The Masonic Samaritan Fund (MSF) has donated a further £50,000 to the Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust’s (RAFT) research to make bionic prosthetics a reality.
The MSF donated £20,000 towards Dr Yazan Al Ajam’s Bionic Limb study in 2012 to help his team of eminent scientists and medical pioneers develop a working prototype of the bionic limb.
The latest phrase of funding will be used to explore their method of controlling upper limb prostheses through the use of electrodes implanted into the wearers muscles. The electrodes act as sensors, detecting messages to move the limb and sending the signals to the prosthetic, giving the wearer greater control and usability.
Dr Yazan Al Ajam said: “My project uses multiple implanted sensors to accurately detect electrical signals from individual muscles in the stump that control specific movements. The aim is to use these signals to control prostheses with a much greater degree of intuition and functionality than is currently possible”.
“More funding makes all the difference to the time it will take to get this prototype to all those amputees who are in desperate need of it. I don’t want this design confined to a state-of-the-art hospital and the MSF grant brings the project another step closer to benefiting every patient, anywhere in the world”
John McCrohan, Deputy Chief Executive of the Masonic Samaritan Fund, picture with Dr Yazan Al Ajam above said: “For many years we have supported our beneficiaries living with amputations and prosthetic needs. We are delighted to continue our support of RAFT’s Bionic Limb Project. The hope is that we will contribute towards a robust and life enhancing way to compensate for the loss of a limb.”
The Masonic Samaritan Fund (MSF) is a health and care charity funded entirely through voluntary donations from the Masonic community. As well as providing grants to Freemasons and their families to cover the associated costs of a diagnosed health or care need, the MSF funds medical research projects which aim to improve the treatment for many of the illnesses and disabilities that affect Masonic families and the wider community. Learn more about the work of the MSF by visiting: www.msfund.org.uk
