Mark Lesek's Comments

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the warm welcome! I'm happy to be a member. I am a 4th year PhD candidate at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA, USA. My dissertation focuses on cognitive motor control in prosthesis users. My goal is to use basic neuroscience to improve PT/OT protocols and hopefully make it easier for individuals with limb loss to learn their new device.

I was not familiar with you before today, but a quick Google search has taught me a lot! I'm very excited about your successful osseointegration. One of our labs here at GT is working on that same endeavor:

http://www.ap.gatech.edu/Prilutsky/BiomechanicsMotorControl.php

My career goal is to design neurally controlled prosthetic limbs. Together with osseointegration, perhaps we really will be able to install truly bionic limbs!

Sincerely,

Bill C

I'l soon go to a conference in France ( Montpellier) to learn a bit more about it .

conference with Dr Branemark.

thanks.

G'day Mark,I must warn you of my lack of expertise with all things computer at the outset,thanx for the contact,I was made aware of the open prosthetics website while trying to get more info on you from seeing you on the ABC television article shown recently,I am willing to consider amputation if I was convinced that a prosthesis could be a useful asset,something that I have not been confident of up to this stage in life,it seems that you are the kind of person that doesn't take things laying down (something I admire).
I have only one amputee friend and he doesn't bother about using a prosthesis and I have never had a discussion with him about his views on the subject ( he has a prosthetic right arm which I have never seen him use in the 30years I have known him.
I have always been of the belief that due to the fact of having no shoulder control,a prosthesis was of no use to me,my paralysis is from the spine(brachial plexus).
That is a rough outline of my injury,Mark,love to hear what you think,I also appreciate your choice of motor bike,which model INDIAN is yours.cheers Terry P

Hi Mark,

Yes I did.

I am new to the world of prosthetics and thought this site would be an excellent forum to increase my understanding.

I will keep a keen eye on contributions and hope to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

i havent had any experience casting...ive only had experience studying anatomy and mechanics. m experience lies in industrial designs, working out designs that mechanically work. im mostly here to attempt to learn more about the design and construction of customized prosthetics and because the subject interests me.

Hello Mark,
I come from to write if you could answer has these questions which worry to me I would be extremely happy. Because, if is by surgical operation she had this beautiful leg I want to know these doctors treating so to have a beautiful leg too.
Thank you for your time Mark and good day.

I'll try to call you tomorrow afternoon. My number is 0408 110 357.

Cheers,
Alan.

Hi Mark, My name is Michael Yeganyan, I'm 28 years old, I live in Southern California, and I too lost my arm in a car accident. First off I commend your efforts for creating your own "bionic" arm. I'm wondering where can I get one myself as all the prosthetic places I've been to tell me that there are no such things and wont in my lifetime. Even the supposed Dr.Todd Kuiken from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) that supposed to be leading the nations bionic arm development told me that I basically shouldn't have my hopes up for getting anything better then world war 2 ancient prosthetic technology. Now I know and believe there are incredibly gifted individuals that either have built bionic arms or know who can, therefor I'm hoping you are one of those people that can help me get one step closer to finding a bionic arm. If I'm not wrong, please tell me where I can go or who I can talk to get a new high tech arm. Thank you for your time. My email is michaely23@gmail.com, best of luck.

"Tinkerer":)

Mark is an engineer that runs is own company, Dynamic Welding. He basically reverse engineered his left arm with rapid prototyping methods from a cast that was made from his arm so he's doing the right things. That is called 'constructing', 'engineering' or 'developing'.

Same here. Sure my colleagues and me build my own wrist. Sure it is "do it yourself". But I am a medical doctor, my colleague is a mold guy who works and worked for major plastic injection companies in the relevant spots on this planet, the machine guy owns a high tech work shop with some 20 employees, built some of the best medical orthopedic surgery metal implants himself and so you could call that 'tinkering' - but why not call a good engineering job what it is?

Conversely, there is a big German prosthetic parts manufacturer that builds stuff that permanently crashes within seconds or minutes of usage and if not then, probably later. Consistently. And they sell that for dream prices.

So, I'd have some really specific suggestions to whom to correctly apply the term "tinkerers" to. And let me tell you, it's not Mark I'd use the term for. On the photo he didn't tuck his shirt in - but that's not a tinkerer thing, it's an arm amputee thing. We all have shirt tuck in issues.

Kind regards, Wolf