Some of the research emerging from the University of New Brunswick’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME) seems to be from the future.

“Over the past four years, the institute has led several major projects that will result in potentially disruptive technologies in the rehabilitation field,” says IBME director Kevin Englehart, one of the institute’s researchers.

Perhaps the most notable project is the UNB Advanced Hand System.

The $2.8-million project, funded through ACOA’s Atlantic Innovation Fund, will result in a state-of-the-art electromechanical hand prosthesis, including “smart sensors” that interpret and digitize muscle signals, translating them into actual hand movements. In other words, the device tells the prosthesis what the brain wants it to do, meaning the patient needs only to think about a task to make it happen.

“The UNB Hand System has the potential to revolutionize the prosthetics industry,” Englehart says.

IBME’s other initiatives include a $3.4-million project that is developing devices to aid patients with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, or cerebral palsy.
A new IBME partnership will form the world’s first dermoskeletics research centre, which will develop devices to prevent occupational injuries and improve the mobility of those living with neurological conditions.

“Many research projects at the Institute have a direct path to commercialization,” Englehart says. “The medical devices and technology sector is expected to experience rapid growth in the next decade, and IBME’s researchers are positioning their research to have the greatest economic and social impact possible.”