Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2023 - 48

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TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY
This monthly column explores the inter-relationships between technology and society. It features people and projects aiming to
deliver a positive impact on the world facing unprecedented social and environmental challenges.
Building a Better Prosthetic to Restore Mobility for
Amputees
An innovative prosthetic device could easily be fabricated in remote, war-torn, or underserved locations
with minimal equipment or expertise.
W
ith the goal of tackling the need
for prosthetic devices and their
associated care, Denver-based medical
device company Xtremity has developed
thermoformable socket technology
and cost-efficient fabrication processes
that aim to have an impact on
individuals with transtibial limb loss/
difference, as well as the prosthetists
who help them.
While prosthetic technology has
seen incredible advancements over
the past three decades, the socket,
one of the device's most important
parts, has remained relatively unchanged,
Xtremity's Clinical Director
Tres Wright told Tech Briefs. The
socket - the part of the prosthesis that
surrounds and supports the patient's residual
limb - is responsible for maintaining
the comfort and function of the
artificial appendage.
" Because it is such an integral part of a
prosthesis, it's also generally the source of
any discomfort or inconvenience that amputees
have with their prostheses, " he added.
" Our team set out to alleviate this pain
by establishing an innovative approach to
an antiquated process. Our socket technology
dramatically shortens the delivery
AT A GLANCE
INNOVATORS: Maynard Carkhuff,
President, CEO, Xtremity.
INNOVATION: Thermoformable socket
technology and cost-efficient fabrication
processes.
IMPACT: The prosthetic device could
easily be fabricated in remote, war-torn, or
underserved locations with minimal
equipment or expertise.
48
The XtremityTT socket is currently used by civilians and
prosthetists throughout the country. (Image: Xtremity)
time for the prosthesis and allows for rapid
adjustments as the limb changes. "
Wright also told Tech Briefs that Xtremity,
founded in 2017, developed the new
transtibial-prosthetic-device-building
method by using thermoformable socket
preforms, which was made possible
by using a proprietary, carbon-infused
polymer designed specifically for such a
unique application.
The thermoformable functionality of
the XtremityTT socket, he said, allows a
prosthesis to be built in mere hours, as
opposed to weeks. " It also allows for the
same socket to be reshaped or modified,
rather than having to construct a new
one from scratch, providing easy adjustments
and fewer time-consuming prosthetists
appointments. "
The traditional process requires highly
skilled professionals to handcraft prosthetic
sockets using toxic chemicals and
large lab spaces with specialized equipment.
Also, it requires multiple steps
and, typically, each clinic or prosthetist
has a slightly different method.
Normally, to deliver a prosthesis it
takes 4-7 appointments and at least 20-30
hours of labor over the course of several
weeks. With this new method, however, a
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prosthesis can be completed in just
hours. But the XtremityTT socket
wasn't an overnight sensation. The
team spent over six years in the research
and development phase before
commercially releasing the product.
" During that time, we faced many
challenges, " Wright said. " The most
difficult aspect was ensuring that the
XtremityTT socket was tested thoroughly
to a standard that would survive
scrutiny from the academic community.
Prosthetic sockets have always been
handmade by individual prosthetists,
meaning that there has never been an
international testing standard.
" So, in essence, our product is so
innovative that testing guidelines and
regulations have not yet caught up. For
that reason, we not only had to test our
product, but also design a test while
proving the methods were both accurate
and rigorous. Our team spent several
years on these efforts, " he added.
The XtremityTT socket is currently
used by civilians and prosthetists throughout
the country. However, due to its ability
to get soldiers quickly equipped, it has
also found a use by charities like The Protez
Foundation, whose mission is to " provide
state-of-the-art prosthetics with personalized
training and support in the
U.S. and follow-up care in Ukraine. "
" While the Xtremity socket system is
meant for all people with transtibial limb
loss, our core mission is to develop an
innovative prosthetic device that could
easily be fabricated in remote, war-torn,
or underserved locations with minimal
equipment or expertise, so it's very rewarding
to see that come to life in our
ongoing work with Protez. "
Andrew Corselli is Digital Content Editor
at SAE Media Group. For more information,
visit www.xtremity.com.
Tech Briefs, August 2023

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Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2023

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