Wayne Penn - Amputees and Prosthetics Challenges - DEF CON 27 Bio Hacking Village
Channel: DEFCONConference
Date: 2019-12-20

The human body is the most elegant and complex machine ever created, but often we do not realize how well it works until a major system has been compromised such as with an amputation severing and removing an element of the neuromuscular and skeletal system. There are 1 million annual limb amputations globally, which equates to one every 30 seconds. With those kinds of numbers and what we see in science fiction TV and film, one would expect that prosthetic technology is ubiquitous and advancing at an exponential pace. However, prosthetic technology advancement can be correlated with periods immediately following military conflicts and still not able to fully replicate anatomical function, which is why we are seeking assistance of those at DEFCON’s Biohacking Village to collaborate and help create prosthetic solutions. Wayne Penn, a biomedical engineer and entrepreneur, will be joined by bi-lateral amputee Chuck Hildreth Jr., and Occupational Therapist Laurel Koss to discuss the etiology and epidemiology of amputations, challenges amputees face, the secondary or associated conditions and complications, and their shared experiences while working on advanced robotic prosthetic limb research programs such as the DEKA/DARPA/Mobius Bionics Luke Prosthetic Arm System. Chuck will give a demonstration of the Luke Arm System, the only full powered shoulder down prosthetic arm system in existence. Introductions will be given to the two BHV Prosthetic Labs taking place following the talk and ran by this presentation team. The first Lab will be to create a family of Quick Change Magnetic Adapters for Activities of Daily Living to hold items for personal hygiene as well as items for eating and food preparation utilizing 3D Printing. The second Lab, Thermo Limbs, will be introduced by 7th graders, Piper Vail Lalla and Ava Conlon, who won the Best Idea in the Medical Field and a $20,000 grant for a patent application at the National Invention Convention. This lab will focus on creating microprocessor controlled cooling systems for amputees, as thermal regulation is a major issue that affects amputees with the loss of their major sweat and heat dissipation surfaces.