Oregon woman gets a prosthetic face (Chrissy Steltz)

Chrissy Steltz was 16 years old when a shotgun blast destroyed a part of her face.  Now, she wears a prosthetic face that includes 2 eyes and a nose.

These photos (from American Medical News) are simply amazing:

You can read more about this patient here. You can also view more amazing photos here.

The Luke Arm

If you're a Star Wars fan, you'll know that Luke Skywalker gets a prosthetic hand/arm in the Empire Strikes Back. Of course, we know that he wasn't the first Star Wars character to require prosthetic limbs. His father (Anakin Skywalker) ended up needing quite a few prosthetic limbs (one arm and two legs), but that's another story. Let's talk about the DEKA Arm.

Affectionately dubbed “Luke” (after Luke Skywalker), the robotic arm is a DARPA funded project intended to restore functionality for individuals with upper extremity amputations. The project is still in development, please check back for updates. This project is sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Army Research Office.  This information does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the government; no official endorsement should be inferred. 

When I was in high school, I was inspired to study biomedical engineering at MIT because I wanted to work on something like the Luke Arm. I made it to MIT and I ended up studying mechanical engineering, but I didn't pursue a career in robotics. Instead, I ended up in medical school and here I am blogging about the Luke Arm. In any case, I think the DEKA Arm is a great project and I'm eager to see how this project unfolds.

An artificial hand that can "feel"

This is very cool: An artificial hand that can "feel."
According to CNN, the SmartHand project is funded by the European Union and is a collaboration between researchers from across the continent. It has produced a prototype motorized prosthetic hand that researchers say gives unprecedented sensory feedback.

Experimental Advanced Prosthetic Arm Systems

I've always loved biomedical engineering. When I went to MIT, I thought I was going to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. Now, the concept of biomedical engineering has evolved in bioengineering (tissue, molecular, and genetic biology) and of course you still have people working in biomechanical engineering (that would have been my choice many years ago).

There's a really neat story in JAMA about patients using experimental advanced prosthetic arms. Does this remind you of a movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger? I love the Terminator series. I think it's great to see advances in engineering that are improving healthcare.