{"184721":{"#nid":"184721","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Partners to Improve Prosthetic Socket for Veteran Amputees","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are major players in a team that will develop an advanced prosthetic socket system that could offer better comfort, functionality and mobility for military-veteran amputees.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech is part of a $4.4 million contract awarded to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.fsu.edu\/\u0022\u003EFlorida State University\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.va.gov\/\u0022\u003EU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;Ben Wang and Chuck Zhang, professors in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, will lead the work that Georgia Tech will be conducting on the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.va.gov\/vai2\/\u0022\u003EVA Innovation Initiative (VAi2)\u003C\/a\u003E project is aimed at addressing the shortcomings of current prosthetic socket systems \u2014 the part where a patient\u0027s limb connects to a prosthetic device \u2014 through the development, testing and delivery of \u201cSocket Optimized for Comfort with Advanced Technology\u201d (SOCAT) prototypes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis\u0026nbsp;transformative\u0026nbsp;project will leverage the latest advances in innovative materials and advanced manufacturing technologies to build the next-generation prosthetic socket system with significantly improved comfort,\u0022 said Wang, who is also the executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.manufacturing.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dev.manufacturing.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/uploads\/pdf\/SOCAT%20one-pager%209-15-2012%20logo.pdf\u0022\u003Eproject\u003C\/a\u003E will integrate several technologies to create a more holistic above-knee socket system that could be worn longer and more comfortably.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn close collaboration with researchers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.hpmi.net\/\u0022\u003EHigh-Performance Materials Institute\u003C\/a\u003E at FSU, Georgia Tech\u2019s team will conduct major research tasks toward the success of this project. This includes creating the overall socket system design, evaluating advanced manufacturing technologies and developing innovative adaptive materials to better manage changes in limb volume and pressure while providing active cooling and temperature control.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022These improved\u0026nbsp;wearability\u0026nbsp;functions and features will be achieved and enhanced by integrating advanced materials, such as composites and\u0026nbsp;nanomaterials, and\u0026nbsp;by implementing\u0026nbsp;new manufacturing technologies,\u0026nbsp;including additive manufacturing and printed electronics,\u201d Georgia Tech\u0027s Zhang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than 1.8 million amputees are living in the U.S., and that number is expected to triple by 2050, according to a recent report by the National Limb Loss Information Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA prosthetic socket joins the residual limb to the prosthesis. Each socket is custom-made for the patient according to the shape and condition of the residual limb and mobility grade. While new and emerging technologies have improved amputees\u2019 quality of life, many continue to suffer from discomfort and skin ailments as a result of poor fit, elevated temperatures and moisture accumulation within the socket.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with materials researchers and engineers from Georgia Tech and FSU, the multidisciplinary project team includes orthotic and prosthetic practitioners and engineers from Advanced Materials Professional Services, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.poacfl.com\/\u0022\u003EProsthetic and Orthotic Associates\u003C\/a\u003E, Quantum Motion Medical and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.spcollege.edu\/\u0022\u003ESt. Petersburg College\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDespite the advances made in prosthetics over the years, the socket continues to be a major source of discomfort for our amputees due to issues arising from poor fit, elevated temperatures and moisture accumulation,\u201d said Changchun (Chad) Zeng, a Florida A\u0026amp;M University-FSU College of Engineering assistant professor and principal investigator on the project. \u201cThese adverse conditions effectively limit the basic activities of amputees and can greatly diminish their quality of life. This award gives us the opportunity to tackle those problems so our veteran amputees can live better, more fulfilling lives.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first phase of the two-year contract will focus on developing and testing the specific technologies for individual socket components.The second phase will involve the refinement of each system and material, as well as the complete production of the prototypes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaunched in 2010, VAi2 leverages cutting-edge progress in the private sector and academic communities with the federal workforce to improve access to healthcare and services, control costs and increase quality. In 2012, VAi2 became known as the Veteran Affairs Center for Innovation (VACI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIdeas are the heart of innovation, and VACI provides the dynamic ecosystem that lowers the barrier of entry for innovation at VA,\u201d VACI Director Jonah Czerwinski said. \u201cThe SOCAT project represents the kind of innovation in service to veterans and the broader population that we are after.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech are major players in a team that will develop an advanced prosthetic socket system that could offer better comfort, functionality and mobility for military-veteran amputees.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech are major players in a team that will develop an advanced prosthetic socket system that could offer better comfort, functionality and mobility for military-veteran amputees."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2013-01-16 21:09:50","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:29","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"70794":{"id":"70794","type":"image","title":"Ben Wang","body":null,"created":"1449177314","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:14","changed":"1475894623","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:43","alt":"Ben Wang","file":{"fid":"193458","name":"meyer_20110630_1750.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/meyer_20110630_1750_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/meyer_20110630_1750_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6717749,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/meyer_20110630_1750_0.jpg?itok=GVCd5qjo"}},"184471":{"id":"184471","type":"image","title":"Chuck Zhang","body":null,"created":"1449179062","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:44:22","changed":"1475894830","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:10","alt":"Chuck Zhang","file":{"fid":"196104","name":"13c2306-p3-125.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13c2306-p3-125_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13c2306-p3-125_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":767367,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/13c2306-p3-125_0.jpg?itok=07iQcWrd"}}},"media_ids":["70794","184471"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.fsu.edu\/indexTOFStory.html?lead.prosthetic","title":"FSU press release"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"55601","name":"$4.4M award"},{"id":"13523","name":"Ben Wang"},{"id":"40791","name":"Chuck Zhang"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"55591","name":"Department of Veteran Affairs"},{"id":"29351","name":"fsu"},{"id":"49371","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute"},{"id":"55581","name":"military veterans"},{"id":"55571","name":"prosthetic socket system"},{"id":"169548","name":"SOCAT"},{"id":"169545","name":"Stewart School of Industrial \u0026 Systems Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}