Success brings bionic hand back to expo

A factory accident six years ago cost Chen Yuting her left hand. Since last year, however, Chen has been able to overcome her limitation.

Thanks to a bionic hand she received a year ago, she has been keeping herself busy, preparing dozens of spicy braised duck necks every day at her deli store in Shanghai.

She chanced upon the bionic hand at the fourth China International Import Expo. Shortly thereafter, she became the first person in China to be fitted with it.

Developed by Ossur, an Icelandic maker of prostheses, the i-Limb Quantum bionic hand made its debut at the second CIIE in 2019, but it was not until last year’s expo that the company started marketing the product in China, according to Xiong Jiayin, sales manager of Ossur in China.

The bionic hand is designed for people with amputated forearms and allows them to perform tasks like lifting big boxes, cracking eggs, picking fruit and even unwrapping packages.

More importantly, Chen, the mother of a school-age daughter, said the device also helps her to arrange her daughter’s hair each morning, which has brought “a sense of normalcy” back to her life since the unfortunate accident.

Xiong said reception to the product has been overwhelming. Demand for the company’s other products, such as the Formfit Pro Knee, which offers support and relief for people with early stage knee osteoarthritis, has also soared.

Thanks to this positive reception from Chinese consumers, Ossur has channeled more resources into promoting its products on e-commerce platforms such as JD and Tmall, Xiong said.

To showcase its latest products, Ossur participated in the fifth CIIE. Its stall at the rehabilitation and elderly care area was part of the medical equipment, medicine and healthcare exhibition. Ossur’s products include the Rheo Knee XC for thigh and knee amputees, and the Proprio Foot for thigh and lower leg amputees.

The i-Limb Quantum bionic hand remains one of its star products.

“We hope to help more amputees regain their self-confidence and let them know that they are not alone,” Xiong said.