prosthetics and bionics

<a href="https://www.openbionics.com/" target="_blank">Open Bionics</a> is creating the next generation of prosthetic limbs. What sets these apart from traditional prosthetics is that all of the mechanical parts are 3D printed, bringing along considerable cost-savings. The models created by Open Bionics are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, making sure its wearer feels comfortable wearing them - both physically and socially.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ipP-z_koTZs?&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 789px; height: 456px;"></iframe>Bionic hands can be very expensive. Starting at about $35,000, they can go up to even $120,000. Open Bionics is developing a bionic hand that offers the same functionality at under $1,200.<h2>The 3D printed prosthetic</h2>The Open Bionics hand is suited for trans-radial amputees: people that still have an elbow joint but miss anywhere from their hand upwards. The prosthetic works through sensors that are placed on the wearer's muscles. These send out an electric signal that allows the hand to move when specific muscles are flexed. Each finger can be moved independently and with varying speed, allowing for different gripping modes and movements to be made.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664181040-Bionic_hand_sensor_placement.webp">Sensors are placed on the wearer's muscles&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664198362-Open_Bionics_hand_movement.webp">Muscle movements allow the hand to move in various ways&nbsp;<section>3D printing plays a vital part in the development of the Open Bionics hand. After 3D scanning the wearer's residual limb, a prosthetic design is made in 3D modeling software, after which both the hand and its socket are 3D printed.As all the mechanical components of the hand can be 3D printed, it becomes a cost-effective alternative to the traditional, expensive prosthetic. As it's about 30 times cheaper than other available alternatives, it helps to make robotic hands accessible to a wider audience.<h2>Rigid and flexible materials</h2>The Open Bionics hands are created using both rigid and flexible materials to support the varying functionalities of different parts of the hand. The fingers are printed in one piece with <a href="https://ultimaker.com/materials/tpu-95a" target="_blank">flexible TPU</a> and have joints built-in that work directly after the printing has finished. Other parts, that need to be more rigid, are printed with <a href="https://ultimaker.com/materials/pla" target="_blank">PLA</a>. Since the fingers' joints are built-in, the number of different parts that need to be manufactured is greatly reduced, which simplifies the assembly process.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664225372-3D_printing_prosthetic_hand.webp">Different materials are used for different parts of the hand&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664249526-Flexible_prosthetic_finger_joints+%281%29.webp"><figure type="ArticleImage"><figcaption>The soft fingers are printed in one piece with flexible material</figcaption></figure>3D printing not only shrinks the development costs of these bionic hands - it also allows for tailor-made designs to be implemented that perfectly match the wearer's wants and needs. Check the <a href="https://www.openbionics.com/" target="_blank">Open Bionics website</a> to stay up-to-date on the progress made in this field.As this case illustrates, 3D printing can radically change the way in which medical applications are approached. For an overview of other 3D printing applications in the medical field, check out our explore pages: <a href="https://ultimaker.com/en/explore/where-is-3d-printing-used/medicine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ultimaker.com/en/explore/where-is-3d-printing-used/medicine</a><hr>Disclaimer:&nbsp;Ultimaker 3D printers are designed and built for Fused Filament Fabrication with Ultimaker engineering thermoplastics within a commercial/business environment. The mixture of precision and speed makes the Ultimaker 3D printers the perfect machine for concept models, functional prototypes and the production of small series. Although we achieved a very high standard in the reproduction of 3D models with the usage of Ultimaker Cura, the user remains responsible to qualify and validate the application of the printed object for its intended use, especially critical for applications in strictly regulated areas like medical devices and aeronautics.</section>

Open Bionics is creating the next generation of prosthetic limbs. What sets these apart from traditional prosthetics is that all of the mechanical parts are 3D printed, bringing along considerable cost-savings.

Open Bionics: 3D printed prosthetic limbs

With the increased accessibility and democratization of technologies that allow for rapid design iteration and customization, such as 3D printing, more and more innovative groups are taking the initiative to reevaluate how the use of this technology can improve upon existing systems. One of these groups is DiveDesign, who is working to use 3D printing to optimize the process of creating custom full limb pet prosthetics. In this article, we share their story: from the partnerships they&rsquo;ve created, through the research and development that went into their new process, to the lives they&rsquo;ve changed along the way.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Identifying An Opportunity&nbsp;</h2><a href="https://www.divedesignco.com/" target="_blank">DiveDesign</a> is the creation of Adam Hecht and Alex Tholl, who started their product development studio while still in college. While they mainly offer their services such as design research and strategy, concept development, prototyping, engineering, and brand development, their shared interest in technology has expanded their business and outlook towards finding opportunities for leveraging technology to improve upon existing systems used to design products.The team discovered one of these opportunities through their introduction to Derrick Campana of <a href="https://bionicpets.org/" target="_blank">Bionic Pets</a>, a leading provider of animal orthotics and prosthetics. Campana has been creating animal orthotic and prosthetic devices since 2005, and has provided custom braces and prosthetics for thousands of animals throughout his career. From speaking with Campana, Hecht and Tholl learned of the frustrations involved with the current process of creating full limb prosthetic devices for dogs, which had the ability to become a large portion of Bionic Pet&rsquo;s business.&nbsp;Traditionally, to create a full limb prosthetic (when the dog is missing an entire front leg), a negative mold is created of the patient using 3M ACE style bandages that is hardened using Plaster of Paris. Then, plastic sheets are heated and bent around the negative mold. Afterwards, it is trimmed and finished, and the foam and leg hardware components are attached.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852049169-unnamed+%286%29.png">Traditional method of creating the full limb prosthetics&nbsp; Although Campana has refined the process of creating full limb prosthetics, there were still many areas for improvement. While creating a brace takes little less than 2 hours, the process of creating a full limb prosthetic can usually take up to 15-20 (depending on the size of the prosthetic), and oftentimes does not account for adjustments after test fitting.Hecht and Tholl realized that there was an opportunity to improve upon this process. Leaning on their experience with 3D printing and scanning, they partnered with Campana to create a new method for creating full limb pet prosthetics.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Designing A New Process</h2>Hecht and Tholl began with the idea that by 3D scanning the negative mold and using the scan to create a 3D-printable customized prosthetic model, the need for heating, bending and finishing the plastic sheets would be eliminated, saving hours of manual labor.In addition to saved time, there were other advantages to this new approach: by incorporating digital tools into the process, it was now easier to modify the prosthetic after test fitting if needed. Through 3D printing the prosthetic, there would be more options for materiality, which would allow the prosthetic to be optimized for comfort, breathability, and flexibility.&nbsp;Another goal for the new process was to allow the workload to be distributed within a team, which was not an option with the existing process. &ldquo;For example,&rdquo; Tholl explained, &ldquo;(in the past) if Derrick was too busy one week, no body jackets got made because he&rsquo;s the only one who can make them. With the new process, we wanted to be able to train a team to support the process.&rdquo;&nbsp;With this in mind, the team began testing their new approach. They started by 3D scanning the Plaster of Paris molds and manipulating the scans with preexisting CAD tools. It was after preparing multiple prosthetic models for printing with these tools that they realized the extensive amount of manual digital labor that it required. &ldquo;We knew that creating a digital tool to perform the same actions with minimal user input was the key to a sustainable model.&rdquo; stated Hecht.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852032851-pasted+image+0+%281%29.png">3D scanning a negative mold&nbsp; <img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852146357-pasted+image+0+%282%29.png">Development of the new algorithm&nbsp;This realization led them to partnering with Chris Landau of <a href="https://www.landau.design/" target="_blank">Landau Design + Technology&nbsp;</a>to create an algorithm specifically for generating prosthetic models from 3D scans to aid them in their process. Through this algorithm, it was possible to generate finalized 3D printable models of the prosthetics in a fraction of the time. It also allowed for further customization of each prosthetic through changing mount positions, thicknesses, and more.<h2 dir="ltr">Research &amp; Development</h2>With considerations towards cost, processing and printing time, and comfort, Hecht and Tholl designed and printed countless iterations of the prosthetics and worked with Landau to fine-tune the features of the algorithm. &ldquo;To be honest, the first design was us making sure we could even print something that could fit a large dog and be comfortable. Derrick at Bionic Pets sat with us for many hours going over the importances of support placement, sizing, flexibility, strength.&rdquo; Tholl recalled. &ldquo;Not only did we want the new design to be faster to make, we also wanted it to be a better product for the dog.&rdquo; Hecht added.The largest challenge throughout development came with finding a material to print the prosthetics with. &ldquo;We tried at least 10 different materials before landing on TPU,&rdquo; Tholl stated. TPU, or thermoplastic polyurethane, is a plastic known for its elasticity and high abrasion resistance. &ldquo;With this material we found the perfect combination of flex for comfort, and strength for support. It also enabled us to print a heavily ventilated pattern that enabled more breathability, unlike other materials that would have required being printed solid.&rdquo;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852191030-pasted+image+0+%283%29.png">Prosthetic 3D printed with TPU &nbsp;Other characteristics of TPU that made it a good choice for printing the prosthetics were its microbial resistance, water resistance, and ability to be applied on or near the skin, which were important considerations when planning for the prolonged attachment to the patient.&nbsp;As with any thorough design development, it was important to validate that the product would function as intended for the end user, and meet all the necessary comfort and safety requirements. However, this user validation was unlike any DiveDesign had tackled in the past. &ldquo;It was tough because we had so many criteria to meet that would allow Derrick to approve our methods. Most importantly, we wanted to make sure that the fit was right. We were also looking to ensure that it moved with the dog and did not restrict them, was breathable and wouldn&rsquo;t cause discomfort, and it could withstand the expected wear and tear.&rdquo; explained Tholl.Fortunately, there were pet families who were willing to participate in the initial testing under Campana&rsquo;s supervision. This allowed DiveDesign to be confident that the prosthetics they were sending out to future patients were up to Campana&rsquo;s standards.&nbsp;One of these families were the owners of a dog named Hope, who volunteered to test one of the finalized prosthetics made through the new process. &ldquo;Hope&rsquo;s family really helped us to make sure what we were creating functioned in the way that it needed to, and Derrick was present digitally to watch and make sure his standards were being exceeded.&rdquo; Hecht explained.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852229109-pasted+image+0+%284%29.png">Test fitting Hope&rsquo;s full limb prostheticThrough families like Hope&rsquo;s, the team was able to conduct invaluable testing that allowed them to confirm that their process produced a viable alternative to traditional prosthetics, as well as better understand the unique challenges that came with every patient.<h2 dir="ltr">Creating The Prosthetics</h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852304525-pasted+image+0+%285%29.png">Preparing prosthetics for shipment&nbsp;Once the process had been tested and verified,the recurring orders for full limb prosthetics that Bionic Pets was receiving could be fulfilled using the new 3D printing-centric process. To date, the team has completed over 30 orders for prosthetics, with more coming in every day. As they are fine-tuning the process, the partnership between DiveDesign, Campana, and Landau has remained crucial. The prosthetics are being closely monitored by Campana, and the algorithm is continuing to be developed under the guidance of Landau.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852731963-1241243123123.png">Fully assembled prosthetics &nbsp;While this endeavour has been a large undertaking for the team, the joy of seeing their prosthetics being used to change the lives of pets and their families has made it well worth it. &ldquo;Seeing (the pets&rsquo;) progress as they learn to move with the prosthetic..seeing them run for the first time, it&rsquo;s great to see.&rdquo; Hecht said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like an indescribable feeling. Never in a million years did we ever think we&rsquo;d be developing animal prosthetics using 3D printing.&rdquo; Tholl added.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852759499-12565474.png" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 dir="ltr">Looking To The Future</h2>As production of the prosthetics continues, the team is keeping their mind on expanding their operations. With the assistance of 3D printing service centers such as <a href="https://www.gcreate.com/" target="_blank">gCreate</a> in Brooklyn, NY, they are working to keep up with the large influx of orders they are receiving each month.&nbsp;For Hecht and Tholl, this project has inspired them to continue finding ways to use the technology they have available to them to solve problems and help others. &ldquo;We are excited to see where we will go from here, and what further applications for 3D printing we will find in the future.&rdquo; said Tholl.&nbsp;You can learn more about this project through<a href="https://www.divedesignco.com/work/bionic-pets" target="_blank">&nbsp;DiveDesign&rsquo;s</a> website, and by following <a href="https://www.instagram.com/divedesignco/?hl=en" target="_blank">DiveDesign</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bionicpets/?hl=en" target="_blank">Bionic Pets</a> on Instagram. You can also learn more about the story of two of their patients, Turbo Roo &amp; Thor, on Campana&rsquo;s new show <a href="https://www.byutv.org/player/8d089869-c4d2-40f2-a7b2-e718a216952e/wizard-of-paws-turbo-roo-thor" target="_blank">The Wizard of Paws</a> on BYUtv.&nbsp;<hr>References:<ul style="list-style-type: circle;"><li><a href="https://www.divedesignco.com/" target="_blank">https://www.divedesignco.com/</a></li><li><a href="https://bionicpets.org/" target="_blank">https://bionicpets.org/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.landau.design/" target="_blank">https://www.landau.design/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.byutv.org/player/8d089869-c4d2-40f2-a7b2-e718a216952e/wizard-of-paws-turbo-roo-thor" target="_blank">https://www.byutv.org/player/8d089869-c4d2-40f2-a7b2-e718a216952e/wizard-of-paws-turbo-roo-thor</a></li></ul>

A New Jersey-based product development studio has paired with an algorithm developer and one of the nation’s leading animal orthotists to optimize the process of creating full-limb pet prosthetics.

Utilizing 3D Printing To Create Pet Prosthetics

The human heart beats approximately 35 million times every year, pumping blood via four different heart valves. Unfortunately, &nbsp;in more four million people each year, these delicate tissues malfunction due to birth defects, age-related deteriorations, and infections causing cardiac valve disease.Today, clinicians use either artificial prostheses or fixed animal and cadaver-sourced tissues to replace defective valves. While these prostheses can restore the function of the heart for a while, they are associated with adverse comorbidity and wear down and need to be replaced during invasive and expensive surgeries. Moreover, in children, implanted heart valve prostheses need to be replaced even more often as they cannot grow with the child.A team lead by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seas.harvard.edu/directory/kkparker" target="_blank">Kevin Kit Parker</a>, Tarr Family Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics at the<a href="http://www.seas.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences&nbsp;</a>(SEAS), recently developed a nanofiber fabrication technique to rapidly manufacture heart valves with regenerative and growth potential.Parker is also a Core Faculty member of&nbsp;<a href="http://wyss.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University.</a>In a paper published in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961217302685" target="_blank">Biomaterials</a>, first author Andrew Capulli and colleagues fabricated a valve-shaped nanofiber network that mimics the mechanical and chemical properties of the native valve extracellular matrix (ECM). The team used the Parker lab&rsquo;s proprietary rotary jet spinning technology &ndash; in which a rotating nozzle extrudes an ECM solution into nanofibers that wrap themselves around heart valve-shaped mandrels.&ldquo;Our setup is like a very fast cotton candy machine that can spin a range of synthetic and natural occurring materials,&rdquo; said Parker. &ldquo;In this study, we used a combination of synthetic polymers and ECM proteins to fabricate biocompatible JetValves that are hemodynamically competent upon implantation and support cell migration and re-population&nbsp;in vitro. Importantly, we can make human-sized JetValves in minutes &ndash; much faster than possible for other regenerative prostheses.&rdquo;To further develop and test the clinical potential of JetValves, Parker&rsquo;s team partnered with the translational team of Simon P. Hoerstrup, at the University of Zurich. As a leader in regenerative heart prostheses, Hoerstrup and his team in Zurich previously developed regenerative, tissue-engineered heart valves to replace mechanical and fixed-tissue heart valves. In Hoerstrup&rsquo;s approach, human cells directly deposit a regenerative layer of complex ECM on biodegradable scaffolds shaped as heart valves and vessels. The living cells are then eliminated from the scaffolds resulting in an &ldquo;off-the-shelf&rdquo; human matrix-based prostheses ready for implantation.In the paper, the cross-disciplinary team successfully implanted JetValves in sheep using a minimally invasive technique and demonstrated that the valves functioned properly in the circulation and regenerated new tissue.&ldquo;In our previous studies, the cell-derived ECM-coated scaffolds could recruit cells from the receiving animal&rsquo;s heart and support cell proliferation, matrix remodeling, tissue regeneration, and even animal growth. While these valves are safe and effective, their manufacturing remains complex and expensive as human cells must be cultured for a long time under heavily regulated conditions. The JetValve&rsquo;s much faster manufacturing process can be a game-changer in this respect. If we can replicate these results in humans, this technology could have invaluable benefits in minimizing the number of pediatric re-operations,&rdquo; said Hoerstrup.

In rotary jet spinning technology, a rotating nozzle extrudes a solution of extracellular matrix (ECM) into nanofibers that wrap themselves around heart valve-shaped mandrels. By using a series of mandrels with different sizes, the manufacturing process becomes fully scalable and is able to provide JetValves for all age groups and heart sizes. (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

Harvard and the University of Zurich partner to create a next-generation heart valve that accurately functions upon implantation and regenerates into long-lasting heart-like tissue

Engineering heart valves for the many

<a href="http://eas.caltech.edu/people/mgharib" target="_blank">Mory Gharib</a> (PhD &#39;83), the Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Bioinspired Engineering in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science, and postdoctoral researcher Chris Roh (MS &#39;13, PhD &#39;17) studied Anisopteran dragonfly larvae, which live in water and both breathe and move by inhaling water, extracting oxygen from it, and then expelling the water back out through a tri-leaflet anal valve that is surprisingly similar in structure to tricuspid human heart valves.&nbsp;The larvae are able to control the retraction of each of the three leaves individually, and this, Gharib and Roh discovered, gives them fine control over the size and symmetry (or asymmetry) of the valve opening.&nbsp;&quot;The dragonfly larva is the only insect that uses jet propulsion to move and the only arthropod known to use reciprocal jetting&mdash;inhaling and exhaling through the same orifice&mdash;for underwater breathing,&quot; says Roh, the lead author of a paper on the larval jets that was published online by the journal Bioinspiration &amp; Biomimeticson May 30.&nbsp;To observe how the larvae directed the flow of water using the leaves on their anal valves, Gharib and Roh set up high-speed cameras around an aquarium filled with a colored dye and tethered 96 dragonfly larvae&mdash;one at a time&mdash;in front of the cameras using dental wax. They found that when the larvae retracted all three leaves, the water jet flows straight out, pushing the animals straight forward. Retracting just one or two leaves, on the other hand, results in an asymmetric flow, which the larvae use when breathing.&quot;The way the dragonfly larvae use their unique adaptation to control the jet direction has previously been overlooked,&quot; says Gharib, senior author of the paper. &quot;The asymmetry control by the larvae is an intriguing jet-vectoring mechanism, different from those of squids or salps that simply point their funnels or siphons in a desired direction.&quot;Like the anus of the dragonfly larvae, heart valves have two or three leaves (depending on the valve) that control the flow. Gharib and Roh intend to use what they have learned from the dragonflies to engineer a new prosthetic multi-leaf heart valve that can direct jets in specific directions that mimic natural blood flow emerging from the valve, which is never perfectly symmetric. Currently, the unnaturally symmetrical flow of blood emerging from prosthetic valves can cause blood clots to form or even be abrasive to the walls of blood vessels. To cope with this unintended side effect of prosthetic heart valves, patients typically must spend the rest of their lives taking blood-thinning medications.&nbsp;&quot;The current heart valve design is a one-size-fits-all, where no patient-specific design is considered, and this causes many post-transplant complications,&quot; Roh says. &quot;We believe that an intentionally off-centered opening of the heart valve to more closely match the patient&#39;s original blood flow will be an important design parameter that can be adjusted based on each patient&#39;s heart morphology.&quot;

Seen as a light-colored plume, water jets out from the back of a larval dragonfly. Credit: Chris Roh and Mory Gharib/Caltech

A new understanding of the mechanics of dragonfly larvae respiration and maneuvering could lead to the next generation of prosthetic heart valves, say Caltech engineers.

Dragonfly Larvae Inspire New Designs for Prosthetic Heart Valves

Rear view of the ankle-assisting exosuits with its soft robotic elements and the cable that transfers mechanical power from actuators operated from the hip to the ankle join. (Image courtesy of the Rolex Awards/Fred Merz)

prosthetics & bionics

Latest Posts

Open Bionics: 3D printed prosthetic limbs

Utilizing 3D Printing To Create Pet Prosthetics

Engineering heart valves for the many

Dragonfly Larvae Inspire New Designs for Prosthetic Heart Valves

Post-stroke patients reach terra firma with exosuit technology