INNOVATION FOR INDEPENDENCE
ISSUE 129 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 £6.95
Researchers turning plastic water bottles into prosthetic limbs RESEARCHERS from Strathclyde are involved in a project to create artificial limb sockets from recycled plastic bottles. The initiative by De Montfort University in Leicester, has successfully manufactured the first-of-its-kind prosthetic limb socket. Project lead, engineer Dr K Kandan, found he could grind the plastic bottles down and use the granulated material to spin polyester yarns. This yarn can be knitted into a fabric and used to produce a strong yet lightweight material that can be moulded into prosthetic sockets. It has been trialled with two patients in India – one who had his leg amputated above the knee, and one who had his leg amputated below the knee. Now biomedical engineers from Strathclyde will help shape and develop the device to take part in a larger-scale study in India, so that the design can be adapted to meet patients’ individual circumstances. Strathclyde biomedical engineer and prosthetic expert, Dr Arjan Buis, said: “Prosthetic sockets are commonly made from different materials which are often composites, but De Monfort University have created a new kind of knitted recycled material. “They invited us to a workshop because they thought that they could use our prosthetic casting technology called Majicast to enhance
theirs. We had a common target group in India because we both work with the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti in Jaipur, the world’s largest organisation for rehabilitating disabled people.
“What they have done is, irrespective of what the socket looks like or what it should do, is explore whether a recycled material can be used and can that then be formed into a shape that can carry a person, for instance.” The sockets are being tested in comparison with other materials, following the quality standards set by the International Organisation for Standardisation for prosthetic components. The cost of producing a prosthetic socket this way is just £5, comparable to what it would cost for a socket in India, but much less than the industry average of around £500 each in developed economies. Dr Buis added: “As well as using recycled material, the aim is to establish a research and knowledge base within up and coming economies and to enable us to have an impact in these places. If it’s recyclable it also means that it won’t just end up on a big heap of general waste and polluting oceans, so it has a long term ecological benefit.” Prosthetic experts from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur and the Universities of Salford and Southampton are also involved.
A gold medal-winning Paralympian has been honoured by the University of Wolverhampton for his sporting achievements Record-breaking Mickey Bushell MBE won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. He received an Honorary Doctor of Sport at a graduation ceremony at the Grand Theatre recently. Mickey, who is from Telford, said: “I’m honoured to receive this award from Wolverhampton and I’d like to thank everyone involved in making it happen, it was a complete surprise.” Mickey is a record-breaking Paralympian, who won gold in his second Paralympic Games in London 2012. In recent years, while still competing, Mickey has branched out from sport and runs his company Project Emotion, which teaches others how to effectively communicate via body language and channel their emotions to their advantage.