Frank Hrabanek lost four fingers on his left hand as the result of an industrial accident two years ago.
Simple tasks such as cutting food, getting dressed and writing became overwhelming obstacles. It took a toll on his mental health and put numerous strains on his wife, Zlata.
A few years ago, the story would have ended there.
But today, Mr. Hrabanek, a 59-year-old resident of Barrie, Ont., is learning how to use both hands again after being fitted with prosthetic fingers called ProDigits.
It's a technological breakthrough that is expected to have dramatic consequences for people around the world who are missing some or all of their fingers.
“It was a miracle,” said Mr. Hrabanek, who came to Canada from the former Czechoslovakia in 1990 and was working in a factory in June, 2007, when he suffered third-degree burns that would require four fingers to be amputated.
ProDigits was developed by Touch Bionics, a British company that focuses on bionic technology for upper limbs, and is the world's first example of powered bionic fingers.
A handful of patients around the world, including Mr. Hrabanek, were able to become early adopters of the new technology before it was launched to the wider public. The company announced yesterday that ProDigits are now being made commercially available.
The company introduced a bionic hand – the i-LIMB Hand – in 2007, but the process of developing bionic fingers has been much more complicated.
One of the reasons this development is being seen as a significant breakthrough is the sheer difficulty of figuring out a way to mechanically mimic the complex movement of individual fingers, and be able to do so on a small scale.
“It's the miniaturization and the physical space you have available to replace that particular part or digit,” said Ken Roczniak, clinician and manager of the Prosthetic and Orthotic Service at West Park Healthcare Centre in Toronto, where Mr. Hrabanek is a patient.
Until now, the options available to people who have lost fingers or been born without them have been fairly limited. Prosthetics are often cosmetic in nature and have minimal mobility.
But ProDigits have a highly developed ability to move and can bend, stretch out and hold objects, making it possible for patients to do many activities and gain a new sense of independence.
The development of bionic fingers that can be controlled and moved by patients to act like real fingers is a major step forward, and could significantly improve the quality of life of those struggling with missing digits, Mr. Roczniak said.
“It really does fill a significant gap between what was available and what is now available,” Mr. Roczniak said.
ProDigits work in two ways: Myoelectric sensors can be used to sense electrical signals from the muscle to help the fingers move; or sensitive touch pads can use pressure from remaining fingers or tissues near bone to activate prosthetic finger movement.
“This is the first time these patients have really had the opportunity of an active powered prosthesis of any description,” said Stuart Mead, chief executive officer of Touch Bionics.
Rinchen Dakpa, who is Mr. Hrabanek's prosthetist and co-ordinator of outpatient services and production at West Park, said he believes the new technology could dramatically improve the lives of many people with missing digits, especially after witnessing Mr. Hrabanek's progress.
“He's quite happy,” Mr. Dakpa said. “I can see that patients with this kind of amputation will significantly benefit from a functional standpoint and aesthetic standpoint.”
Zlata Hrabanek said that while her husband is still getting adjusted to his bionic fingers, which were fitted a few months ago, they have both noticed a remarkable difference.
Her husband is “almost independent” and she has more freedom to do things without constantly worrying about whether he needs help, she said. “It's like going back to normal.”
