Hi everyone,
I have a very special treat for you today: an in-depth interview with one of Atom Limbs’ test users — meet Jason.
We cover a lot of ground in this Q&A:
- Jason walks us through his background, original trauma, experience with everyday and state-of-the-art prosthetics, and many other topics. In particular, Jason is very eloquent at explaining the full reality of navigating the ongoing, complex clinical care and reimbursement systems.
- This contains light details of physical and emotional trauma. Unexpected, devastating physical trauma caused Jason's limb loss.
- Severe physical trauma is more common than you might think: the majority of our 10,000-person waitlist has similarly reported unexpected physical trauma.
We’re grateful to Jason for his continued commitment to the Atom Limbs mission — in service to 65 million limb-different people globally, and the mobility needs of an aging population.
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, where we'll share more videos of Jason's journey testing the Atom Touch prototype so far.
I think you’ll enjoy this one. Let’s jump in,
Tyler
1. Hey Jason, could you share a bit about yourself and your journey leading up to becoming a user/tester for Atom Limbs?
My name is Jason, I’m 49 years old and live in Huntington Beach, California.
In 2012 I became an amputee after a horrific industrial accident in which my left arm was amputated by a grain auger that malfunctioned. Ever since, I have endured a long and painful recovery.
I was placed into the workers compensation system and had to learn how to navigate a whole new and complex stage of my life. I suffered from intense PTSD with constant phantom limb pain. My primary focus was now to cure my pain and beat this feeling of loss.
Part of that battle included replacing my lost limb, which led me to push the limits of the workers compensation system by requesting the best prosthetics available and trying every type of medical treatment I could learn about. I was asked to start mentoring other amputees who were struggling because I was such a great example of what could be achieved by using myoelectric prosthetics and because I developed such a great outlook on life as an amputee.
Most people find it shocking that I am a very positive person even with all the challenges and suffering I endure daily. I tell them, to not identify yourself as a victim of your disability but to embrace your new body and create goals that will help you grow and adapt. This includes everything from feeling more comfortable out in public to learning how to use your prosthetic proficiently to compensate for your loss.
2. What was your first reaction when you learned about Atom Limbs and its potential?
When I first learned about Atom Limbs and their goals of developing a prosthetic arm that included all the latest innovations that were being studied and developed by research facilities all over the world, I became very excited.
Not only did they have goals to include features like individual finger control, 6 degrees of freedom wrist joint and touch feedback built into the fingers. They also wanted to tackle the problem of support and comfort for the wearer with a lightweight design and an innovative socket and support system.
This coupled with a price point that is extremely affordable and a supportive environment that will not only help users achieve their prosthetic goals, but their recovery process as well was more than I could have ever wished for!
3. How has your testing experience been?
My testing experience has been wonderful. Working directly with some of the most well-respected engineers, doctors, and innovators in the world has made this experience particularly incredible for me.
Having a background in engineering myself I found it easier to understand and communicate their vision of what they wanted to accomplish. I find myself super motivated to achieve the goals set for me during my visits.
It’s also exciting to see the constant improvements made after each visit. I watched the arm go from bench testing to now wearing it and using it to perform daily living type activities.
4. What motivated you to become involved with Atom Limbs as a tester?
I’ve been waiting for a company like Atom Limbs to come around for some time now.
I projected that the prosthetics industry was growing so rapidly during the time of my accident that I should prepare myself to grow with it. In 2014 I underwent a new FDA-approved medical surgery procedure called targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) in hopes to cure my phantom limb pain. It was unsuccessful in reducing my pain, but I was able to gain muscle control and neurofeedback from my new muscles that made it possible for me to move my phantom limbs fingers and wrist again.
Prior to the surgery my hand and wrist felt like they were always frozen in concrete, and I could only flex my biceps and triceps muscles. This newfound freedom made it possible for me to control the most advanced myoelectric prosthetics at the time with the help of a pattern recognition control system.
I was the 14th person in the world to have TMR surgery for the use of controlling a prosthesis and one of the very first users of a pattern recognition system in an upper limb prosthetic. I worked extensively with prosthetists and physical therapists to hone and develop my skills over the years. I soon found myself being called a prosthetic “super-user” by professionals in the industry. So naturally I was excited to hear from Atom when the opportunity knocked.
5. How does Atom Limbs compare to other assistive technologies you’ve tried?
I have used many different types of myoelectric arms and hands over the last 11 years. None of them can perform the number of movements I can make with the Atom Limbs arm.
The Atom arm, fingers, and wrist joints have amazing dexterity. I love how all the knuckles curl around objects and that the wrist joint has 6 degrees of freedom! This all makes it much easier to manipulate the hand to grab objects off a high shelf, for example.
The weight of the arm is considerably lower than that of all my previous myoelectric arms. Weight is my and most other amputees’ number one issue when it comes to advanced prosthetics. With their unique suspension setup and the lightweight materials used makes the prosthetic feel more a part of you.
6. How do you see technologies like Atom Limbs evolving, and what impact could they have on the lives of people with limb loss?
To see the advancements in technology grow so quickly over the last couple of decades has been astonishing. It feels like prosthetic technology finally caught up with the rest of the world. The sky's the limit when it comes to how advanced prosthetics will become.
AI has burst onto this world, and it is going to change how we do everything, including controlling artificial limbs. Additive manufacturing is another growing technology that has already influenced the market. As that industry grows, I’m sure we’ll see some great advancements in prosthetics as well.
7. What does Atom Limbs mean to you?
Atom Limbs is part of my future. They have not only created a prosthetic arm that is incredible, but they are also a company that is compassionate to the needs of their patients’ futures. So, Atom Limbs means the future to me.
8. Any final thoughts or anything else you’d like to share with our community?
I definitely see Atom Limbs becoming a household name in the next couple years. Their technology is so incredible and the team they have put together is top notch. Everyone is so driven and committed to their goals, that you know they are awake at night thinking about how they can take it to the next level. My experience with them has been wonderful.
Their enthusiasm rubbed off on me, I am so excited when I'm there helping out. The day just seems to fly by, and when it's time to go, I don't want to take the arm off, I just want to keep "testing" it. I look forward to wearing the arm all the time. It's really going to make a difference for me, everyday of my life.
Thanks again Jason for offering your insights with our community!