LAS VEGAS — Saeed Zahedi, OBE, FREng, BSc, PhD, FIMechE, CEng, RDI, was named winner of the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Zahedi has authored more than 125 publications, patented more than 35 inventions and has worked in the development of the world’s first fully integrated, microprocessor-controlled lower limb system.
“It is a great honor to stand before you and be the recipient of this award,” Zahedi said during the opening general session of the 2017 American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) World Congress. “However, I think it is more important to be the recipient of your care, as this award can truly only be received on your behalf. Today, we are celebrating the 100-year anniversary of AOPA. This is an anniversary of promoting innovation [and] education, and facilitating to grow a tree, a tree of knowledge that also provides shade for our family.”
Zahedi is a biomedical engineer and technical director at Chas A. Blatchford and Sons, as well as a visiting professor at the Bournemouth University Design Simulation Research Center in Poole, England. He was knighted this year “for services to engineering and innovation.”
According to AOPA, he is best known for helping to develop the Linx, the world’s first prosthetic limb system with fully integrated, robotic control of the knee and foot. Sold by Endolite, the device “continuously shares information between the knee and foot to adapt automatically to changing terrains and circumstances, allowing users more freedom, confidence and stability,” according to the company’s website.
In addition, AOPA conferred its Inventor Awards to Van Phillips, for the Flex-Foot, an energy-storing carbon graphite foot that stores kinetic energy to allow the wearer to run and jump; Martin “Marty” Carlson, CPO(E), FAAOP, for the Tamarack Flexure Joint, a widely used thermoformable orthotic joint option for custom and semi-custom articulating ankle-foot orthoses and other lower- and upper-limb braces; M.E. “Bill” Miller, CO, for the Boston Brace System, which is used for orthotic management of idiopathic scoliosis; and Kelly James, PEng, for the C-Leg, the first leg with microprocessor-controlled swing and stance phases.
Also honored at the 2017 AOPA World Congress were the winners of the Thranhardt Lecture Series “best in show.” The winners, as voted on by the World Congress attendees, were Shenan Hoppe-Ludwig, CPO, for the study, “The micro-processor controlled orthosis: What is the impact to the user versus the stance control orthosis and conventional locked KAFO,” and Andrea Giovanni Cutti, PhD, for the study, “Reference values for temporal gait and loading symmetry of lower-limb amputees can help in refocusing rehabilitation targets.” – by Jason Laday
References:
www.aopanet.org/education/aopa-world-congress/awards/
Zahedi S. Opening General Session. Presented at: American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association World Congress; Sept. 6-9, 2017; Las Vegas.
Disclosure:
O&P News was unable to determine whether Zahedi has any relevant financial disclosures.
