3D-printed hands help amputees in Nepal

University of Victoriaengineering graduatePranav Shrestha is heading back to his home country of Nepal this week to give his father a hand several hands, actually.

The ultimate goal is to provide a prosthetic device to anybody who needsand wants one in developing countries.- Pranav Shrestha

Shresthaand his twin brotherhavecollaborated on a project at the universityto create prosthetic hands with a 3D printer. Meanwhile,Shrestha's father is a founder of theorthopedic hospital inKathmandu.

"The neat thing about this design is it conforms to the shape of the object. If you're holding an apple, or if you're holding a credit card, the force adjusts accordingly,"ShresthatoldOn the IslandhostGregorCraigie.

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'Neat solution to a growing problem'

The hands are custom built for each amputee using commercially available 3D printers and readily available plastic PLA (polylactic acid, often used in 3D printing), saidShrestha.

"This is a model that can be scaled infinitely, I would think, because the only thing that needs to be spread is the design, which Dr.Dechevhas planned to make it open source.It's really a very neat solution to a growing problem."

According toShrestha, some80 per cent of amputees live in low income countries.

"Only two per cent of those have access to prosthetic care. 3D printing really brings down the cost of these prosthetic devices."

Refining hand design

The project, led by Dr. Nikolai Dechev at the University of Victoria, has been running for several years and has gone through several iterations.

Researchers are nowcollecting feedback on the functionality of the printed devices from experienced amputees in Guatemala and Nepal.

The group expects to launch a crowdfunding campaign July 15 to establish printing stations in Guatemala and Nepal.

Their goal is to raise $90,000, which would cover startup costs and provide approximately 50 hands, Shrestha said.

"The ultimate goal is to provide a prosthetic device to anybody who needsand wants one in developing countries."

To hear the full interview with PranavShrestha, listen to the audio labelled: Lending a hand in Nepal.