Synthetic Plant Muscles New Prosthetic Age

individual

What campus are you from?

Daytona Beach

Authors' Class Standing

Senior

Lead Presenter's Name

Forrester Thompson

Faculty Mentor Name

Dr. Huayamave

Abstract

Abstract

The problem with lower limb prosthetic alignments and adjustments is that amputees constantly have to visit the orthotics professional to correct the dynamic alignment of the prosthetic socket relative to the components. This alignment procedure is done using subjective judgment and feedback from the patient. While prosthetic alignments look towards the patient’s subjective feedback and opinions of professionals these prosthetic alignments recalibrations are constant routine that amputees should and have to participate in. Otherwise, before an alignment takes place the current prosthetic the patient has could be altering their gait and unintentionally causing pain due to not having their prosthetic recalibrated. Assuming the adjustment is done correctly by the orthotics professional, patients lose some form of autonomy in their lives having to constantly have their prosthetic adjusted. The restoration of autonomy to an amputee is the intended purpose of a prosthesis, so finding a way to restore that autonomy and improving the quality of life in the patient through the use if a self-adjusting and alignment prosthetic system would make such a thing possible. The idea is to produce a comfortable prosthetic whose socket has the ability to adapt and form over the residual limb despite any physical changes the patient has experienced over a period of time. The prosthetic should be nearly self-sustaining and biodegradable and perform a similar muscular contraction that take on the functions of what the missing limb would have done prior to amputation. The aim of this research is to investigate materials suitable and biocompatible with the human body that have the capability to adjust, deform, and reform despite external environmental changes. To restore mobility to an amputee using a form of synthetic muscle technology to provide optimal movement to the patient.

Did this research project receive funding support from the Office of Undergraduate Research.

No

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Synthetic Plant Muscles New Prosthetic Age

Abstract

The problem with lower limb prosthetic alignments and adjustments is that amputees constantly have to visit the orthotics professional to correct the dynamic alignment of the prosthetic socket relative to the components. This alignment procedure is done using subjective judgment and feedback from the patient. While prosthetic alignments look towards the patient’s subjective feedback and opinions of professionals these prosthetic alignments recalibrations are constant routine that amputees should and have to participate in. Otherwise, before an alignment takes place the current prosthetic the patient has could be altering their gait and unintentionally causing pain due to not having their prosthetic recalibrated. Assuming the adjustment is done correctly by the orthotics professional, patients lose some form of autonomy in their lives having to constantly have their prosthetic adjusted. The restoration of autonomy to an amputee is the intended purpose of a prosthesis, so finding a way to restore that autonomy and improving the quality of life in the patient through the use if a self-adjusting and alignment prosthetic system would make such a thing possible. The idea is to produce a comfortable prosthetic whose socket has the ability to adapt and form over the residual limb despite any physical changes the patient has experienced over a period of time. The prosthetic should be nearly self-sustaining and biodegradable and perform a similar muscular contraction that take on the functions of what the missing limb would have done prior to amputation. The aim of this research is to investigate materials suitable and biocompatible with the human body that have the capability to adjust, deform, and reform despite external environmental changes. To restore mobility to an amputee using a form of synthetic muscle technology to provide optimal movement to the patient.