Ryan Blanck is our speaker for March 2014 and he will speak about his “Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis” (IDEO) invention. The IDEO is a lower extremity medical prosthetic device designed to support, protect and restore function and independence for a large group of soldiers with high energy trauma related limb issues. In the fall of 2008, working as a prosthetist at the Center for the Intrepid (CFI) in San Antonio and with the US Army, he began looking at ways to design and fabricate a specialized lower extremity medical device to address these issues. Over the last three years there have been over 500 service members fitted with the IDEO, many of whom returned to active duty and deployment. A significant number of these cases originally considered amputation but realized with this form of treatment they would not need to.

Mr. Blanck’s presentation will tell the history of developing his IDEO system and how this system has evolved since its inception in 2009. He will also review various pertinent case studies which will provide the audience with an understanding of what patient population this technology applies to. In addition, he will look at the future of the National IDEO Program and the exciting plans for this game changing technology.

Ryan Blanck is a licensed and certified prosthetist/orthotist based in Gig Harbor, WA. Ryan graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in prosthetics/orthotics and completed his residency at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA. Ryan joined the Department of Defense at the CFI in 2008 as the lead Upper Extremity Specialist for service members with Upper Extremity amputations. It was during his time at the CFI that he developed the IDEO device. Ryan Blanck was featured on the front page of the San Antonio Express News for his IDEO invention.

Note: this interactive presentation will be made through Skype.

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT FLIER