`
`
`MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES 2002
`
`3fl_8iliil. EASPEBS
`
`GET A LEG UP
`
`BY FASi COMPANY SiilFF
`
`Carl Caspers is a technologist with a special connection to his
`market. As an amputee, he understands the limits of most
`
`prosthetic limbs. His company‘s Harmony System, released last
`year, is a breakthrough-a product that may well change the
`standard by which the medical community and amputees
`measure mobility and comfort.
`
`Carl Caspers
`
`CEO and cofounder, TEC Interface Systems
`
`Waite Park, Minnesota
`
`btt
`
`: www.tecinterface.com
`
`FROM CARL'S ORIGINAL ENTRY:
`
`What needed an overhaul?
`
`As an amputee and certified prosthetist, Carl Caspers intimately
`understands the problems amputees experience on a daily basis.
`When fitting his patients, he quickly grew frustrated with the quality
`of the products available. Prosthetic technology severely had fallen
`behind the times and was adverseiy affecting a growing population
`of amputees. Typical artificial limbs did not manage common side
`
`effects such as an inconsistent fit, as well as painful blisters, rashes,
`
`chafing and even ulcers. For many amputees using a prosthetic
`
`device, mobility was limited to only a few steps at a time before
`
`the pain became unbearable,
`
`What was the single biggest obstacle?
`
`in a field that severely lacked research and development funding,
`amputees were left with devices that were bound to fail,
`
`disappoint, limit and cause pain. The central problem that no
`
`Otto Bock
`
`Exhibit 2006
`
`Page 1
`
`Otto Bock Exhibit 2006 Page 1
`
`
`
`manufacturer had ever resoived before was volume loss in the
`
`stump, which leads to a painful, inconsistent fit. With conventional
`
`artificial limb liners, the repeated pressure on the stump caused
`body fluids to be forced upward into the leg, eventually shrinking
`the size of the limb and loosening the prosthesis as the day wore
`on. The ioosened fit caused friction—-leading to painful side
`effects.
`
`How did you overcome it?
`
`With persistence and an unwavering commitment to the industry,
`Caspers started a manufacturing company that quickly earned a
`reputation as the industry innovator. TEC Interface Systems heavily
`invested in research and development, a risk that no other
`
`manufacturer had taken before, and the results have paid off. After
`several successful product launches, the 2001 release of the
`
`Harmony System has become TEC's most impressive innovation
`to date. Harmony is a vacuum pump within the artificial limb. With
`
`every step, the vacuum maintains a balanced volume in the stump,
`practically eliminating shrinkage of the stump and the related
`
`painful side effects.
`
`How have you seen results?
`
`Since the Harmony device was introduced in July 2001, TEC has
`seen direct and dramatic results. From a financial standpoint, TEC
`expects a 50 percent increase in 2001 revenues. The future iooks
`
`bright because no other manufacturer has a com parable product.
`The field belongs solely to this Minnesota company. But the most
`rewarding result for Caspers has been the remarkable increase in
`
`the mobility of Harmony users—-some going from 10 minutes of
`
`mobility to 10 hours. Prosthetists across the country are saying that
`Harmony wilt change the standard by which the medical
`
`community and amputees View mobility and comfort.
`
`Read more entries from the Fast 50 2002
`
`FAST CUMPANY SIAFF
`
`Otto Bock
`
`Exhibit 2006
`
`Page 2
`
`Otto Bock Exhibit 2006 Page 2
`
`
`
`< m February 28,2002l10:00 AM
`
`31 ROBIN >
`
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`flZJIflB MBEWEN
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`MINE YOUR BEST RESOURCE
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`Otto Bock Exhibit 2006 Page 3
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