Reader Submitted: This Student Project Uses Available Resources to Make Lower-Limb Prosthetics Accessible in Developing Countries

This project is dedicated to reclaiming prosthetic care for amputee’s that live in rural communities within developing countries. Amputees in these communities often cannot afford professional prosthetic care or live too far away from existing services. While new technologies and services are currently being integrated into prosthetic services in developing countries, these developments often don’t reach those most in need, with up to 95% of amputees going without access to care. Compounding this problem, devices produced with advanced technologies such as 3D printing are often difficult to repair and not always suited to rural environments. Faced with these limitations, amputees find innovative D.I.Y. responses which are tailored to local materials and traditional practices.

The aim for this project is to evaluate the technologies, materials and processes currently accessible in specific locations within Africa (Sudan, South Sudan and Cameroon), India (West Bengaland Jharkhand) and Cambodia (Ratanakiri and Battambang) and use this information to develop D.I.Y. prosthetic designs that are informed by current medical ‘best practice’. The resulting designs seek to give amputees independence and control over the construction of their own prosthetics, without dependence on health care practitioners and NGO organisations for ongoing prosthetic care.

The project uses visual ethnography to gain an in-depth understanding of practices of re-purposing, repairing and crafting within these rural communities and builds on this understanding through extensive prototyping. Project outcomes include the design of a new D.I.Y. lower-limb prosthetic and an associated D.I.Y manual that proposes an alternative process for providing best practice prosthetic care to rural communities within Africa, India and Cambodia.

Final Design Outcome

Each D.I.Y prosthetic has several key features that differentiate from each other. Each prosthetic provides alternative levels of prosthetic practices, which are adaptable and appropriate for the implementation within various communities such as Africa , Cambodia, and India. .

Credit: Desiree Riny

Design Process

Throughout the design process of the final design outcome, i was able to co-design with various expert within the field of prosthetics to develop a design that could provide ‘ the best practice ‘ of prosthetic care within developing countries through a D.I.Y solution.

Credit: Desiree Riny

D.I.Y Prosthetic 1

Requires a very basic level of skills and materials to craft, without sacrificing various levels of comfort and basic requirement for adjustability. It has two levels of adjustment the first is height adjustment that is integrated with the pylon and furthermore pivotal rotation of fewer than 16 degrees within the foot joinery. It provides a high level of stability and a basic level of mobility.

Credit: Desiree Riny

D.I.Y Prosthetic 2

The second D.I.Y prosthetic builds onto existing practices of the first D.I.Y prosthetic, however the foot joinery comprises three level of adjustments that provide over 30 degrees in movement .It also builds from a basic level of skill required to fabricate the foot joinery but remains beneficial to provide two more degrees of movement within the (x & y-axis).

Credit: Desiree Riny

Final Design Outcome

The third prosthetic also uses similar practices and craftsmanship as the second prosthetic, however, it comprises of completely new adjustable process through the foot joinery, using ballpoint and bike seat rail that allows for a dynamic range of motion .

Credit: Desiree Riny

D.I.Y Prosthetic Design Manual

The D.I.Y design manual is a manifestation of illustrations of prosthetic practices and process to fabricate all three prosthetic outcomes. Its design language is comprised of visual illustrations and small descriptive steps which help guide an amputee through the beginning process of fabrication to end process of alignment .

Credit: Desiree Riny

D.I.Y Prosthetic Design Manual

Credit: Desiree Riny

Final Design Outcome in Context

Credit: Desiree Riny

View the full project here
Source: core77