David Coon Tours UNB Institue of Biomedical Engineering and the Atlantic Centre for Upper Limb Prosthetics
On Monday, April 28th David Coon visited the UNB Institute of Biomedical Engineering and the Atlantic Centre for Upper Limb Prosthetics. Dr. Kevin Englehart, Director of the Institute and Dr. Ed Biden, Professor in the Mechanical Engineering faculty at UNB showed David around.
The institute of Biomedical Engineering, established by Dr. Bob Scott, fits about 90% of the powered upper limbs in Atlantic Canada on children and adults of all ages. The centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Building upon a long and successful history, today it is at the cutting edge in prosthetics. By mixing the academic research of the Institute with the clinical applications in the centre, the specialists at UNB are able to provide cutting edge service to patients and observe the impact of their research immediately. This model is unique in the industry.
In addition to prosthetics, the clinic works to fashion adaptive technologies to help its patients regain the quality of life they had before losing a limb. Some examples include a prosthetic with shock absorbers for a child who loved mountain biking, and a specialized kayak paddle for a young person with only one arm.
Since the Currie Centre has opened at UNB, much of the research element has moved to the Motion Analysis Lab attached to the indoor track. This facility allows clients to move through the lab so that researchers can record and study a patient’s mobility. Only six facilities in the world have this setup.
The shared emphasis on research excellence and patient experience at the Institute and the Clinic is what makes it so special. The researchers and clinicians are leading the field and providing a unique, valuable and expert service for the people of Atlantic Canada.