A sensory feedback system for an upper-limb amputation prosthesis.

A project to provide sensation from an upper-limb amputation prosthesis has been underway at Duke University since early 1971 . This was initially made possible through the generosity of Mrs . Carlton Hooks of Thomasville, North Carolina, who provided funds for a pilot study. Since December 1, 1972, the project has been aided by contract from the Veterans Administration with an expected termination date of November 30, 1975. Providing sensation for the amputee from his prosthesis has been a challenge for many years, but until recently there has been no practical solution. Function of the normal hand is dependent on sensory feedback. In addition to information regarding imminent injury, calibration of force of grasp and pinch, recognition of the shape of an object, and knowledge of the position of the hand in space contribute largely to the dexterity that we take for granted. The traditional prosthesis that we have supplied for the upper-limb amputee does not have this capability . The amputee must receive much of this information by visual contact and the remainder through pressure changes between his stump and the socket and between his skin and the harness . There is no intrinsic sensory feedback from his terminal device which he must use as an anesthetic tool. Biceps cineplasty used with voluntary closing hook did provide some additional information, as pressure between the fingers could be calibrated by interpretation of pressure changes between the surface of the tunnel and the peg . Cineplasties have not been acceptable widely in the