Professor Mir Saeed Zahedi was named in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List to receive a Knighthood for his outstanding services to Innovation and Engineering in the field of rehabilitation.
Professor Zahedi, Technical Director at Blatchford, has been a pioneer in lower-limb prosthetics, an advocate for people without limbs and a leader in engineering for nearly four decades.
He is a multi-award winning author and presenter of over 125 papers, books and scientific publications, 35 patents and plays a leading role in a number of industry and professional regulatory bodies, particularly those relating to patient safety.
He is at the forefront of using the science of gait and biomimetic design principles to create innovative prosthetic solutions that maximise the opportunities for amputees to restore their mobility.
As a passionate advocate for amputee comfort, functionality and safety, his work on the introduction of hydraulic ankles into mainstream prosthetic provision has provided thousands of amputees with the stability and confidence to negotiate slopes, ramps, stairs and uneven ground with a reduced risk of falls.
The culmination of this work has been in the recent development of Linx, the world’s first fully integrated lower limb system. Its ground-breaking technology routes information from multiple sensors through a master controller, allowing the limb to automatically adapt to changing terrain and circumstances.
This provides users with greater freedom, confidence and stability. Linx has helped many amputees to live more independent and active lives and has won numerous awards.
Professor Zahedi also works closely with the UK Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre and with Help for Heroes to ensure that injured military personnel can access the best prosthetics services.
A Blatchford spokesman said: “As a trusted and dedicated ambassador for improving prosthetic care, Professor Zahedi has succeeded in creating outstanding and lasting results for many thousands of amputees around the world, giving them back the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.”