Apr 8, 2016 | By Alec
Over 10 million people in the world are amputees – most of them children living in developing countries. And yet in countries like Uganda, a prosthetic is a rare thing. That is why Canadian non-profit social enterprise Nia Technologies is now working together with software specialists Vorum to greatly increase the production speed of 3D printed prosthetics in the developing world.
And there, they are seriously needed. There are only 12 practicing orthopedic technologists in Uganda, a country home to more than 90,000 disabled children in need of orthotic and prosthetic devices after decades of internal, mine-filled conflict where child soldiers are frequently employed. As it can take a week to produce a conventional prosthetic, it is a country that can greatly benefit from the large productivity gains offered by 3D printing.
That, in a nutshell, is why Nia Technologies is now integrating Vorum’s Canfit 3D design software into their 3D PrintAbility platform. Vorum is the developer of one of the most widely used prosthetic design software solutions. Currently used at more than 650 facilities throughout the world, Vorum software can increase prosthetic production productivity by up to 600 percent. A perfect partner, in short, for Nia Technologies, a Canadian non-profit social enterprise with roots at the University of Toronto.
Nia Technologies’ key solution is 3D PrintAbility, a digital toolchain that provides orthopedic solutions in developing countries. Most importantly, it significantly reduces production time for orthotics and prosthetics. It is estimated that it could cut production down to 1.5 days – meaning an overnight stay in the hospital is more than enough for a child. “The ingenuity of 3D PrintAbility lies in its integration of highly specialized design software with inexpensive commercial scanners and printers to produce better fitting devices more quickly than is possible with conventional methods,” says Matt Ratto, Nia Chief Science Officer and University of Toronto Professor.
To further optimize that process, Vorum is thus enabling the integration of their Canfit software, and is also helping with the developing of 3D PrintAbility. “The Canfit™ computer-aided design (CAD) software application empowers you to quickly design all types of custom prosthetic and orthotic devices. Uniquely easy to learn and anatomically correct, it will have you reaping the full benefits of digital O&P technology in short order,” its developers say. “The complete Vorum integrated CAD/CAM solution for prosthetics and orthotics includes 3D scanners, computer-aided shape modification software, automated carvers, and 3D printer integration.”
Nia, of course, is thrilled with this inclusion. “Vorum’s generous contribution of Canfit to 3D PrintAbility means that Nia will be able to deliver proven, comprehensive, and easy-to-use tools to developing countries like Uganda sooner and more economically than originally planned,” said Ratto.
Nia CEO Jerry Evans further said it would actively let them help children. "Roseline, a four-year-old Ugandan girl born without a right foot, was the first patient to receive a 3D PrintAbility socket in 2015. With her 3D PrintAbility socket in place, Roseline was able to walk and run alongside other children for the first time in her life. Our goal is to help thousands more children like Roseline–and Nia’s partnership with Vorum, a market leader in fabrication technologies in the developed world, will help us get there sooner,” he said.
Especially in countries like Uganda, it is expected that 3D PrintAbility will now be able to help local prosthetic developers vastly increase their output. “Nia’s 3D PrintAbility solution will enable a substantial increase in the capacity of the very few trained orthopedic technologists in countries like Uganda to provide life-changing, high-quality artificial limbs to children in need,” said Carl Saunders, Vorum CEO. “We are thrilled to contribute to a social enterprise that will empower local providers to help thousands of additional children in the poorest countries.” Clinical trials are set to begin at the CoRSU Hospital in Uganda, with 3D printed transtibial (below-the-knee) prosthetic sockets and ankle-foot braces the first on the agenda.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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