Motion Control, Salt Lake City, Utah, (a Fillauer company, Chattanooga Tennessee) has been awarded a $2.3 million grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) for the development of a new, upper-limb modular prosthetic system that can be used with existing arms from various manufacturers, including Motion Control. Specifically, the system will comprise a lighter, stronger, shorter, and water-resistant electric terminal device (ETD); a new modular connection system; and a multiple-degrees-of-freedom powered wrist. It will be designed for heavy-duty, rugged use both for the military and civilian populations.
“This funding will allow Motion Control to continue the evolution to a new generation of work-type, reliable prosthetic limbs for practical fittings, which can allow wounded service members to return to their work assignments and participate in other rugged activities,” said company president, Harold Sears, PhD. “We are proud that our…company can play a critical role in this important work to aid our military as many return from deployment with severe injuries that result in amputations.”
The CDMRP is administered by the Department of the Army as part of $20 million in research funds announced on April 30. The CDMRP grant emphasizes the development of a high technology yet practical product that could be used by injured soldiers in near-term applications. Parts of the new prosthetic system are expected to be available within two years, with the entire project development scheduled for four years.
