3D-Printed Bionic Hands for Kids Going to Trials Prateek Jose - SnapMunk
go to original June 28, 2017

How 3-D printed arms are changing kids' lives around the world (Mic)

While some governments continue to make discussions around healthcare feel like actual medical procedures, innovators have been busy creating literal life-changing technology. The latest update in that narrative comes from Britain, where the National Health Service (NHS) has greenlit a clinical trial which could make 3D-printed bionic hands available to children for free. The prosthetics are a creation of Open Bionics, a startup based out of Bristol.



It’s common knowledge now that 3D printing can significantly reduce the costs associated with rapid prototyping and large-scale production. Open Bionics has applied those benefits to prosthetics, which at the moment can come with exorbitant price tags. The frugal production method could bring the cost of bionic hands down to as little as about $3,500. The prosthetics use a suite of sensors and electrodes to translate weak muscle signals into electrical signals channeled to controllable fingers.

Ten children are part of the clinical trial being undertaken in the UK. Over six months, doctors and other specialists will study how they can adapt to using the 3D-printed hands. If the trial goes well, the prosthetics could be made available to children at no cost as part of the NHS’s healthcare program.

Open Bionics aims to make its products available to the projected 2 million hand amputees around the world. A significant number of those amputees don’t use a prosthesis. Most that do have hooks, since that is currently the most cost-effective option while a small percentage has access to robotic hands. The startup uses 3D printing to produce functionally advanced bionic hands which, by dint of their relatively low price point, can be afforded by a larger section of the population.

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