Students invent aid so that amputee can play trombone

The solution the innovators created consists of a device that Simeon can wear to keep his trombone in a correct position that causes no tension, in which the left hand operates the slide.

The students decided to help Simeon after they read about his story at Design for Everyone, a project aimed at finding solutions for people with physical disabilities.

Simeon Vanquaillie had an accident in 2010, in which half of his forearm had been ripped off, and the rest was amputated. The musician still tried to play with only one hand, but he had a lot of muscle pain. “It feels unfair to not be able to play anymore”, he confessed.

The device has three main parts: The support member is hung around the neck and is connected through a thin rod with a clamp. This clamp is fitted on the trombone. A shoulder strap keeps the trombone in the correct position. In this way, it is possible to play with a single arm trombone and the prosthetic is not loaded. Thanks to the trombone aid, Simeon can back in a painless, normal way to enjoy playing the trombone.

“We have gotten so much satisfaction in being able to help someone in this way. We realize how important music can be for someone”, Arne explained.

Adapted from: http://bit.ly/2bENdkJ
https://youtu.be/WlwZMHWujK0

What about you, do you have any solutions? Please post them on the Patient Innovation platform!