Preliminary Agenda:

7:30  Poster Set-up

8:00  Registration

8:30  Poster Viewing

          Continental Breakfast

8:50  Assembly & Conference Pre-view – LL Hause – Diagnostic Visions

9:00  “Arms Race”: discovery of neural-muscular-control of the prosthetic arm, the bionic arm

o Dr. Richard Weir, Director of Biomechatronics, RIC and Professor of Biomedical Engineering,

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

9:30  Current Advances in Neurally-Controlled Upper Limb Prosthetics

o Dr. Laura  Miller, Prosthetist, RIC and Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

10:30 Prosthetic Arim and Hand control with Myoelectric (Nerve-Muscle)   Sensors

o  Dr Richard Weir, ibid.

11:30 Break & Poster Viewing & Bverages

12:00 The Role of Sensory Feedback in the Control of Arm Movements: 

o  Dr. Brian Scmit, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineeering, and Co-dorector of Faulk Ceter for Neurorehabilitation, Marquettte University; Senior Research Scientist and Associate Director of Sensory Motor Performance Center, RIC

[12:45 A Moderated Panel Discussion, Weir, Miller, Schmit, Stark]

1:15    Lunch

2:00    External Control Options for Upper Extremity Prostheses

o  Gerald Stark, CP, FAAOP, Vice President of Education  Product Development, Fillauer Companies, Inc.

3:00    Biomechanical Modeling

o  Alex Birdwell, PhD. Student in Biomedical Engineering at NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 

3:40   Poster Awards sponsored by…..

3:45 The Take Home Message

Laura A. Miller, PhD, CP: Dr. Miller is a prosthetist at the RIC Prosthetics Orthotics Clinical Services and a Clinical Instructor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwestern University, lecturing in prosthetics through the NU Prosthetics Orthotics Center.   She is one of the few individuals in the world with both certification in prosthetics and a PhD in an engineering research discipline.

Dr. Miller graduated summa cum laude from Tulane University in New Orleans with a Bachelor of Science degree.  She moved to Chicago to pursue graduate work in prosthetics and biomedical engineering at Northwestern University. After completing her Masters degree, she attended the Northwestern prosthetics program and began working at the RIC.  She completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University in 2003.

Abstract: - Current Advances in Neurally-Controlled Upper-limb Prosthetics
 

See related article: An arms race Building better prosthetic limbs

Richard Weir, Ph.D., Dr. Weir is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center & Prosthetic Research Laboratory

Abstract: My research interests are in the fields of Biomedical, Rehabilitation, and Mechatronic Engineering, specifically, artificial arm/hand systems, manipulators, robotics and their control. My primary research emphasis is in man-machine interfaces and the design of upper-limb prosthetic components and their associated control.  This work is currently directed at developing physiologically appropriate microprocessor based controllers based on implantable "BION-like" EMG sensors for multiple degree-of-freedom prosthetic arm control.

Brian Schmit, Ph.D., Dr. Schmit is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University.  He is Co-Director of the Falk Center for Neurorehabilitation Engineering Research.  Dr. Schmit is a Senior Research Scientist and Associate Director of the Sensory Motor Performance Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. He is Adjunct Assistant Professor Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University and Associate Director of the Sensory Motor Performance Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Dr Schmit Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Marquette University College of Engineering in 1988.  He was awarded a Ph.D.  in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 1995.

Abstract: Spinal cord injury, human neurophysiology, neurorehabilitation, biomechanics

Gerald Stark, CP, FAAOP, is Vice President of Education & Product Development, Fillauer Companies, Inc.

He will speak on External Control Options for Upper Extremity Prostheses and review the control options for upper extremity prostheses with respect to current input controls as well as output  functions. Presentation will focus on technologies currently available or soon to be available as viable prosthetic options.  Componentry and practices for prosthetic optimization will also be discussed.