Evening star., 1947-04-05
|ParIey on Improving
Artificial Limb Design
To Open Here April "a

The meeting, called by the COM
nittee on Artificial Limbs Of the
National Research Council, will be-
gin April 14.&
Contractors studying improve
ments In current mechanical limbs
will bring laboratory models Of the
latest proposed notifications. After
reviewing the work accomplished In
each field for a week, the committee
will decide which projects are
worthy Of continued research.
Some models incorporating the
most efficient design features may
be recommended to the War De-
partment and the Veterans Admin
listration for service testing on am
putation victims.
No Miracles Expected.
Committee spokesmen expect no
overnight miracles" The task Of
research is slow and arduous, they
emphasize. Yet they understand
and sympathize with the amputee
who wants quick results.
"A length Of time considered as
mere seconds by research man. y
| it is recognized by an Army pros
thetics expert, Seems like years to
an amputee."
While research men know they
can never hope to give the amputa-
ton victim q limb 'as good as new"
they have come long way from the
days when peg leg was the emblem
Of the old soldier or seaman.
The Army prosthetics research
laboratory at the Army Medical
Center, whose models will be among
those studied, affords q demonstra-
ton OF what can be accomplished IN
little more than a year Of intensive
study.
Concentrating chiefly on arm
prostheses, Army technicians have
developed a mechanical hand capa-
BILE of grasping fragile objects,
lifting heavy ones and performing
the essential functions that enable
a man to be independent Of outside
aid in his daily living activities.
Lifelike Glove Fitted.
To fit over this mechanical mar
vel, Army scientists have devised a
cosmetic glove so lifelike In appear
ance as to be almost indistinguish-
able from normal hand at ordinary
speaking distance. Artists repro
Guce the skin color, veins and fin
gernails with amazing fidelity, and
even implant tiny hairs to heighten
the illusion of flesh.
| The source of power for the man
who has lost his hand and part Of
his arm is provided by the muscles
Of his opposite shoulder.
The arm appliance is fastened to
the stump of the injured limb. A
spring links the mechanical hand
to strap that fits around the op-
posite shoulder. An almost imper-
ceptible shoulder movement causes
the artificial fingers to contract or
expand, according to the amputee's
desire
Automatic Gear-Shift."
These principles are not new in
l1lklb ulOl1o4oSGA1Cs V1tou
Army research has contributed,
however, is an automatic gear
shift" which enables the wearer of
the device to increase finger-tip
pressure to point considerably in
excess Of models in current use, yet
eliminates much of the jerky motion
characteristic of other devices.
For each pound of pressure ex-
erted by the shoulder muscles, the
wearer Of the Army device will get
a pound Of finger-tip pressure. This
makes it easier for him to judge
the strength he must expend on diff
ferent tasks than in current models
where great shoulder pressure is re-
quired to produce relative low fin
ger-tip pressure.
The Army model also has device
which permits the wearer, by press
ing down on his artificial thumb,
to lock it in place while the first
two fingers contract against it-a
feature which facilitates grasping
and lifting objects.
Ehct " OhuCA t0AC JvDs
First to undertake the job at the
Army Medical Center after the
Secretary of War ordered the arti-
fetal limb project in the fall Of 1945
Was 1t. Col. Donald B. Slocum.
1t. Col. Slocum was an ortho-
pedic surgeon in charge of all ampu-
tations at Walter Reed Hospital.
The research project was an "addi-
tional duty" His stan at first con-
sisted Of only two enlisted dental
technicians. Together, they began
experiments with plastic hand.
On October 4, 1945, Maj. Maurice
]. Fletcher was assigned to the re-
search, which he has helped super
wise ever since. Originally cav
airy officer, he had been detailed to
ordnance work during the war. He
brought to his new assignment a
lifetime interest IN mechanical
problems.
Moving into building which had
been evacuated by the WACS, Maj.
Fletcher began to assemble staff
of civilian technicians and Army
men from nearly every branch Of the
service. Veterans Of the infantry,
Signal Corps, engineers, chemical
warfare, Adjutant Generals Divi-
sion and Medical Administrative
Corps participated in the research.
In large part, they constructed their
own equipment.
Now numbering 80, the Army re-
search team will move this summer
to the Forest Glenn annex of the
Medical Center, where a building
formerly used for vocational training
of patients is being converted for
their needs
Walsh to Head Bar