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By Jennifer Webster PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT handiii COYOTE Bionic Arm Prosthetic device technology is always changing, with some developments adding to the complexity of the technology and some leaning toward minimalist aesthetics and options to upgrade one's device at home. The handiii COYOTE arm mingles those schools of thought, moving the device's software and hardware out of the realm of academic or industrial medicine and relying on everyday tools — smartphones and 3-D printing — to make a functional, eco- nomical prosthesis. The fifth-genera- tion handiii arm by Japanese prosthetics maker exiii fastens to each side of the user's arm, eliminating the need for costly mold- ma king, designer Genta Kondo says. A smartphone application processes sensor input and wirelessly transmits instructions from the user to the prosthesis. The use of 3-D printing keeps the manufacturing cost at around $300, while the same technology allows for affordable repair and customiza- tion. Described as "stunning" and "beautiful" by a Medgadget reviewer, the handiii COYOTE opts for a sleek, sci-fi style rather than verisimilitude. PUMA Pressure Ulcer Risk Detection People who have tetraplegic spinal cord injury may not always realize when they are developing pressure ulcers. Now, a research project in Europe, Pressure Ulcer Measurement and Actuation (PUMA), has developed a device that assesses risk for pressure ulcers and suggests strategies to address that risk. The system consists of the postural control elements of a wheel- chair and a dynamic cushion that pairs with "smart" underwear or shorts to measure pressure as well as tissue viability at points of contact between the user and the chair, according to the developers. When a pressure ulcer threat is detected, the PUMA system signals a smartphone app via a computer embedded in the wheelchair. The app analyzes the data and suggests remedies to the user. For instance, the user might change the chair position or cushion dynamics, or apply electrical stimulation to the at-risk area. Virtual Nose to Combat Nausea Virtual reality has applications in many contexts — notably gaming, but also the military, aerospace and health care, where virtual reality simulations are used both clinically and in medical training. However, simulators can induce nausea, otherwise known as "simulator sickness," in many people. Researchers at Purdue University have devised a simple solu- tion: "a fi xed object that doesn't shift as you move around a virtual world," as Ars Technica reports. That object? A simulated nose at the center of the v ir tua l rea lit y screen or projection. The visual reference point — which none of the research subjects noticed until it was pointed out to them — prevented volunteers from feeling sick as early, even on a roller-coaster simulation. Additionally, the volunteers experienced reduced levels of nausea as they went through various simulations. The researchers have pondered whether any fi xed object in a simulation might reduce nausea. ■ IMAGE COURTESY OF DAVID WHITTINGHILL, PURDUE UNIVERSITY IMAGE © EXIII INC. IMAGE COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PARAPLEGIC HOSPITAL OF TOLEDO, SPAIN 3 8 | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ S E P T E M B E R /O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5