Optimization of prosthetic hand manufacturing

3D printing is a manufacturing method that holds much promise for customized prosthetic devices, particularly in developing countries. There are many open-source prosthetic hands designed specifically for the additive manufacturing process. However, the excessive time (i.e., 32-53 hours) required for printing and assembly hinders scale up. This article analyzes 3D printing and injection molding strategies to determine the optimal manufacturing method that balances manufacturing time and cost. While injection molding is less suited to individualization of prosthetic hands due to high upfront costs and long development times associated with the creation of each new mold, production time and cost significantly decrease thereafter. After analyzing manufacturing costs and times as well as anthropometric data, a hybridized process was selected in which the palm would be 3D printed and other parts injection molded. For the injection molded components, a set of three standard sizes was selected to fit the majority of the population by analyzing anthropometric data from both the U.S. military and general populations.

[1]  W. Thurston,et al.  Considerations for the provision of prosthetic services in post-disaster contexts: the Haiti Amputee Coalition , 2012 .

[2]  E. Biddiss,et al.  Upper limb prosthesis use and abandonment: A survey of the last 25 years , 2007, Prosthetics and orthotics international.

[3]  Anil K. Bhat,et al.  Prosthetic rehabilitation in traumatic upper limb amputees (an Indian perspective) , 2003, Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery.

[4]  Fredrick Romanus Ishengoma,et al.  3D Printing: Developing Countries Perspectives , 2014, ArXiv.

[5]  L. Oginni,et al.  Indications for amputations in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. , 2002, Nigerian journal of medicine : journal of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria.

[6]  Samuel R. Hamner,et al.  Designing for Scale: Development of the ReMotion Knee for Global Emerging Markets , 2013, Annals of Biomedical Engineering.

[7]  Augustine S. J. Park.  Making Sense of Amputations in Sierra Leone , 2007 .

[8]  A. Musa,et al.  Major limb amputations: an audit of indications in a suburban surgical practice. , 2005, Journal of the National Medical Association.

[9]  Joshua M. Pearce,et al.  3-D Printing of Open Source Appropriate Technologies for Self-Directed Sustainable Development , 2010, Journal of Sustainable Development.

[10]  N. Walsh,et al.  Rehabilitation of landmine victims--the ultimate challenge. , 2003, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[11]  A. Keller,et al.  The medical and social consequences of land mines in Cambodia. , 1994, JAMA.

[12]  Arjan Buis,et al.  Provision of prosthetic and orthotic services in low-income countries: A review of the literature , 2013, Prosthetics and orthotics international.

[13]  T. Williams,et al.  Causal conditions for major limb amputation at a specialist hospital in north central Nigeria , 2013 .

[14]  I. Dudkiewicz,et al.  Evaluation of prosthetic usage in upper limb amputees , 2004, Disability and rehabilitation.

[15]  Joshua M. Pearce.  Applications of Open Source 3-D Printing on Small Farms , 2015 .

[16]  Y. Lambin,et al.  Limb amputations in adults in an Ivorian teaching hospital. , 2008, Nigerian journal of clinical practice.

[17]  Gary T. Yamaguchi,et al.  Development of an Inexpensive Upper-Extremity Prosthesis for Use in Developing Countries , 2004 .

[18]  J. Gilyoma,et al.  Major limb amputations: A tertiary hospital experience in northwestern Tanzania , 2012, Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research.