Colin MacDuff of Olympia, Washington, is a cyclist who loves to tinker with bike parts. At one time, he was a welder in a bike shop.
"I'm one of those people that think up crazy stuff and go out and tinker and build it," he says.
But after this Operation Desert Storm veteran lost part of a finger in an explosives accident, he used some bike handlebars to invent a new type of prosthetic finger.
MacDuff says his design works much better than anything on the market.
"A lot of companies are making what I call the Barbie doll silicone fingers. They look good, but don't really function," says Macduff.
He now has a patent on his invention, and is selling it through his company, RCN Enterprises, to amputees across the country.
He sends out ring sizers by mail to get the right fit. 3 months or less after that, the person has a new biomechanical finger.
With two of MacDuff's biomechanical fingers, a long-time piano teacher is back at his job again.
He says most insurance carriers cover 100 per cent of the cost.
