Photograph of the DEKA GEN 3 arm courtesy of Stewart Coulter.
Mobius Bionics, Manchester, New Hampshire, announced that it will be commercially introducing DEKA Research & Development’s DEKA Arm System, dubbed the Luke Skywalker arm, in late 2016. The Luke arm is the first prosthetic arm that can perform multiple, simultaneous powered movements controlled by electrical signals from EMG electrodes. The arm system can be configured for people with limb loss occurring at the shoulder joint, mid-upper arm, or mid-lower arm. In May 2014, it was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the new product category for integrated prosthetic arms.
“Up to this point, design in prosthetic arms has been limited to incremental changes. We developed the Luke arm to change the game for amputees-creating an innovative, integrated system that offers greater functionality and independence to our wounded warriors and other amputees,” said Dean Kamen, president of DEKA.
Mobius Bionics has chosen Universal Instruments, Binghamton, New York, to serve as the contract manufacturer for the arm.
