World’s first trial of 3D printed bionic hands for children is here
Bionic hands may soon become available on the NHS, as the world’s first clinical trial of a new prosthesis type begins this week, according to the Independent.
The 3D-printed devices for child amputees are designed to be produced at a fraction of the cost of current models and based on Disney characters. Open Bionics is working with 10 children at a local hospital during the six-month period of the trial.
Tilly Lockey, an 11-year-old from Durham who lost her hands after she developed meningitis as a baby, told the BBC: “Instead of people thinking they feel sorry for you because you don’t have a hand, they’re like: ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a cool hand!’” she said, adding that it “looks awesome and it makes you feel confident.”
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The hand takes one day to make, using 3D scanning and costs £5,000. Current prosthetics with controllable fingers cost up to £60,000. The new design by Open Bionics uses a 3D printer to create the hand in four separate steps, being custom-built to fit the patient. The user can move and close the fingers of the bionic hand, because sensors attached to the skin can detect the user’s muscle movements.
A royalty-free agreement between Disney and Open Bionics allows the devices to be based on characters from Iron Man, Frozen and Star Wars. Tilly’s hand is themed on the Playstation game Deus Ex.
If the trial proves successful, the company will have the possibility to apply for a grant of £1 million to offer the product at NHS clinics across the country.
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