DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF POINTDEXTER – AN INTEGRATED PREHENSOR FOR PROSTHETIC FINGERS

Abstract

Current prosthetic terminal devices require a compromise between form and function. Pointdexter is a retrofittable miniature gripper that is integrated into the index finger of multi-articulating hands to allow for an additional, selectable, grasp to assist in the manipulation of small objects. Pointdexter is an all-mechanical design that does not require additional actuators and is controlled using existing prosthesis control signals. Testing on able-bodied and amputee test subjects was performed using the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function test using three terminal devices: an unmodified Bebionic hand, the Bebionic with Pointdexter, and a Motion Control ETD. The results demonstrate that Pointdexter improved small object manipulation time over an unmodified multi-articulating hand by >35%, while not impacting normal hand function. Additionally, take home testing was performed to identify additional areas of improvement and to evaluate robustness of the device