A concert pianist who lost her fingers on one hand after developing pneumococcal septic shock in 2003 has been fitted with bionic fingers by scientists in west Lothian, Scotland.

Sky News reports that former concert pianist Maria Antonia Iglesias, 42, from Catalonia in Spain can now pick up a glass, hold cutlery and write for the first time since losing her fingers, with the help of the motor-powered devices.

The inventors of the bionic i-Limb hand developed the custom-made fingers, which are marketed as Pro-Digits and cost between £35,000 and £40,000.

Manufacturer Touch Bionics developed the digits after realising that ‘more could be done’ for the 1.2 million people worldwide who had lost fingers – losing just two fingers can reduce hand mobility by between 20 and 40 per cent.

The motorised digits are covered with a hi-tech robotic ‘skin’ and are controlled by ‘myoelectric sensors’ that register signals from any muscles that remain in the hand – if necessary, they can also be activated by a touch pad.

Touch Bionics' marketing director Phil Newman said:

‘There has been no solution like this for the partial-hand amputee community.’

Ms Iglesias said of her new fingers:

‘I am very pleased to be part of this project and the benefits my new hand is giving me are like a dream. Even a simple thing like holding and lifting a glass of water to drink from was impossible before, but with ProDigits I can do it easily.’

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