Dean Kamen on Prosthetic Arms for War Veterans

The Aspen Institute on FORA.tv: http://fora.tv/partner/aspen_institute

Inventor Dean Kamen discusses the prosthetic arm his company invented for recent war veterans who had lost limbs.

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Dean Kamen is an inventor, an entrepreneur and a tireless advocate for science and technology.

As an inventor, he holds more than 400 U.S. and foreign patents, many of them for innovative medical devices that have expanded the frontiers of health care worldwide. While still a college undergraduate, he invented the first wearable infusion pump, which rapidly gained acceptance from such diverse medical specialties as chemotherapy, neonatology and endocrinology. In 1976 he founded his first medical device company, AutoSyringe, Inc., to manufacture and market the pumps.

Following the sale of AutoSyringe, Inc., he founded DEKA Research & Development Corporation to develop internally generated inventions as well as to provide R&D for major corporate clients. Recent projects have included the HomeChoice™ dialysis machine, developed for Baxter (Design News’ 1993 Medical Product of the Year), and the INDEPENDENCE™ IBOT™ Mobility System, also developed for Johnson & Johnson

Among the honors received by Kamen: The Kilby Award, which celebrates those who make extraordinary contributions to society; the Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy and Employment; and the National Medal of Technology, awarded by President Clinton in 2000 for inventions that have advanced medical care worldwide, and for innovative and imaginative leadership in awakening America to the excitement of science and technology.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• prosthetics
• prostheses
• prosthesis
• limbs
• arm
• leg
• military
• veteran
• casualty
• injury
• wounded
• mechanical
• technology
• vets
• foratv
• fora.tv
• fora
• tv

[WarmongerWW3]

War is the best incentive for technological innovation.

[CEFTV]

See Dean Kamen speak on June 22nd 2009 @ the worlds longest running conference on creativity and innovation: CPSI Conference. Founded by Alex Osborn, who invented Brainstorming and Creative Problem Solving.

[eirefrance]

The best part about this, for me; Kamen is doing this for good not profit. No 'free market creates the best product' bs here. He said himself, no investors and no big medical companies waste their valuable time working on it. This makes me wish I had had the determination to work hard enough to become an engineer.

[petekang1975]

I agree, that the war needs to be stopped, but on the other hand, people become amputees due to certain kinds of cancers, auto accidents, etc. I appreciate the work he's doing. It's one of those instances where an unfortunate circumstances bring about the advancement in technology and the best in people.

[zzcak]

how about stopping this pointless war immediately.

[privaj2001]

Dean Kamen! wow.

This man is a source of huge belief in human ingenuity, kindness and compassion.