3D Printing Lends A Hand To Prostheses
3D printing first appeared in the late 1980s, initially for use in industrial prototyping and manufacturing processes. With recent advances, the technology is being applied across many industries, including health, where it is reducing the cost and production time of a range of body parts, from hips to hearts.
Now, a team of engineering students from the University of Witwatersrand have made a prosthetic hand prototype that will cost around R2,000 (about US$140). They hope that it will make this type of prosthesis more accessible to South Africans who find conventional prosthetic limbs, which can cost more than 50 times the prototype’s price, unaffordable.
Abdul-Khaaliq Mohamed, a lecturer and PhD candidate in the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at Wits said, “We’re trying to create a hand that’s relatively cheap but has sufficient functionality that allows users to do basic daily movements”.
Development is iterative. Last year the group perfected a tripod pinch, the grip used to hold a pen. Next, bicep and triceps were hooked up to the hand and as the person moves the muscles, the hand closes or opens. Sensors were then added to the fingertips to enable the hand to sense force. This year the group has focused on integrating the sensors with vibrational feedback to provide an indication of how strong the hand’s grasp is.
This promising work expands the range of 3D printing applications. It also brings many patients a big step closer to having a functional prosthesis.
What will be 3D printed next?