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Research Collaborations

We collaborate with researchers all over the world to help advance the science of upper limb prosthetics, redefining possibility for amputees everywhere.

DARPA’s Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces (HAPTIX) program (2015-2016)

Phase 1 research was awarded to eight research teams, including Nerves Incorporated (Dallas, TX), to further develop motor control and sensory feedback procedures to enhance the functionality of prosthetic devices. The Advanced Arm Dynamics research team collaborated with the Nerves Incorporated research team and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, providing subject matter expertise and clinical resources to support the team’s research on establishing direct neural control of upper limb prostheses.*
 
*This work was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) BTO under the auspices of Dr. Al Emondi through the [Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Pacific OR DARPA Contracts Management Office] Grant/Contract No. N66001-17C-4060.
HAPTIX

CAPPFUL®

The Advanced Arm Dynamics research team conceptualized, developed, field-tested and validated new outcome-based assessments for the performance of any functional upper limb prosthetic device at any level of amputation. CAPPFUL® assessments provide clinicians and researchers with immediate clinical feedback for focused intervention and deliver relevant, objective, data that measures prosthesis performance, and informs prescriptive prosthesis types and component decisions. A psychometric validation of CAPPFUL assessments was published in the May 2018 Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. As upper limb prosthetic subject matter experts, CAPPFUL outcome measures support many of our research collaborations.

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DARPA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2016-2018)

DARPA funded a collaboration between the Advanced Arm Dynamics research team and the FDA to analyze our existing upper limb outcome measure data, evaluate status of existing outcome metrics for upper limb prosthesis users, and collect new data from subjects in a motion capture study. We shared hundreds of data sets that span years of upper limb prosthetic outcome research from our statistically relevant patient population. The Advanced Arm Dynamics research team and the FDA analyzed the data to inform current and future approval criteria for upper limb prosthetic devices and related technologies, including the 2018 motion capture study. We applied the Capacity Assessment of Prosthetic Performance for the Upper Limb (CAPPFUL) to collect objective data from the motion capture study. Publications stemming from this research collaboration include: Volume I, No. 1 of the JSM Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)

 
*This work was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) BTO under the auspices of Dr. Al Emondi through the [Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Pacific OR DARPA Contracts Management Office] Grant/Contract No. N66001-17C-4060
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Cleveland Clinic Sensory Feedback Collaboration (2017)

The Cleveland Clinic (CC) requested our subject matter expert collaboration on the design, fit and fabrication of a novel socket and frame for a shoulder disarticulation prosthesis for their DARPA-funded upper limb sensory feedback study. The design and fit of this highly specialized prosthesis was critical to research protocol success. The prosthesis integrated proprietary tactors within the socket and frame, which applied proportional pressure to the enhanced muscle sites on the patient’s chest to communicate information about the grasp on objects in the prosthetic hand. According to Cleveland Clinic lead researcher Paul Marasco, Ph.D., the collaboration was a success: “The prosthetic arm isn't just a tool the patient wears — it's actually part of her. With the touch sensation, the user is able to actually interact with people and objects in a more natural way.”

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Deka/LUKE Arm Data Collection and Outcome Measures

The Henry Jackson Foundation requested subject matter expertise from the Advanced Arm Dynamics research team in a study observing the capabilities of the DEKAMobius LUKE arm over one year and assessing its impact on function through the use of traditional outcome measures. Our clinical therapy specialists first administered and scored outcome measures with a patient’s body-powered prosthesis. The patient was then fit and trained with the DEKA™ arm, and outcome measures were repeated at regular intervals for 12 months. At the end of the year, a qualitative assessment was performed to understand the patient’s perception of the impact the advanced arm had on their quality of life.
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Alfred Mann Foundation Research on IMES (2013-2014)

The Alfred Mann Foundation (AMF) asked the Advanced Arm Dynamics research team to provide subject matter expertise to fit and fabricate prostheses for the first three transradial patients who received AMF’s implantable myoelectric sensors (IMES). The research team collaborated with AMF and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to guide the patients through pre-surgical screening, prosthetic fitting and training, and data collection using traditional upper limb outcome measures.

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Infinite Biomedical Technologies (IBT) and Johns Hopkins University Study (2017-2018)

This study investigated the impact of the morph control system on the users’ ability to switch between grasp patterns on the bebionic hand. The Advanced Arm Dynamics research team supported IBT’s morph control system study with four key resources:

  1. The use of our Southwest Center of Excellence as the study location
  2. Access to a pool of experienced transradial upper limb prosthesis users
  3. Creation of unique prostheses that incorporated the morph control system
  4. Experienced upper limb clinical therapy specialists to facilitate outcome measure testing and scoring
Morph System

Strategic Consortium for Upper Limb Prosthetic Technologies (SCULPT) Research Project (2017-2018)

SCULPT is an international collective of physicians, engineers, therapists and prosthetists who focus on upper limb prosthetics. The Advanced Arm Dynamics research team participated in this group and contributed to a study that aimed to provide evidence of the possible functional benefits of multi-grip hands compared to traditional myoelectric hand systems. With the assistance of more than 200 research subjects around the world, outcome data associated with both types of prostheses was collected and compared. Results were presented at the September 2018 American Orthotics and Prosthetics Association’s National Assembly.

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Collaborations with Upper Limb Prosthetic Component Manufacturers (ongoing)

The Advanced Arm Dynamics research team collaborates with many manufacturers to field test emerging prosthetic solutions including fingers, hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, user interface designs, electrodes and software. For example, in 2017, we collaborated with TASKA to field test a pre-production, pre-release version of the TASKA hand, and provided reports detailing the perspectives of prosthetists, therapists, technicians and patients.

Taska Open Palm