located on the Demo Unit, or through the EMG signal from two analog electrodes placed on the user’s skin and connected to the device.
Demo Unit also integrates the Battery Receptacle manufactured by BionIT Labs®, which allows the use of the ThunderCell Battery® power module.
The advantages of offering Adam’s Hand® accessories
The accessories of the new Adam’s Hand® model are the result of our Research & Development work of last year, thanks to which we have become a multi-product company, expanding the range of technologies we have developed in the field of prosthetics.
In order to provide a tangible response to the users’ needs, we have created competitive and quality products, which also have the advantage of being compatible with various upper limb prosthetic devices available on the market.
This new step forward makes us ready to face the future scenarios in the field of medical technology and innovation.
Visit our website and contact us to discover now our Adam’s Hand® and its accessories!
