3D prosthesis printing
Accessible innovation by Handicap International
In many low and middle-income countries, only 5% to 15% of people who require assistive devices, including artificial limbs or braces, have access to them. In areas that are remote or dangerous, specialized health professionals can be scarce and materials expensive. If poorly made or unadjusted, artificial limbs and braces can make life uncomfortable for patients by causing skin sores, pressure wounds, and muscle fatigue. As a solution, Humanity & Inclusion (known as “Handicap International” in French) launched a 3D printing technology trial. Since 2016, four scientific studies were conducted on telerehabilitation and 3D prosthesis printing. The organization worked with leading universities, private companies, and NGOs. The research was based on clinical trials and pilot projects in six different countries including Togo and Uganda, to rapidly produce affordable, high-quality prostheses in a range of contexts. Founded almost four decades ago, Humanity & Inclusion has been at the forefront of many of the innovations and initiatives that have revolutionized humanitarian assistance. Indeed, by producing at first bamboo, leather, wood or tire prostheses, as well as wooden wheelchairs, Humanity & Inclusion was the first humanitarian organization to develop simple and cost-effective orthopedic devices adapted to the local context. Forty years on, Humanity & Inclusion is the first organization in the world to combine telerehabilitation and the production of 3D
prostheses. The organization explores innovative solutions adapted to humanitarian needs and believes innovation should be as widely accessible and beneficial as possible. Today, teams are working with people who had amputations and use a small, lightweight, 3D scanner to create a digital mold of the amputated limb. The mold can then be adapted according to the patients’ needs using computer-modelling software. Finally, it is sent to a 3D printer that creates thousands of layers of thermoplastic to produce a bespoke socket. The final product corresponds perfectly to the shape of the patient’s amputated limb.
3D Technology: In Brief • • •
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The 3D file obtained is sent to a specific printer, which solidifies the material layer by layer, to obtain the final device. Digital modeling software is used to modify and adapt the device to be printed according to the patient’s needs. A lightweight and easy-to-use scanner makes it simple to take accurate measurements of the limb(s) requiring an orthopaedic device. A CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing Design) file is then created.
Prize for Affordable High-Tech for Humanitarian Aid. The prize money allows the organization to establish a new fund to help fuel future advances. Manuel Patrouillard, Global Managing Director explains : “The Tele Rehabilitation For All project and the use of 3D technology reflects something that’s in Humanity & Inclusion’s DNA: a desire to improve the quality and impact of our response using accessible technologies. Innovation is not just for specialists. It should be widely accessible. We are committed to that goal.” For more information about the subject and on Humanity & Inclusion, we suggest you to read the testimonies on our website (in French or German): https://handicap-international.ch/fr/index
The European Union Horizon Prize 2020 has honored Humanity & Inclusion with two of the five prizes of the inaugural EU Horizon Pauline Wilhelm, communication officer, Humanity & Inclusion Switzerland Photo: © X. Olleros / HI
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