Caplex system improves prosthetic fitting with real-time emulation

Fitting prosthetic feet for patients with lower limb amputations is no easy task. Clinicians must navigate hundreds of foot models with nothing more than their own intuition and experimental knowledge. If they get the fit wrong, the impact on the patient can be profound.

Individuals with prosthetic feet walk 65% slower than their peers and abandon their devices at a rate of 25%. In addition, revisions are costly and time-intensive, noted Human Motion Technologies LLC.

This lack of precision in fitting not only impacts mobility and quality of life but also leads to long-term health issues, such as increased risks of falls, chronic pain, and reduced activity levels.

Humotech is using robotics to standardize this practice. Its Caplex system enables patients to try different prosthetic feet before purchasing and fitting. While walking with a “prosthetic foot emulator system,” the patient can experience the mechanics of various foot options in real time, providing feedback to quickly identify the best option.

The Pittsburgh-based company uses robotics to provide realistic, real-world mechanical emulations of different foot options. By rapidly switching programming, patients can experience various feet in quick succession, orders of magnitude faster, and more economically than traditional methods, it said.

Invented at Carnegie Mellon University, the Caplex technology is exclusively licensed and protected by five issued patents, with more pending.

By addressing the lack of standardized, data-driven methods, Caplex ensures that the right prosthetic foot is selected the first time. This reduces costs, minimizes revisions, and improves outcomes for patients, providers, and payers alike, said Humotech.

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