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LETI: Prosthetic foot

Product
Developers: LETI St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University
Date of the premiere of the system: June 2024
Branches: Pharmaceuticals, Medicine, Healthcare

2024: Product Announcement

Russian engineers from the St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI" have developed the first domestic prosthetic foot with a "recline" that ensures smooth walking. This became known on June 25, 2024. The first patients to experience the novelty were participants in a special military operation with amputation of the lower leg. The development has demonstrated high efficiency, confirmed using marker video analysis.

The prosthesis was created by Olesya Maltseva, a graduate of the master's program "Systems for capturing and modeling movement" of St. Petersburg State Technical University "LETI." According to LETI, the technology of layer-by-layer application of materials (FDM) was used in its manufacture, which made it possible to create a product weighing up to 500 grams. Computer simulations and subsequent tests have shown that the prosthesis is capable of carrying a weight of up to 85 kg.

In
Russia, they developed an artificial foot with a "recline" for smooth walking. The first patients have already received it

Prosthesis testing was performed with marker video analysis, which demonstrated a significant improvement in the patient's walking. According to the university, "research has confirmed an increase in the power of the reference shock and an improvement in the walking index." To estimate heel depreciation and ensure a smooth heel-to-toe roll, a "sub-heel" was designed and installed.

Prior to the introduction of the development, computer models of prostheses were tested for strength and capacity to withstand loads. According to LETI, before testing on patients, reflective markers were fixed to the anatomical regions of the body, which made it possible to record the movements of the limbs when walking using infrared cameras. The results of the video analysis were compared with normative indicators for healthy walking, and revealed a decrease in peak activity of the rectus muscle of the hip by more than 40%.

Initial prototypes were created in 2022, and mass testing of prostheses on patients with different levels of amputation began in 2024. As the developers emphasized, "each prosthesis can be made taking into account the individual features and wishes of the customer, which will significantly improve the quality of life of patients."[1]

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