George Clynch

George Clynch first became interested in the field of prosthetics as a mechanical engineering student in London. Born in Ireland, Clynch attended a private college before moving to England and eventually dropping his major to pursue a career in prosthetics. He trained at Queen Mary’s hospital and graduated from the University of London.

He opened his first practice in Scotland, holding clinics across the country while based in Glasgow. Clynch came to Canada in 1962 after receiving a three-year contract to work in Alberta. He worked across the province with the Alberta Council for Crippled Children and Adults, opening up two junior amputee clinics before moving to Calgary in 1965. There, he helped develop a prosthetic department for the General Hospital rehabilitation ward in 1968.

Clynch began his career as an inventor in the early 1970s with the creation of a positive locking knee mechanism for above-the-knee amputees. With funding from War Amputees Canada, and help from engineering students at the University of Alberta, he developed his invention and pursued clinical testing on three patients. Clynch eventually left the project to return to his private practice in Calgary. A German company now markets the invention throughout the world under the name Sea-leg.

Clynch Technologies Inc. was established in 1974. Since then, Clynch has worked on designing a CAD-CAM system for building socket pieces on custom prosthetics. His system includes laser cameras and custom software to help take the uncertainty out of designing socket pieces. Clynch has achieved worldwide recognition for his invention. He plans to market his laser scanner worldwide, and may eventually bring the technology to third world countries for humanitarian purposes

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