Smart Prostheses

Smart bionic limbs could be the answer to some of the challenges those who use prosthetics face. Many advances are in place to combat some of the issues of fit and comfort such as a flexible prosthetic socket for above knee amputees. Typical prosthetic legs have a solid plastic socket that can cause fit problems and be uncomfortable for sitting and walking. Schwartz Leg Prosthetics offers a silicone socket. Read more here: http://www.schwarz-prosthetics.com/flexible-above-knee-prosthetic-socket/

Also fairly new is the re-adjustable socket design developed in part by Elizabeth Tsai, who co-founded the Beneficial Technologies for Health, or BETH, Project. This adjustable socket is projected to sell for as little as $150 and could help people in need use donated prostheses that were not custom made for them.  http://news.discovery.com/human/excellent-idea/adjustable-prosthetic-20121115.htm

A more technological new advance is the Symbionic Leg which has been developed by Össur. The leg provides dorsi flexion, which eliminates hip hiking and subsequent muscle imbalances and injuries. Other algorithms of artificial intelligence allow for stability and maneuverability on uneven and rough terrain. http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a7764/smart-bionic-limbs-are-reengineering-the-human-9160299/ (Photo Credit: Össur)

Second Life

Second Life is an online virtual world that was launched in 2003. The online world has it's own commerce system and monetary exchange system. There are communities based on common interests and to be a part of the community, avitars (online representatives of the user) are expected to follow the community rules. Role play seems to be a large allure for users of Second Life and real life communities, such as churches and universities have set up virtual locations on the website.

Novacast

The Novacast is a lightweight and waterproof. The cast is printed on a 3D printer and features an open framework. Each cast can be printed custom to a patient's measurements and the cast is invisible on Xrays. Developers at Mediprint are currently trying to shorten the print time for the cast.

http://www.gizmag.com/mediprint-novacast-3d-printed-cast/42841/

(Credit : Mediprint)

Bean-counters

Bean Counters: while the term may be accurate, I'm not sure it's affectionate. Like it or not, new or newly improved treatment strategies are supported by great data collection. The following article shows 21 current studies that are using Fitbit technology to help collect accurate activity data from their participants.

Click to read more:  http://mobihealthnews.com/content/21-clinical-trials-are-using-fitbit-activity-trackers-right-now

Introduction

Hi, I'm enrolled in CIS120 to fulfill the requirement for the college's nursing program. My first college level CIS class was quite a while ago and I'm looking forward to taking this class as a refresher. I know I will learn many applicable concepts over the course of the term. For fun I'm including this meme from www.graphjam.com. It seems to be a fairly accurate representation of my elementary school experience.