Open-Source 3D Printing in the Prosthetic Field—The Case of Upper Limb Prostheses: A Review
Upper limb loss alters individuals’ private and professional life. Prosthetic devices are thus a solution to supply the missing upper limb segments. Nevertheless, commercial prostheses are often unaffordable, or inaccessible, to underprivileged individuals (e.g., no health insurance, low incomes, wa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Machines |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/10/6/413 |
| _version_ | 1827659074196471808 |
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| author | Kevin Wendo Olivier Barbier Xavier Bollen Thomas Schubert Thierry Lejeune Benoit Raucent Raphael Olszewski |
| author_facet | Kevin Wendo Olivier Barbier Xavier Bollen Thomas Schubert Thierry Lejeune Benoit Raucent Raphael Olszewski |
| author_sort | Kevin Wendo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Upper limb loss alters individuals’ private and professional life. Prosthetic devices are thus a solution to supply the missing upper limb segments. Nevertheless, commercial prostheses are often unaffordable, or inaccessible, to underprivileged individuals (e.g., no health insurance, low incomes, warzone). Among potential affordable alternatives, additive manufacturing, commonly “3D printing”, has been increasingly employed. This technology offers higher availability and accessibility, and can produce complex geometrical and highly customized products, which are essential features for prostheses manufacturing. Therefore, this study aims to portray an overview of reliable open-source upper limb 3D-printed prostheses currently available. We thus searched the scientific literature and online repositories hosting 3D-printable designs. We extracted data relative to mechanical and kinematic properties, 3D printing process and efficacy for each device. We found six studies implementing open-source 3DP upper limb prostheses and twenty-five open-source designs from online databases meeting selection criteria. Devices’ technical specifications were not systematically reported. In conclusion, though open-source 3D-printed upper limb prostheses can perform some functional tasks and grasps, and are widely employed to supply limb differences, further research is mandatory to validate their usage and to prove their clinical efficacy. More guidelines are required to unify contributions from private makers and non-governmental organizations with scientific groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:14:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3b03c5ad96b64f42938df04157161de7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1702 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:14:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Machines |
| spelling | doaj.art-3b03c5ad96b64f42938df04157161de72023-11-23T17:38:42ZengMDPI AGMachines2075-17022022-05-0110641310.3390/machines10060413Open-Source 3D Printing in the Prosthetic Field—The Case of Upper Limb Prostheses: A ReviewKevin Wendo0Olivier Barbier1Xavier Bollen2Thomas Schubert3Thierry Lejeune4Benoit Raucent5Raphael Olszewski6Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, BelgiumNeuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, BelgiumInstitute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, BelgiumNeuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, BelgiumNeuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, BelgiumInstitute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, BelgiumNeuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, BelgiumUpper limb loss alters individuals’ private and professional life. Prosthetic devices are thus a solution to supply the missing upper limb segments. Nevertheless, commercial prostheses are often unaffordable, or inaccessible, to underprivileged individuals (e.g., no health insurance, low incomes, warzone). Among potential affordable alternatives, additive manufacturing, commonly “3D printing”, has been increasingly employed. This technology offers higher availability and accessibility, and can produce complex geometrical and highly customized products, which are essential features for prostheses manufacturing. Therefore, this study aims to portray an overview of reliable open-source upper limb 3D-printed prostheses currently available. We thus searched the scientific literature and online repositories hosting 3D-printable designs. We extracted data relative to mechanical and kinematic properties, 3D printing process and efficacy for each device. We found six studies implementing open-source 3DP upper limb prostheses and twenty-five open-source designs from online databases meeting selection criteria. Devices’ technical specifications were not systematically reported. In conclusion, though open-source 3D-printed upper limb prostheses can perform some functional tasks and grasps, and are widely employed to supply limb differences, further research is mandatory to validate their usage and to prove their clinical efficacy. More guidelines are required to unify contributions from private makers and non-governmental organizations with scientific groups.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/10/6/413prostheticprosthesisprosthesesupper limbhandarm |
| spellingShingle | Kevin Wendo Olivier Barbier Xavier Bollen Thomas Schubert Thierry Lejeune Benoit Raucent Raphael Olszewski Open-Source 3D Printing in the Prosthetic Field—The Case of Upper Limb Prostheses: A Review Machines prosthetic prosthesis prostheses upper limb hand arm |
| title | Open-Source 3D Printing in the Prosthetic Field—The Case of Upper Limb Prostheses: A Review |
| title_full | Open-Source 3D Printing in the Prosthetic Field—The Case of Upper Limb Prostheses: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Open-Source 3D Printing in the Prosthetic Field—The Case of Upper Limb Prostheses: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Open-Source 3D Printing in the Prosthetic Field—The Case of Upper Limb Prostheses: A Review |
| title_short | Open-Source 3D Printing in the Prosthetic Field—The Case of Upper Limb Prostheses: A Review |
| title_sort | open source 3d printing in the prosthetic field the case of upper limb prostheses a review |
| topic | prosthetic prosthesis prostheses upper limb hand arm |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/10/6/413 |
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