AAOP names i-Limb developer Hugh Gill as honorary member
Gill lauded for leading development of i-Limb, the world’s first multi-articulating bionic hand.
REYKJAVIK, Iceland, March 11, 2019 — Hugh Gill, BSc (Hons), HonFIES, and Vice President of R&D for Upper Limb Prosthetics at Össur, has been named an honorary member of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP). Gill was lauded by AAOP’s Board of Directors for his unmatched contributions to the O&P profession, which include leading the team that developed the world’s first bionic multi-articulating prosthetic hand, the award-winning i-limb®and i-digits™ prosthetic limbs.
““We salute Hugh for his tremendous contributions to our company and to the O&P profession as a whole, and congratulate him on this well-deserved honor from AAOP,” said Jon Sigurdsson, President and CEO of Ӧssur. “Through his tireless dedication to innovation, Hugh has led the development of life-enhancing prosthetic technology that has helped people around the world live a life without limitations.””
According to Sigurdsson, thousands of people with upper limb difference and limb loss have benefited from Gill’s innovative work, including the i-limb externally powered prosthesis, which can be controlled by myoelectric signals and respond in real-time to muscle signals in the patient’s residual limb to move the device.
Gill earned his BSc in Engineering from Strathclyde University in Scotland, and joined the Touch Bionics organization in 2007. He currently holds 16 patents, including several related to the ¬i-digits and i-limb prosthetic technologies. He also has been named to the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame and is an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland (IESIS). In 2017, he was awarded the Saltire Society Fletcher of Saltoun Award for Outstanding Contribution to Science for the i-limb.
“Hugh’s work and dedication to the field of orthotics and prosthetics – and those served by our organization – is nothing short of inspirational,” said Alicia J. Davis, MPA, CPO, FAAOP(D), senior orthotist and prosthetist at the University of Michigan and immediate past-President of AAOP. “Our committee was moved by his desire to make people’s lives better, not merely by building a more well-engineered hand, but by really listening to the needs of patients, and how his work could make their everyday lives better.”
About Össur
Össur (NASDAQ OMX: OSSR) is a global leader in non-invasive orthopedics that help people live a life without limitations. Its business is focused on improving people’s mobility through the delivery of innovative technologies within the fields of Prosthetics and Bracing & Supports. A recognized “Technology Pioneer,” Össur invests significantly in research and product development—its award-winning designs ensuring a consistently strong position in the market. Successful patient and clinical outcomes are further empowered via Össur’s educational programs and business solutions. Headquartered in Iceland, Össur has major operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, with additional distributors worldwide.