Here’s a feel-good story for a Monday morning, a new type of prosthetic hand, which is partly controlled by an iPhone app, has allowed a father to hold his daughter’s hand for the first time since an accident four years ago in which both of his hands had to be amputated.
Conventional prosthetic hands have a limited range of movements, typically with all four fingers moving together and a simple pincer movement of the thumb. 34-year-old Jason Koger has now been fitted with a pair of ultra-sophisticated bionic hands which allow each finger to move independently, and the thumb to rotate.
The hands were designed by UK-based Touch Bionics. The iPhone app allows Koger to select one of 24 grip patterns just by touching an icon on the device’s screen. One grip pattern meant more than any of the others for Koger: “For the first time in five years I can hold my daughter’s hand,” said Koger. “I can’t tell you what a gift that feels like.”
Happy Monday everyone.
