touch bionics i-limb digits User manual

i-limbTM digits
User Manual
Part number: MA01063: Issue No. 1, December 2012

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This symbol signies important information and is used throughout the manual.
This document provides information for i-limb digits users and should be used in conjunction with
advice from a qualied clinical team with experience of i-limb digits.
Refer to www.touchbionics.com to ensure the latest copy of this document.
Part number: MA01063: Issue No. 1, December 2012

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Table of Contents
1 i-limb digits 1.1 Product Description
1.2 Know Your Prosthesis
1.3 Wristband
2 Socket Interface 2.1 Socket Interface and Electrodes
2.2 Battery
2.3 Battery Charging
3 biosim 3.1 biosim Overview
3.2 biosim Connecting
3.3 Navigating biosim
3.3.1 Features
3.3.2 Training
3.3.3 Hand Health Check
3.3.4 Exit
4 i-limb digits Coverings 4.1 Cover Options
5 Support Information 5.1 Troubleshooting
5.2 Warnings and Precautions
6 User Information 6.1 User Details
7 Appendix 7.1 Technical Information
7.2 Component Compatibility
7.3 Warranty

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1.1 Product Description
i-limb digits is a customized prosthetic device designed to
t and function with your residual hand. i-limb digits is a tool
to enhance function for individuals with partial hand loss or
deciency.
Each digit in the system has its own motor, which allows the
i-limb digits to take the shape of whatever object is being
held. This also allows you to stop a digit or multiple digits from
moving by putting pressure against the digit to stop its motion.
Additionally, different grasp patterns can then be programmed
into the hand using a software system called biosim.
These various grasping patterns will be discussed in more
detail later in this manual as well as how the i-limb digits can
assist you in completing your daily activities, work tasks, and
even some hobbies.
1.0 i-limb digits

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1.2 Know Your Prosthesis
Your i-limb digits device is a mechanical device to assist
with everyday tasks. Although the device may look similar to a
natural hand, there are some things that a normal hand can do
that are not possible with the i-limb digits device.
To get the most out of the device do not use the i-limb digits
device where you would not use a natural hand. The i-limb
digits device will limit sensation and so you may not be aware
if the hand is being stressed by excessive weight, temperature
or moisture, or has been struck by an object that would cause
pain in a natural hand. A natural hand and forearm absorb
shock, the i-limb digits device is less able to do this. The
i-limb digits device will not dampen vibration as much as the
soft tissues of a natural hand.
The i-limb digits device will be damaged if the joints are
moved in a way in which they were not designed. Do not apply
forces to the side of the digits, or move the joints in directions
which they are not intended to move.
When carrying a bag or other object protect the hand by resting
the handle or strap toward the center of the hand and away
from the tips of the digits.
For further information contact your prosthetist.
Your device should be treated like any electrical device, it is
important to avoid contact with water or moisture. Wipe your
prosthesis dry quickly if there is any contact (review Warnings
and Precautions for a comprehensive overview).
1.3 Wristband
The i-limb digits Wristband has a circumference range of
155mm (6”) to 270mm (10.5”).
The i-limb digits Wristband contains the PCB and two
removable 3.7V batteries. It is connected to the main socket by
a exible sheath which protects the cabling.
Maximum
95mm (3.75”)
76mm
(3”)
45mm
(1.75”)
58mm (2.3”)
Minimum

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Your i-limb digits device has been designed with a socket
interface which has been specially created by your prosthetist
team. The socket interface should t comfortably and directly to
your residual hand. Some minor redness on your residual hand
may be normal when you rst remove the device. However if
this redness does not go away within 20 minutes or if you have
any skin breakdown from your device, contact your prosthetist
directly.
As part of the tting process, your prosthetist selected the best
2.0 Socket Interface
method for you to provide control of your device. This tells the
processor (the brains of the hand) whether you want the hand
to open or close. One option is an electrode. Electrodes pick
up on the electrical activity that your body gives off when you
contract a muscle. Another option is called a Force Sensing
Resistor (FSR). These allow you to put pressure against a
pad inside your device using movement from your residual
hand. While gaining good control may take time and practice,
your method of input should not cause pain. Talk with your
prosthetist if you do not understand how your input control is
working or if it is causing discomfort.
2.2 Battery
i-limb digits is powered by 800mAh, 3.7 Volt batteries which
have been specically designed to meet the power requirements
of i-limb digits devices. Four batteries are provided, two for
the Wristband and two spares.
Two 3.7v batteries will be needed with the Wristband (the
Wristand will not work with only one battery).
2.1 Socket Interface and Electrodes

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Only Touch Bionics batteries are approved for use
with i-limb digits, use of alternative batteries will
invalidate the warranty.
The batteries provided are designed to work specically
with the Touch Bionics i-limb digits Wristband and are
not to be used with any other device.
The Wristband is switched on and off via the grey button on the
central panel. The light sequence is as follows:
On : Red light appears for 8 seconds
Off : Red light brief ashes
Low power: Green light ashes continually when the charge
level falls below 5%
Batteries are tted into the Wristband battery housing and
secured by the holding catch at the wrist side of the Wristband.
Release the holding catch to remove the battery.

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2.3 Battery Charging
Batteries for i-limb digits should only be charged using the
Touch Bionics powerpack and battery charger supplied (UK,
European and US style plugs are available). Place the batteries
in the charger as illustrated. Insert the charger lead from the
battery powerpack into the charge port. Insert the charger into
the power outlet.
Charging time from full discharge is approximately 2 hours.
A continual blue light indicates that the battery is charging.
When the battery is fully charged the light will go out.
If a continual red light appears for more than 10 minutes then
the battery should be replaced.
Only use the plug to disconnect the charger, never
pull the cable to remove the lead.

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2.4 Storage and Maintenance
Always turn off the hand when not in use.
Aim to charge the battery each day after use.
Replace the battery every 12 months.
As an alternative to charging directly from domestic power, a
car charger (PL069380A) is also available.

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3.0 biosim
3.1 biosim Overview
3.2 biosim Connecting
The i-limb digits device contains a Bluetooth® receiver
enabling it to work with software package known as biosim.
Your prosthetist will also have a version of biosim to make
changes to how your prosthesis functions. Using biosim it
is possible to make changes to the functionality of the i-limb
digits device. It will be important for you to understand what
these changes mean to your device before changing any
settings. Your biosim software provides access to training and
games, along with the option to make changes to settings.
The biosim software, working through the Bluetooth® wireless
connection, provides access to a range of control options,
training features, real time display of impulses, battery status
and a Hand Health Check
To use the biosim software with the i-limb digits device you
biosim can be downloaded and access rights set up via
http://www.touchbionics.com/Biosimdownload. Load biosim
by clicking on the biosim icon which should be clearly visible
on the screen. The biosim Handshake dongle must also be
inserted into a USB port to allow the Bluetooth® signal to
be received by the i-limb digits prosthesis. The Handshake
Bluetooth® receiver will pick up signals within a 10 meter range.
will need either an iPod Touch supplied by Touch Bionics and
preloaded with the biosim App, or a PC loaded with the biosim
software and used with the biosim Bluetooth® receiver (the
system requires either Window XP, Windows Vista or Windows
7; Microsoft.NET framework v3.5; USB port for Bluetooth®
connector and administrative rights to install the software and
connector). Users of biosim via an iPod touch are directed to
iPod Touch with biosim App: Quick Start Guide, provided with
your iPod touch (also downloadable from www.touchbionics.
com).
Occasionally updates to the biosim software will be provided.
An automated notication will advise you when this is needed.
Follow the steps as advised in the notication.
N.B. As all i-limb digits device are individually, custom
designed products, accurate illustrations of your device is not
possible. All illustrations show a full hand and are for guidance
purposes only.
The opening welcome screen will load and the rst numerical
icon “insert handshake” request will ash. On insertion of the
Bluetooth receiver (biosim dongle) the icon will be constantly
lit, the “handshake installed and ready” box will then self-tick
and the second icon “Turn device off, then back on” will begin
to ash. At this point the i-limb digits device should be turned
off and then on. The third icon “Connecting to device” will be
constantly lit. The tab marked “connect” must now be selected
for the connection to be made, this may take up to 24 seconds.

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If there is more than one device (either i-limb digits, i-limb
ultra or virtu limb) within range of the Bluetooth® receiver
then a box will appear listing all devices by serial number. In the
illustration only one device is listed. The correct i-limb digits
device can then be selected from the list. For devices using the
Wristband, the serial number is located in the battery housing
on the main body of the Wristband, as illustrated. For devices
using the full forearm socket, your prosthetist will be able to let
you know where to nd the serial number.

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3.3 Navigating biosim
The You’re now connected home screen will now be displayed,
with seven options as illustrated. This is the homepage and can
be accessed at any time from subsequent pages.
Features allows the set-up of the i-limb digits and is where
triggers are linked with with grip patterns and gestures.
Training provides access to the training suite and a selection of
games to improve overall control.
Hand health check icon provides a quick and easy diagnostic
check of the hand.
Exit icon draws the session to a close, exiting the program.

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3.3.1 Features
Click on the features icon to enter the features
suite. The feature page provides access to all
available features and associated changes.
Features are the actual movements of the
hand and triggers are the muscle action used
to create the movements.
The grip patterns illustrated are:
First row – 4 precision pinch options
Second row – 4 tripod grip options
Third row – 2 thumb park options, lateral grip and index
point options
Fourth row – custom gesture and custom grip options
Features Catalogue
Precision Pinch Grip Options
Tripod Grip Options
Standard Precision Pinch Opened
middle, ring and little nger remain fully
opened and switch off. Index nger and
thumb provide grip.
Standard 3 Jaw Chuck (Tripod) Opened
ring and little nger remain fully opened and
switch off. Thumb, index and middle ngers
move to provide grip.
Thumb Precision Pinch Opened
middle, ring and little nger remain
fully opened and switch off. Thumb
automatically moves to a partially closed
position. Index nger will move to provide
grip against a xed thumb.
Thumb 3 Jaw Chuck (Tripod) Opened
ring and little nger remain fully opened and
switch off. Thumb automatically moves to a
partially closed position. Index and middle
ngers move to provide grip against a xed
thumb.
Standard Precision Pinch Closed
middle, ring and little nger automatically
close and switch off. Index nger and
thumb provide grip.
Standard 3 Jaw Chuck (Tripod) Closed
ring and little nger move to terminal
close. Thumb, index and middle ngers
move to provide grip.
Thumb Precision Pinch Closed
middle, ring and little nger automatically
close and switch off. Thumb automatically
moves to a partially closed position. Index
nger will move to provide grip against a
xed thumb.
Thumb 3 Jaw Chuck (Tripod) Closed
ring and little nger move to terminal
close. Thumb automatically moves to a
partially closed position. Index and middle
ngers move to provide grip against a
xed thumb.

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Toward the bottom right of the screen the additional Global
Options box can be used to give access to Vari-grip / pulsating.
1Vari-grip / pulsating: this mode provides additional grip
force with subsequent activation of the closed signal.
The default setting for activation is 500ms (0.5 seconds)
which can be customized between 250 (0.25 seconds) to
3,000ms (3 seconds).
Additional Functioning
Additional Grip and Gesture Options
Thumb Park Continuous
all four ngers remain open and switch off,
only the thumb will move.
Lateral Grip
all four ngers fully close and switch off.
Only thumb will move.
Customer Gesture
all ngers automatically move to a fully
opened or fully closed position, as preset
by the user.
Thumb Park Quick
all four ngers remain open and switch
off, for 1.5 seconds the thumb will close
and then automatically return to an open
position.
Index Point
thumb, little, ring and middle ngers close
and switch off. Only the index nger will
move.
Custom Grip
all ngers automatically move to a user
dened position.

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By clicking on any of the features on the features page the
available triggers and example sections will also appear. In order
to preview a feature simply highlight the feature and click on
example to the right of the screen. The section will then enlarge
and provide a demonstration of the feature. The hand image can
be rotated to improve visualization by holding the left mouse key
and moving the curser in the direction of the intended rotation.
In order to link a trigger with a feature simply click on to the
desired feature, the feature will now be highlighted. Select and
click the desired trigger which has been selected to link with
the highlighted feature. Both feature and trigger should now be
highlighted and the descriptive label will now appear under the
feature icon. The illustration indicates the Index Point Feature
linked to the Hold Open Trigger.
Linking Triggers with Features
1Hold open (a prolonged open signal)
Four potential triggers are available to activate features: Hold open, Co-contraction, Double impulse and Triple impulse.
Triggers
2Co-contraction (both open and closed signals activated simultaneously) may have already been customized by your
prosthetist to be suited to your own unique signals.
3Double impulse (two rapid open signals, separated by relaxation below the threshold). Your prosthetist will have pre-set this
at the time of tting.To activate a double impulse the device needs to be fully opened prior to attempting activation.
4Triple impulse (three rapid open signals, separated by relaxation below the threshold). Your prosthetist will have pre-set this
at the time of tting.To activate a triple impulse the device needs to be fully opened prior to attempting activation.
Any of the above four potential triggers can be linked with any of the above features. Some users are able to perform activities of
daily life (ADL’s) without the use of any triggers. In many cases users initially set one or two triggers while familiarity and control is
gained.

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3.3.2 Training
The training suite contains a variety of short
training exercises aimed at developing control
of the i-limb digits device. The opening
screen highlights the series of exercises
which can be selected individually and in any
order. Both open and closed signals can be
practiced by selecting the appropriate box to
the right. Click on “Start” to start the exercise and “Done” when
the exercise is complete. An indication of difculty is provided
by the 5 point scale on each module.
Strength Only focuses on generating a smooth strong muscle
signal without concern for the opposing muscle signal. This
exercise helps to strengthen the muscles.
Speed Only focuses on generating quick, strong muscle
signals. Do not be concerned about the opposing muscle in
this exercise.
Strength and Separation focuses on generating a smooth,
strong muscle signal while isolating the opposing muscle. This
exercise helps with separation of signals.

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Speed and Separation focuses on generating quick, strong
muscle signals while isolating the opposing muscle. This
exercise lays the foundation for impulse control.
3.3.3 Hand Health Check
Hand Health Check screen provides a
quick and easy check of the hand. Click on
the “Run Hand Health Check” icon and the
health check will begin. There must be an
internet connection to run the Hand Health
Check.
Hold Open focuses on generating a strong open muscle signal
and maintaining it at a high level for several seconds. Mastering
this exercise will enable use of the hold open trigger.
Co-contraction focuses on generating quick, strong
simultaneous contractions with both muscles. Do not be
concerned with relaxing after the contraction.

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The i-limb digits device will then go through a series of
movements as each digit is checked, the process will run for
approximately 8 seconds and provide basic feedback on each
step.
3.3.4 Exit
Use the Exit icon to fully exit biosim.

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4.0 i-limb digits Coverings
4.1 Cover Options
Silicone digit covers will be provided for the i-limb digits
device. Digit covers will be ready to t and designed to cover
each digit.
Touch Bionics’ approved digit covers must be used with each
digit of the device. The warranty will become void if the device
is used without an approved cover.
General Precautions
• The i-limb digits device must be used with approved Touch
Bionics’ digits covers.
• Never put more than one cover on each digit of the i-limb
digits device.
• Always use the digits cover designed for the i-limb digits
device.
• Ensure covers are tted properly.
i-limb digits covers do not provide full protection from moisture,
oil, dust and dirt ingress. Caution should be observed.

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5.0 Support Information
5.1 Troubleshooting
P r obl e m Act i o n
Prosthesis does not
operate Ensure the prosthesis is switched on
Ensure the battery is connected
Ensure the battery is charged
Prosthesis stops midway
through an action Check the battery cable is not damaged
Check that the i-limb digits device is connected correctly
Prosthesis is difcult to
operate Ensure the battery has good charge
Battery charge does not last
a full day Fully charge the battery, this may take up to 2 hours
Check the battery connection
Ensure that you are not holding a sustained signal to the device
Replace the battery
Digits open when a closed
signal is actioned Contact your prosthetist
Battery is not working Check the battery is connected
Ensure the battery charger is working correctly
Check the battery is charged