Advanced Technology
in Upper Extremity Prosthetics

Hanger Introduces the i-LIMB® Hand
Revolutionary Technology for Upper Limb Amputees

For years researchers have strived to create a prosthetic device that duplicates the function of the human hand. Today, that pursuit has resulted in the i-Limb® Hand, the first commercially available, fully articulating, bionic hand. 

The i-LIMB Hand is the only upper-limb prosthetic device that imitates the true movement and accuracy of the human hand.  The i-LIMB has five independently powered digits which give the fingers a lifelike action.  The fingers have the ability to bend at each joint and open and close around objects.  The i-LIMB Hand is anatomically correct both when resting and in motion.

The i-LIMB was developed using leading-edge mechanical engineering techniques and is manufactured using high-strength plastics. The result is a prosthesis that is lightweight, robust and highly appealing to both patients and healthcare professionals.

How the i-LIMB Works

The i-LIMB Hand is controlled by a unique, highly intuitive control system that utilizes myoelectric technology along with self-contained, individually powered digits. 

The myoelectric technology utilizes electrical signals in the muscles of a patient’s remaining limb which in turn controls the movement of the hand.  Two small metal electrode plates are placed against the skin, one on the top of the forearm and the other on the bottom.  These electrodes detect the minute electrical signals generated by the remaining muscles in the residual limb.

Traditional myoelectric devices offer only one grip pattern which must generate a stronger-than-human grip force at the tip, where the fingers meet, in order to successfully hold heavy or odd-shaped items.

The i-LIMB Hand, with its individually motorized fingers, has the ability to articulate, or wrap around objects, and rotate the thumb, enabling the hand to create many different grips.  This allows a patient to grasp objects as a real hand would and perform more complex daily tasks such as typing, dialing the phone, throwing a baseball or shaking hands.

Cosmesis for the i-LIMB

The need to provide the i-LIMB Hand a grip surface and protection from dust and moisture requires that a cosmesis (a flexible covering for the device) be worn. Patients that like the robotic nature of the uncovered i-LIMB can wear a semi-transparent glove.  For those who prefer their device to blend anatomically, a lifelike covering is available.

i-LIMB Care and Maintenance

The i-LIMB is constructed of durable plastic and componentry that can withstand the activities of daily living.  Currently, the hand is not waterproof and appropriate precautions should be taken.

The modular construction of the i-LIMB Hand allows each individually powered finger to be easily detached by simply removing one screw. This means that a prosthetist can easily swap out fingers that require servicing and patients can return to their everyday lives after a short clinic visit. Traditional devices would have to be returned to the manufacturer, often leaving the patient without a hand for many weeks.