Freedom Innovations, Irvine, California, has entered a worldwide licensing agreement that grants the company exclusive rights to commercialize a lower-limb prosthesis with actively powered knee and ankle joints. The prosthesis was developed at the Vanderbilt University Center for Intelligent Mechatronics, Nashville, Tennessee.
The Vanderbilt Powered Knee and Ankle System includes intent-recognition capabilities that analyze movement patterns, such as weight shifting or changes in joint angles. These patterns are then translated into power-driven actions that help users to ambulate close to biological norms, according to a Freedom Innovations press release.
Plans to modularize the system will offer transtibial amputees the opportunity to benefit from the ankle and foot technology sometime in the future.
“The technology developed by this group is world-class,” said Maynard Carkhuff, president and CEO of Freedom Innovations. “We are excited to bring the two teams together to commercialize this product over the coming years.”
The technology transfer from Vanderbilt University to Freedom Innovations is the next step in the commercialization process and is scheduled to take place this summer.
