Parents create 3D printed orthosis inspired by their son

Diamo was born in 2003 and had a difficult birth, which led him to suffer from cerebral palsy and quadriparesis. He passed away in 2012. The child had very little head control and required extensive treatment to eat, sit, etc., which meant he had to have a lot of orthotic braces, gators, hand splints, a second skin night garment, etc. Getting the right orthotics was the biggest challenge. The boy couldn’t eat properly as he couldn’t sit up straight, he kept slipping off his seating system, these included his chairs and wheelchairs. Also, the braces took too long to arrive, and after the measurements were taken, Diamo had outgrown the gadgets.

When Naveed and Samiya started looking for a solution, they read about a 2-year-old suffering from a condition that weakened her muscles and joints, preventing her from lifting her arms and a team of engineers who used 3D printing to make a lightweight exoskeleton for her.

"Suddenly, a world of possibilities started to take root in our minds," wrote Naveed and Samiya.

With this technology, the whole process would be accelerated and easier for both the patient and the family, by taking a 3D scan of the child, designing a brace around the biomechanical model, quickly producing a prototype, and iterating the orthotic using a 3D printer.

The parents launched a crowdfunding campaign, in 2014, and started making prototypes. Soon they created their own company, by delivering a medically orthosis fitted to each individual's needs, by using big data and 3D printing.

Andiamo’s service is now available in the UK and in some parts of Europe. They aim to take the service worldwide in the next years.

More info: https://andiamo.io/

Adapted from: https://bit.ly/2kwOJrC

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