Working on a new prosthetic arm

[BizCT]

Not trying to be funny, this is a serious question. Is your other arm/shoulder jacked (super strong) because it does most of the work?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bionic]

5 hours ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

Not trying to be funny, this is a serious question. Is your other arm/shoulder jacked (super strong) because it does most of the work?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yes, its somewhat ripped, it doesn't help that I lift weights, a few nights a week.  Im a small framed guy though, kind of have like a sleep arm lol.

Bother arms above defintely don't match. 

Edited February 23, 2018 by Bionic

[Marion]

They call Biz Popeye but that's for a whole different reason

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!

[Bionic]

Who is still watching this?

[turkeyfeathers]

10 minutes ago, Bionic said:

Who is still watching this?

Here 

[Bionic]

3 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Here 

AWESOME,  you guys DO care.

Still debating on what to do. 

[Moho81]

Who is still watching this?

I i captain


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Marion]

Still eagerly awaiting more news from the latest and greatest addition

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!

[Bionic]

10 hours ago, The Jerkman said:

Still eagerly awaiting more news from the latest and greatest addition

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!
 

No news at this point, unfortunately.   At this point its a waiting game.  I brought my current hand in for a price qoute for a repair.   I fell on it due to snow covered ice at home last weekend.  The 4 fingers do not move now, after i heard a loud snap, something sheared, leaving only thunb movement.  This was about the WORST timing for this to happen,  due to submitting for approval of a new arm to insurance.  Basically, why would I need a new arm,  if you are fixing your current? I understand,  and as said before, I dont take advantage.  At this point, this all depends on the cost to repair the hand.   If the hand cost big bucks to repair, versus a new replacement, then I obviously need to make that call, once the repair qoute is in.  The hand is built in Germany, so the hand had to be shipped there, for the repair evaluation.   Hopefully in a week, or 2 I will know.  If I fix this hand through insurance, they most likely will not approve a new arm.

[Marion]

Hopefully you get the new arm you wanted

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!

[Bionic]

24 minutes ago, The Jerkman said:

Hopefully you get the new arm you wanted

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!
 

Thank you. 

The thing is, the fully black, painted arm can ONLY operate, and attach the specific hand that is currently damaged.  A lot has gone into the build of that arm itself,  the shape of its wrist is also incorrect for the new hand I want.  Point is, I would have to abandon this arm, and deem it useless if I decide to go with a new arm right now.  

[chas0218]

On 2/24/2018 at 8:24 PM, Bionic said:

Who is still watching this?

Yup. Pree Sent

[TreeGuy]

Hope it all works out for you.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[Dom]

9 hours ago, Bionic said:

Thank you. 

The thing is, the fully black, painted arm can ONLY operate, and attach the specific hand that is currently damaged.  A lot has gone into the build of that arm itself,  the shape of its wrist is also incorrect for the new hand I want.  Point is, I would have to abandon this arm, and deem it useless if I decide to go with a new arm right now.  

I have found this more than interesting!I have to get a full ankle replacment I know the hands/arms/ feet legs a much different but would rather be able to stand walk on both feet than to use crutches/walker.How do these work are they connected to your nerves?

[Bionic]

2 hours ago, TreeGuy said:

Hope it all works out for you.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 

Thank you.   All will be fine, might not go as intended, but all will be fine

[Bionic]

6 minutes ago, Dom said:

I have found this more than interesting!I have to get a full ankle replacment I know the hands/arms/ feet legs a much different but would rather be able to stand walk on both feet than to use crutches/walker.How do these work are they connected to your nerves?

I am glad you are enjoying this, I enjoy answering questions about it.  

Are you scheduled for the replacement? And are you currently on crunches/ walker due to discomfort from the ankle in need of replacement? 

As far as my arm, i will reqoute a previous reply I typed out.  It is very lengthy, and took a while to explain it as best i could.  However,  no, nothing is connected at all to my body, other than wearing the entire prosthetic arm.  Little sensors called "Electrodes " rest against your real skin inside the PROSTHETIC arm.  It is not uncomfortable unless the arm was built not PERFECTLY.  A ton of measuring, and figuring go in to making sure the electrodes are placed properly, and that the liner i wear has windows cut out precisely for my skin to petrude through the liner to create contact with the electrodes.  A liner is an EXACT fit silcone glove, or sock like piece, that rolls onto my arm, and then i place my arm into the fake arm, worn like a sock.  Make sense? If not i can redescibe? Also, the electrodes pick uo the electricity given off my your muscle that it is placed upon, each electrode has its own muscle to pick up electricity from, to give the fake hand, and electronic rotating wrist its function.

I will reqoute the post that describes just how I move my prosthetic...it will allow YOU to move your wrist to mimic how I literally operate MY prosthetics.   Hope you enjoy.  

[Bionic]

Dom, here you are....long read, but in depths describes the functions of the arm,  hope this answers your question.  Its copy/pasted. 

As far as operation of the hand, and electronic wrist....

There are multiple variations of how to control myoepectric arms.  My specific arms are all controlled identically to each other.  If you look back on the last set of pics, the very bottom pic has that skeevy looking container-like socket...that is where my arm inserts with the previously mentioned liner.  The 2 little rectangular pads with the metal on them, is what i use to operate the entire arm on.  Those boxes are called "Electrodes".  Electrodes pick up your muscle movements, they know when you flex, they know the strength in how hard/soft you flexed, and it gets sent to a microprocessor, and other electronics within the arm, that translates to the hand, and electronic wrist,  just what its supposed to do.  I will try to explain which muscles I use.  Make a fist, then make a knocking on a door motion with your wrist, WITHOUT moving your arm, JUST your wrist move.....now watch the inside of that arm just below your INNER elbow(where bloods taken), and you can see a small area bulge each time you make you a knock motion.  That muscle, is the one I use to open the hand, AND rotate the wrist in a counter clock-wise rotation.  Yes, the SAME  muscle, performs BOTH.  This is where bluetooth tuning also comes into play with a laptop, to tune the arm/hand.  Thresholds are setup where,  to open the hand, that muscle is flexed UNDER a specific strength intensity, while the strength is slowly reached i believe its longer than a half second .  To operate the wrist with that same muscle, you would firmly flex the muscle OVER that muscle strength used to open hand, and you must reach that muscle strength UNDER somewhere in the range of a half second. Make sense?  To open the hand fully, or partially, etc,  you hold that flex under the hand opens to the desired openness.   Same for wrist, hold that muscle until the wrist is rotated to the desired rotation.  My current arm in pics will rotate either direction almost 360 degrees.  No wires connect the hand, so thats no why it does not fully rotate.  My work arm with the othand hand, the full black carbon fiber is an older wrist rotator that will rotate 360 degrees as long as you want it to lol.  To close the hand, or rotate wrist clockwise, you would do the SAME thing, BUT its a seperate muscle.  Make a fist again, but instead of making a door knocking motion, bend your wrist the opposite direction....as doing so, you can see a bulge on the outside hairy side of your arm, just near your elbow, that is the muscle I use to close hand, and rotate wrist clockwise. 

It is tough at first to coordinate your mind to keep these intensities, and speeds correct, to do what you WANT with the hand/wrist.  A LOT more people do NOT use an electronic wrist rotator, because it is too frustrating for some user's,  and not worth it to them.  I am the opposite,  I cannot stand not having an electronic wrist rotator.   Drives me NUTS.  

Now to change grip patterns(hand gestures), I "co-contract" the two previously described muscles.  I basically flex BOTH, at the same time firmly.  Then it will change the position of the thumb, to grip objects differently.   One you complete a grip, and are done, the hand will automatically enter a relaxed hand position, and in 3 seconds, you will hear a beep beep, like a watch, and it goes back into the original thumb position, that I set as default, again via bluetooth on the laptop.

Some users actually use the co-contract muscle flex to enter into a dedicated wrist rotation mode, rather than the thumb change like I do.  It simplifies it for people, and thats great,  but i find it extremely slow, and unnatural,  but to each his own.

This is all for this hand.  My next hand, that I will get it a whole other world.  I will describe all that once i have it.  This hand will have 14 different available hand gestures to use, but the hand can be programmed with I think 5 at once.  You would flex muscles in different patterns to enter different modes, to sum it up.

[Bionic]

Here is some info on the liner I speak of.  This will help all put a face to a name type of deal.

Liner below, rolls over my REAL arm, or stump...still hate that word lol.  Snug fit.  Notice the rectangular cut outs? They are for the electrodes to allow skin contact.

Also, the stainless steel pin, at the tip of the liner, it what allows the real arm, and fake arm to attach themselves.   

[Bionic]

Here is how the liner seats inside the fake arm socket...the orange circles show the orientation,  so once again, the hole in the liner allows skin contact with those little rectangular electrodes in the fake arm.

[Bionic]

Lastly, here is how the liner looks like fully seated into the socket of the prosthetic...this is how its worn for use.

The second pic  shows inside the liner, with the liner cutout, lined up with the electrode.   There are 2 electrodes in my prosthetics, only picturing the one.

[Dom]

7 minutes ago, Bionic said:

I am glad you are enjoying this, I enjoy answering questions about it.  

Are you scheduled for the replacement? And are you currently on crunches/ walker due to discomfort from the ankle in need of replacement? 

As far as my arm, i will reqoute a previous reply I typed out.  It is very lengthy, and took a while to explain it as best i could.  However,  no, nothing is connected at all to my body, other than wearing the entire prosthetic arm.  Little sensors called "Electrodes " rest against your real skin inside the PROSTHETIC arm.  It is not uncomfortable unless the arm was built not PERFECTLY.  A ton of measuring, and figuring go in to making sure the electrodes are placed properly, and that the liner i wear has windows cut out precisely for my skin to petrude through the liner to create contact with the electrodes.  A liner is an EXACT fit silcone glove, or sock like piece, that rolls onto my arm, and then i place my arm into the fake arm, worn like a sock.  Make sense? If not i can redescibe? Also, the electrodes pick uo the electricity given off my your muscle that it is placed upon, each electrode has its own muscle to pick up electricity from, to give the fake hand, and electronic rotating wrist its function.

I will reqoute the post that describes just how I move my prosthetic...it will allow YOU to move your wrist to mimic how I literally operate MY prosthetics.   Hope you enjoy.  

Yes to all I have had 4 surgeries.I go back under the knife on April 19 I'm still non weight bearing on my right foot leg.

[Bionic]

4 minutes ago, Dom said:

Yes to all I have had 4 surgeries.I go back under the knife on April 19 I'm still non weight bearing on my right foot leg.

That is rough, i wish you the best this go around.  This is why I am glad i am missing, an arm, and not a leg, if this was how I was meant to be.  

[chas0218]

15 hours ago, Bionic said:

Lastly, here is how the liner looks like fully seated into the socket of the prosthetic...this is how its worn for use.

The second pic  shows inside the liner, with the liner cutout, lined up with the electrode.   There are 2 electrodes in my prosthetics, only picturing the one.

Not trying to creep on you but you have a nice looking house. I like tongue and groove but wow is that a lot of wood, love all the exposed beams. Did you do a lot of that yourself?

[Bionic]

14 minutes ago, chas0218 said:

Not trying to creep on you but you have a nice looking house. I like tongue and groove but wow is that a lot of wood, love all the exposed beams. Did you do a lot of that yourself?

No thats quite alright, I appreciate the comment.   Yes, all work was done by my father, and I.  I did not do the tile floor, or hickory flooring.   I picked out, and purchased it all, and prepped for it though.   One of those things where the time it would take a pro, was worth the labor cost...the house is a log cabin, and had sheetrock inside, other than the outter shell obviously.  I do not like sheetrock, so we ripped it all out, and added 6" tongue and groove to the ceilings, and 8" to the walls.  The doors we hand built togethor, and the kitchen was very dated,  so we yanked that out added hickory cabinets, and granite, along with the pine beams.  I wanted rustic, or my idea of rustic.  This june I am really excited for, I have the exterior getting restored.  It will be blasted to raw wood, and start over fresh with a natural stain.  Looking for a raw look, like a backwoods Alaskan cabin.

That house means the world to me, few before and afters

[moog5050]

Agreed, like all the wood.  Very warm.  Good luck with getting the new prosthetic!