It may look like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. Lizbeth Uzcategui just became the first woman to be fitted with the i-limb quantum, a bionic hand.
"Whenever I get too excited, it goes into crazy erratic mode," Uzcategui said with a laugh.
The 46-year-old has every reason to be excited. She is a lifelong amputee and has gone through more than a dozen prosthetic arms.
When staff at the Hanger Clinic told her they had developed an alternative, she jumped at the opportunity.
"For me, being functional is very important," Uzcategui said.
The bionic hand can even be controlled through an app which allows Uzcategui to make specific gestures, such as pointing her finger. There are 24 different options, which she never thought possible.
The bulk of the prosthesis was designed at the Hanger Clinic in Tamarac.
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So how does it all work? Sensors near her elbow monitor muscle signals.
"I was trained to contract just one side of the muscles so I could open or close," Uzcategui explained.
This marks a fresh start for Uzcategui and what she described as her new life, "I am not embarrassed and I am not blending in anymore. I am excited. I am so excited."
The bionic hand costs $90,000 but her insurance covered the costs.
