Touch unveils latest bionic hand in US

TOUCH Bionics, the Livingston-based artificial limb maker, yesterday unveiled an upgraded version of its flagship product at a major medical conference in Las Vegas.

The new “i-limb ultra hand” gives patients the ability to vary the strength of their grip finger-by-finger, allowing them to pick up delicate objects but also apply more pressure to get a secure hold on heavier items.

Other new features include 25 per cent more battery life and a selection system to allow users to create custom gestures with their hand.

Speaking at the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association gathering, Touch chief executive Ian Stevens said: “We believe that prosthetists and therapists will find these products to be very beneficial to their patients.”

The firm has also unveiled an imaging system to make the artificial skin on its hands blend in better with a patient’s own skin tone and a system for training doctors, which allows them to control a computer-based version of its limbs.

Touch turns over some £10 million a year and has 80 staff, split between Scotland and the United States. Last year it secured £2.5m of funding to back its international expansion.