WTTW Profiles Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s “Pioneering” Center for Bionic Medicine

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A recent story on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight program highlighted the next generation of bionic limbs being developed at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

The story featured Terry Karpowicz, a Chicago sculptor who has used prosthetics since losing his right leg in a motorcycle accident in 1975.

For the past decade, Terry has helped Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s Regenstein Foundation Center for Bionic Medicine (CBM) test and develop bionic legs through participation in research. He has seen firsthand how the use of computers, sensors and motors has transformed the field.

“There’s a freedom of movement that I don’t actually have to think about, which allows me to think about other things,” said Terry. “It operates from my intentions. Whatever I want to do it’s there to support me. It’s like a relationship, the more you use it, the more you can rely on it, the more you can trust it.”

The WTTW story included extensive footage filmed at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and interviews with CBM’s Levi Hargrove, PhD, scientific chair; Suzanne Finucane, director, Research Operations; and Frank Ursetta, research engineer III.

“I’ve been with this team for over 10 years now and the first device we had was quite a bit heavier, but it did provide power and provided assistance,” said Suzanne. “To see the progression to the device that we are working with today has been amazing.” 

The report noted that the World Health Organization estimates that at least 30 million globally need some form of prosthetic limb. 

“[This device] has been designed so that it can be mass produced in the future at a reasonable cost,” said Dr. Hargrove. “I believe this category of device will become broadly available to hundreds of thousands or millions of people that need them in the future.”

The segment showed Shirley Ryan AbilityLab's multidisciplinary approach in action, centered on advancing patient ability.

“I’ve worked in industry before and although it’s nice to make products that get out there and people use, they don’t really help people,” said Frank. “It’s nice to work on something that I can see it helping someone.”