A DEVICE ENABLING CHILDREN WHO HAVE LOST THE USE OF A HAND TO PLAY MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS.

USING AN ALTO SAXOPHONE WE WILL DESIGN A BRACKET AND A FRAME SYSTEM UPON WHICH WILL BE MOUNTED A SERIES OF ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SOLENOIDS. THE SOLENOIDS WILL BE MOUNTED OVER THE KEYS ON HALF OF THE SAXOPHONE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE KEYS INDIVIDUALLY OR IN GROUPS. THE SOLENOIDS WILL BE CONNECTED TO AND ACTIVATED BY A MECHANISM SIMILAR TO A JOYSTICK FROM A VIDEO GAME. ONLY SIX OF THE TERMINALS ON THE JOYSTICK WILL BE REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE THE VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF SOLENOIDS THAT WILL BE NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REQUIRED FINGERINGS ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE SAXOPHONE. THE ENTIRE DEVICE WILL BE POWERED BY A SMALL BATTERY PACK OR AN A.C. ADAPTOR. THE JOYSTICK MECHANISM WILL BE FITTED WITH A CONNECTOR THAT WILL BE CAMPATIBLE WITH A STANDARD PROSTHETIC DEVICE OR AN ADAPTABLE ALTERNATIVE. THIS WILL ALLOW A PERSON TO PLAY A SET OF KEYS, USING ONLY A SINGLE APPENDAGE, AS FAST AS A PERSON WITH A FULL SET OF USABLE FINGERS. THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL SUBSIDIARY, STRICTLY MECHANICAL DEVICES THAT WILL BE DESIGNED, SUCH AS AN ADJUSTABLE DEVICE TO HOLD THE INSTRUMENT STEADY AND THE PROPER DISTANCE FROM THE BODY.