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About the solution
David grew up in Sierra Leone, during the 90s, where he saw many people - including family members and friends - lost their limbs during the civil war.
Many of these people had prosthetics, however, they didn’t wear them because they were painful. "It doesn't matter if somebody gives you a pair of shoes that are worth $200 dollars - if they're two sizes too small for you, you will not wear it; you will rather walk bare feet. This is the same thing - the prostheses were absolutely uncomfortable for them and it doesn't matter whether it was free or not, they would not wear it”, David observed.
So the inventor started working on this problem and traced the issue to the prosthetic socket.
"Seeing people who had lost their limbs and whose lives were just kind of cut short was very, very traumatising”, he stated.
While getting his PhD at MIT Media Lab, he came up with the solution. Since the prosthetic socket is the interface where the residual limb is fit into the prosthetic device, he focused on this detail.
The inventor noted that the process of fitting the limb to the socket takes at least three weeks in first world nations and can take up to a year in Sierra Leone. Plaster casting and moulding processes are still used to create the sockets, so David looked for a process that could take less time while producing better results. He did this by Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging he took the exact contour of a patient's residual limb. This data went to a finite element program to analyse the areas of greatest stress during normal patient use. Then the finite element data was sent to a 3D printer to build a multi-material prosthetic socket. Softer materials are used in areas of highest stress to provide comfort for the user. So essentially, David uses MRI scans of a patient's limbs onto a multilayer 3D printer to customise the socket design and make it more comfortable and personalised for the user.
"We are getting images, we are getting data that quantifies your body's impedance, stiffness, how stiff each point is, and we can use that with the surface information that we have, and modelling that we do, to create you a perfect shape and a multi-material impedance prosthetic socket”, he explained.
Adapted from: https://cnn.it/2ZJdCmr
https://bit.ly/2Lgs8OC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvkMauaHxBw
这些解决方案不应包括使用药物,化学品或生物制品(包括食品);创伤性设备;冒犯性的,商业或内在危险的内容。该解决方案未经医学验证。请谨慎进行!如果您有任何疑问,请咨询健康专家。
DISCLAIMER: This story was written by someone who is not the author of the solution, therefore please be advised that, although it was written with the utmost respect for the innovation and the innovator, there can be some incorrect statements. If you find any errors please contact the patient Innovation team via info@patient-innovation.com
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Physical disability
Amniotic band syndrome
Limb amputation
Limb traumatic amputation
Traumatic amputation
Hand
Arm
3D-printed device
Prosthesis
Working
Do housework (cleaning the house, etc.)
Grip
Studying
Limb Amputation
3d Printed
Body-Worn solutions (Clothing, accessories, shoes, sensors...)
Difficulty walking or moving
Joint deformity
Joint pain
Joint redness or warmth
Joint swelling
Limited range of motion
Reduced grip force (grip)
Restoring mobility
Replacing lost limbs
Promoting self-management
Managing Neurological Disorders
Promoting inclusivity and social integration
Recovering from Traumatic Injuries
To improve Treatment/Therapy
Neurology
Orthopedics
Pediatrics
Vascular Surgery
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649
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92
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45204
Crutches with a built-in shock absorbing system
Poliomyelitis
Physical disability
Crutches
Walking
WALKING WITH A WALKING AID: Walking with a walking aid
BODY BALANCE: Maintaining body balance
Polio
Post-Polio Syndrome
Walking Aid (wheelchair/walker/crutches)
Assistive Daily Life Device (to help ADL)
Difficulty coordinating movements
Gait abnormalities (e.g., walking difficulties, unsteady gait)
Loss of balance
Muscle cramps or spasms
Muscle weakness
paralysis of the legs and lower body
Stiffness or rigidity (difficulty moving)
Maintaining Balance and Mobility
Preventing (Vaccination, Protection, Falls, Research/Mapping)
General and Family Medicine
Neurology
Public Health
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