Nov. 2, 2009 (Business Wire) -- Didrick Medical Inc. today announces that the company has received the 2009 Perfect Pitch Award for the X-Finger^®, the world’s first active-function artificial finger assembly designed specifically for partial-finger amputees. On the coattails of the win, the company also announces the launch of the World Hand Foundation, a non-profit foundation that seeks to increase access to prosthetic hand devices in cultures and communities worldwide that would otherwise lack the financial resources to invest in prosthetics. As part of the launch, Didrick Medical has committed to donate a percentage of all X-Finger sales to the World Hand Foundation.

PerfectBusiness.com, an online network of entrepreneurs, investors and business experts working together to promote entrepreneurship and mutual success, presented the award at The Perfect Pitch 2009 Entrepreneur & Investor Conference held Oct. 26 in Marina del Rey, Calif. The competition featured submissions from all 50 states and eight countries. Judges included noted entrepreneurs and venture capitalists from across the country, including Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Group. Other finalists for the award included ICON Aircraft and Vubiq, Inc.

“We are thrilled about being recognized with this award – especially from such a prestigious group and among such strong competitors,” said Dan Didrick, CEO of Didrick Medical. “While the art of fabricating realistic finger prostheses has come a long way, major advancements have been primarily cosmetic. Now that the aesthetics are nearly perfect, it is time for integrating function, which is an invaluable benefit to finger prostheses. This award substantiates the need for functional prosthetic finger technology. Both the award and the World Hand Foundation will help us provide practical solutions to those who need such devices.”

The X-Finger does not require batteries or motors to operate. Instead, the removable device’s motion is controlled by the remaining portion of any finger or the user’s palm. The device’s flexion and extension movements are guided by the same cognitive process previously used to flex and extend the finger, and motion is achieved with the same speed, strength and dexterity as the original finger. The X-Finger is one part of a series of components that can be assembled into more than 500 configurations of devices in multiple sizes. Collectively, the series is known as the X-System.

According to the CDC, approximately 28,000 non-work-related amputations occur annually involving one or more fingers. One in 200 individuals is expected to lose one or more fingers in his/her lifetime. The U.S. Bureau of Labor reports that approximately 8,000 work-related amputations occur annually involving one or more fingers.