Amanda kitts biography
•
Vibrations Restore Sense of Movement in Prosthetics
Scientists recreate proprioception for people with artificial arms using a perceptual illusion.
When Amanda Kitts’s car was hit head-on by a Ford F-350 truck in 2006, her arm was damaged beyond repair. “It looked like minced meat,” Kitts, now 50, recalls. She was immediately rushed to the hospital, where doctors amputated what remained of her mangled limb.
While still in the hospital, Kitts discovered that researchers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab) were investigating a new technique called targeted muscle reinnervation, which would enable people to control motorized prosthetics with their minds. The procedure, which involves surgically rewiring residual nerves from an amputated limb into a nearby muscle, allows movement-related electrical signals—sent from the brain to the innervated muscles—to move a prosthetic device.
Kitts immedi
•
Woman who lost her arm in a car crash can FEEL her prosthetic arm thanks to revolutionary new technology
A woman who lost her arm during a car accident can now feel her missing limb thanks to groundbreaking technology that uses vibrations to activate the nerves.
Amanda Kitts, 49, lost her left arm in April 2006 when her small Mercedes sports car collided with a large Escalade SUV van while driving home from dinner.
She's worn prosthetic arms for approximately 12 years, but for the first time the mother-of-one said she can actually feel the hand and fingers of the bionic arm move.
This is due to technology created by researchers at Cleveland Clinic that restores natural movement and sensations in people with upper limb amputations, providing them with more spatial awareness.
The scientists said their breakthrough could enhance amputee patients' ability to control their prostheses and improve quality of life.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
Amanda Kitts (pictured here) said the ne
•
Feel Brand New: Amazing Bionic Arm for Amputees
Will Smith's character in “I, Robot” dons a cybernetic left arm to replace the one he lost in a car crash. Back in 2004 when the movie was released, this seemed to be the sort of thing that could only happen in the movies. Fast forward to 2018, and this revolutionary, sci-fi technology is finally within reach.
Amanda Kitts enjoys exploring all corners of the world with her husband. In 2006, what was supposed to be an uneventful drive from work turned into a life-changing car accident—Amanda's car collided with a pickup truck and caused her to lose her arm. "His tire flew off and his axle came in through my window and ripped my arm off." Amanda not only lost her arm, she also lost the ability to perform everyday tasks. "Silly little things like putting toothpaste on a toothbrush, or even trying to put on a bra", were a few of Amanda's struggles.
Associate Staff Scientist at Cleveland Clinic, Paul Marasco, PhD., thought that Amanda