Claudia Mitchell (born 1980) is a former
United States Marine
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
whose left arm was amputated near the shoulder following a motorcycle crash in 2004. She became the first woman to be outfitted with a
bionic
Bionics or biologically inspired engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.
The word ''bionic'', coined by Jack E. Steele in August 19 ...
arm. The arm is controlled through muscles in her chest and side, which in turn are controlled by the nerves that had previously controlled her real arm. The nerves were rerouted to these muscles in a process of
targeted reinnervation
Targeted reinnervation enables amputees to control motorized prosthetic devices and regain sensory feedback. The method was developed by Dr. Todd Kuiken at Northwestern University and Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Dr. Gregory Dumanian at ...
.
Her prosthesis, a prototype developed by the
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), is a not-for-profit physical medicine and rehabilitation research hospital based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1954, the AbilityLab is designed for patient c ...
, was one of the most advanced prosthetic arms developed to date.
References
External links
New Yorker article about Mitchell and the prosthetic procedureVideo of Mitchell demonstrating the prosthetic on youtubefrom
New Scientist
''New Scientist'' is a popular science magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organ ...
magazine
1980 births
American amputees
Cyborgs
Living people
United States Marines
Female United States Marine Corps personnel
Place of birth missing (living people)
21st-century American women
{{US-med-bio-stub