Health

Bionic hand points way to new future

by Paul Conneally | January 19, 2009 at 11:50 pm

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Evan Reynolds thought his future had been ripped away with his left hand when it was amputated in a car accident but now with the aid of the world's most advanced bionic hand, the i-limb, he can do most of the things he used to be able to do before the accident.

The electronic limb works by thought. Evan imagines picking an object up or hitting a computer key and the electrical messages from his brain work the bionic hand.

The technology has been developed in Scotland by Touch Bionics and cost around £30,000.

The i-Limb was developed by a Scottish company, Touch Bionics, and has won awards for its innovative technology. The total cost including the hand itself and the fitting is about £30,000.

Mr Reynolds's older brother Richard saw a television report about the i-LIMB and contacted the manufacturer.

The firm was still working on a prototype at the time, but after a number of tests and meetings with prosthetic specialists, Mr Reynolds had the i-LIMB fitted in February last year.

He said: "The most amazing thing about it was how quickly I adapted to it. People always ask how it's changed my life, but there's no specific thing.

"It's the hundreds of everyday things you take for granted, which I can do again, like peeling a potato, catching a ball, holding a bottle of water.

"I'm incredibly grateful."