Aether Biomedical's Zeus bionic hand, capable of lifting up to 77 pounds, has the ability to transition between 12 different adjustable grip designs. On Monday, Aether declared that they had closed a $5.8 million investment round, powered by J2 Ventures and Story Ventures. The corporation is presently striving to provide their equipment to people who have been hurt due to the hostilities in Ukraine.
In 2011, Jeremy Schroeder, then thirty, encountered an unexpected situation while driving a four-wheeler near Sherwood, Ohio, and failed to see a stop sign. His arm was severely lacerated, and he was losing blood, so he had to wait more than an hour for emergency services. When he finally awoke in the hospital after his left arm had been amputated five inches below the elbow, his wife delivered the news.
Desperate to remain independent and continue to manage his small farm, Schroeder refused to be hindered by his injury. Twelve years later, he is an ambassador for the startup Aether Biomedical who has helped him accomplish his goal with their bionic hand, the Zeus. It can lift up to 77 pounds and has 12 customizable grip patterns. Schroeder is now able to carry groceries, drive his truck, and take care of his four kids with ease.
Founded in 2018, Aether Biomedical is based in Poland, with U.S. headquarters in Chicago. The device, designed to fit those with an amputation level between wrist and shoulder, works by translating electrical signals in the arm muscles into action. “Just about anything you can think, you can do,” Schroeder remarked, and more than 200 patients have already found great success using the Zeus.
Dhruv Agrawal, CEO of Aether, described the Zeus hand as the strongest bionic hand on the market, and he said the unique selling point is its remote configuration through the app. Patients usually require in-person visits to adjust their devices, but with Aether's hand, clinicians can use the company's cloud platform to change grip patterns and settings remotely - saving users time spent driving to the doctor. Furthermore, the seven modules that make up the Zeus hand can be replaced at a doctor's office, as opposed to being returned to the manufacturer. Mullen noted the inconvenience of being without one's hand for weeks, and said Aether makes sure the patient keeps the device on them at all times. The FDA-approved hand is covered by most insurance payers, and Aether is using its recent $5.8 million funding round to enhance manufacturing. Agrawal pointed out the potential of US upper limb amputees as a large market, and said Aether plans to send a team to Ukraine to fit 300-500 people in the next 18 months. He concluded by encouraging customers who had negative experiences in the past to try the current technology.
Mullen stated it generally requires four to six weeks for those unfamiliar with a bionic hand to learn how to use Aether's comfortably. This learning process usually begins with a prosthetist fitting the patient with the artificial limb, followed by occupational therapy to understand the different grip patterns. However, Andrew Hitz, a 61-year-old living near Dallas, mastered the Zeus hand within 10 minutes. Following a severe accident, Hitz endured numerous procedures in an attempt to save his hand before his surgeon informed him of all the options being exhausted. To Hitz, it was the best decision he ever made. He had dabbled with other bionic hands before, but none of them piqued his interest like Aether did at a Dallas trade show. With its soft grip feature, the Zeus hand allowed him to pick up eggs from his chicken coop without smashing them. Agrawal said Aether has around 75% of its 50 employees dedicated to research and development, aiming to make bionic devices more accessible and easier to use. With their products, Agrawal claimed the mental taxation for the user has decreased significantly.
Comments