Prize draw for 500th i-LIMB Hand as company celebrates key production
milestone
MIDDLETOWN, NY & LIVINGSTON, Scotland, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ - Touch Bionics, developer of the world's first commercially available bionic hand, will be a key exhibitor at the 2008 National Assembly of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) taking place in Chicago September 10 to 13. The AOPA National Assembly offers industry professionals four days of networking, business and clinical education, and product exhibits.
Touch Bionics will be showing its revolutionary i-LIMB Hand, which has now been fitted to more than 370 patients worldwide. In a prize draw at the event, Touch Bionics will give away the 500th i-LIMB Hand to come off its production line. The company's increased production levels mean that its recently acquired LIVINGSKIN facility in New York is now well stocked with i-LIMB Hand product, ready for shipment to the company's clinical and distribution partners across the country.
"By giving away our 500th i-LIMB Hand, one lucky person at AOPA will be walking away with a piece of prosthetics industry history," said Touch Bionics CEO Stuart Mead. "But, more than that, the prize is symbolic of a key milestone in this company's growth; we have now expanded beyond just-in-time delivery to a high-volume production environment, which has allowed us to build up an inventory that will support our continued global growth."
Also at the AOPA National Assembly, and for the first time in the United States, Touch Bionics will be showing a prototype of the i-LIMB System, the company's complete bionic arm. While still in research and development, the i-LIMB System will provide an insight into Touch Bionics' future product direction.
Visitors to Touch Bionics' booth will also note some of the ongoing enhancements to the i-LIMB Hand that demonstrate the company's commitment to creating the most reliable upper-extremity prosthetic products in the world.
"We've upgraded the thumb tip to add a softer touch and, having previously replaced the original belt design for materials with greater durability, we receive very few returns for such a high-use product," said Hugh Gill, Touch Bionics' Director of Technology and Operations. "We hope clinicians will also notice how we have improved the gear boxes and motors for smoother digit movements and made all of the external plastic edges smoother."
Updates to Touch Bionics' i-LIMB Skin include innovative features such as a Lycra lining for easier and more comfortable wear, as well as thicker silicone at the fingertips for greater durability. In addition, the company will show a new and completely clear i-LIMB Skin that has been developed using new manufacturing techniques.
The AOPA National Assembly takes place at The Hyatt Regency in Chicago. Interested parties can visit the company at booth 1413. To learn more about the event, please visit http://www.aopanet.org/op_events/national_assembly/.
High resolution product shots available for media use can be found at: http://www.touchbionics.com/professionals.php?pageid=71§ion=10
About Touch Bionics
Touch Bionics is a leading developer of advanced upper-limb prosthetics. In 2007, Touch Bionics brought to market the i-LIMB Hand, a first-to-market prosthetic device with five individually powered digits. The company continues to develop leading-edge technologies for the treatment of patients with upper-limb deficiencies. For more information, visit www.touchbionics.com.
The names of actual companies or products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Touch Bionics media contact: Leo Valiquette, inmedia Public
Relations Inc., (613) 234 7227, lvaliquette@inmedia.com
