Jun 18, 2015 | By Alec
The availability of affordable 3D printed prosthetics has been surging in recent years, and people everywhere are starting to benefit from this fantastic use of 3D printing technology. These prosthetics are far more affordable than traditionally-manufactured prosthetics available on the medical market, costing just a few bucks instead of thousands. Furthermore, they're also far easier to customize and adjust, which is perfect for growing children who need a new prosthetic once a year.
The only downside to these prosthetics is the lack of a proper gripping action, but that is about to change. While there are already a number of excellent bionic initiatives out there, a team of scientists from the South African University of Cape Town have unveiled a prosthetic with individually moving fingers. 3D printed with SLS 3D printing technology and capable of working with sensors and motors, this hand is cheap to fabricate and replicate, strong and durable while above all remaining very functional.
Behind this very cool looking prosthetic you will find award-winning mechanical engineer Dr George Vicatos and one of his students at the University of Cape Town, Severin Tenim. Together, they designed all the parts and arranged for them to be 3D printed by the high tech Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing, which is part of the South African Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein.
And as you can see in the clip above, their 3D printed prosthetic is a mechanical device that offers a lot more options than a typical E-NABLE prosthetic. As the developers write, it has been designed with both appearance and functionality in mind. ‘This prosthetic hand, which allows the patient to use the amputated hand to perform everyday activities, is functional and aesthetic appealing whilst remaining easy to use and cost effective,’ they write. ‘A fully functional prototype has been developed and positive feedback has been received from prosthetists regarding the functionality and usability thereof.’
The prosthetic itself is attached to a patient’s amputated limb in the same way as most prosthetics; by using a conventional socket. At present, it features a mechanical grip that is powered through a harness attached to a user’s shoulder. ‘There is no other mechanically operated device that is as close to the anatomical function of the hand as this," Vicatos says. Flexing the shoulder muscles actuates the motion of the prosthetic, though further refinements are still being made in terms of movement. These include incorporation of myoelectric sensors and motors to make operation easier than ever, as well as an additional external ‘glove’ for aesthetic appeal. It is, in short, a very impressive 3D printed creation and it is hardly surprising that this design has already won the Cutting Edge award from Popular Mechanics magazine in November of last year.
Dr George Vicatos and MSc student Severin Tenim being granted the award.
As the director of the Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing, Gerrie Booysen, explained to reporters, each component was individually 3D printed using laser sintering technology. ‘We ‘printed’ each of the little parts individually before we sent it back to Cape Town, where it was assembled,’ he says. ‘A patent application has already been filed.’
So far, this has proved perfect for keeping prices down, which is exactly the goal Vicatos and Tenim set out to achieve. ‘I wanted to address amputees in the low–income bracket; to create a hand that doesn't cost a fortune, but that works similarly to a real hand,’ says Vicatos. ‘Because the alternative for this income group is a hook, or a non–functional hand.’
It is expected that these prosthetics will cost anywhere from R25,000 and R30,000 (or around $2,000 USD) upon being released, still a long way off from the thousands a traditionally manufactured bionic prosthetic costs. The younger generation doesn't want the 'glove' look, or a hand that's trying to look real when it's fake,’ says Vicatos. ‘They want to enhance the fact that they have something artificial – and the mechanics inside this are quite beautiful, so there will be an option to have a transparent window that shows them off.’ And it’s great to see that someone is giving them that option.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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Like manual stick transmission. Cool!
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