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Bedford Company's Bionic Leg To Be Widely Available

BEDFORD (AP) -- A Massachusetts company has announced that its bionic leg that allows amputees to walk with a natural movement at different speeds is being made commercially available.

Related: World's First Bionic Lower Leg System

The prosthetic developed by Bedford-based iWalk was previously only available through the military, but will now be available through a dozen prosthetics providers around the country.

The device is the world's first bionic lower leg system that uses robotics to replicate muscles and tendons that replace the action of the foot, Achilles tendon and calf muscle.

Chief Executive Timothy McCarthy says with Tuesday's announcement, the "idea of scientifically-proven bionic lower limbs is now a reality."

The centers are in Columbus, Ohio; Montgomery, Ala.; Nashville, Tenn.; Silver Spring, Md.; Manchester, N.H.; Marlton, N.J; Orlando, Fla.; Eddystone, Pa.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Hicksville, N.Y.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Jackson, Miss.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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