BEDFORD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–iWalk,
the bionics company advancing technology to restore natural movement for
lower-limb amputees, today announced the publication of positive
findings from Proceedings
B , the Royal Society’s flagship biological research
journal.
“This study further proves that this
type of bionic technology is providing an extraordinary capacity to
improve the quality of life for amputees.”
The clinical study, entitled, “Bionic
Ankle-Foot Prosthesis Normalizes Walking Gait for Persons with Leg
Amputation, July 2011,” determined that lower-limb amputees who wore
the PowerFoot
BiOM, iWalk’s bionic lower leg system, were able to walk at the same
speed, and with the same metabolic energy, as their peers with intact
biological limbs. The research results defy convention as traditional
lower limb prostheses, constructed of carbon fiber, have proven
incapable of adapting to various terrains and walking velocities while
requiring the amputee to expend significantly more energy —anywhere from
10 to 30 percent—than non-amputees.
The study, conducted by the Center for Restorative and Regenerative
Medicine, Department of Veterans Affairs, concluded that amputees using
the BiOM “experienced normative ankle mechanics” during walking that
“normalized metabolic energy costs compared with non-amputees.” Further,
the results indicated that the BiOM “improved functional ability” as
users “preferred to walk at the same velocity as non-amputees” and that
these individuals “increased preferred walking velocity by 23 percent
compared to traditional carbon fiber foot/ankle systems.”
The BiOM is the world’s first bionic lower leg system that utilizes
robotics to replicate muscles and tendons that replace the action of the
foot, Achilles tendon and calf muscle. It generates power during plantar
flexion—any movement in walking that increases the approximate 90
degree angle between the front part of the foot and the shin, akin to
depressing an automobile pedal—propelling the prosthesis forward.
Through a series of sensors, the BiOM can adapt to changing terrain in
real time, adjusting ankle stiffness and power delivery, to ensure a
consistent, efficient gait.
iWalk today also announced the general availability of the BiOM through
a network of iWalk
Certified Bionics Centers.
“The PowerFoot BiOM emulates the biological function of the ankle foot
complex,” said Dr.
Hugh Herr, Founder of iWalk. “This study further proves that this
type of bionic technology is providing an extraordinary capacity to
improve the quality of life for amputees.”
About iWalk
iWalk is the bionics company advancing technology to restore
natural movement for lower-limb amputees. Its proprietary BiOM uses
robotics to replicate muscles and tendons for the first time,
normalizing walking at all speeds and all terrains—truly bringing in the
age of bionics. The company was founded in 2006 by Dr. Hugh Herr,
director of the Biomechatronics
Group at the MIT Media Lab.
Privately held and headquartered in Bedford, Mass, the company has
received funding and support from the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S.
Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC),
and leading venture firms WFD
Ventures , General
Catalyst Partners and Sigma
Partners. For more information, please visit www.iwalk.com
or follow us on Facebook
or Twitter (@iWalk_BiOM).