Walking on the World’s Most Advanced 3D Printed Prosthetics in the Jungles of Guatemala
Company Size
11-200
Region
- America
Country
- Guatemala
Product
- nTopology
- MJF 3D Printing
Tech Stack
- 3D Scanning
- MJF 3D Printing
- nTopology Software
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Customer Satisfaction
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Generative AI
- Functional Applications - Product Lifecycle Management Systems (PLM)
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries
- Healthcare & Hospitals
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Additive Manufacturing
- Predictive Maintenance
- Remote Patient Monitoring
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
- Training
About The Customer
LifeNabled is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing prosthetic solutions for the developing world. For the past 15 years, they have been changing the lives of amputees in northern Guatemala. Leveraging the 3D printing expertise of its founder, Brent Wright, LifeNabled has focused on creating a fully digital workflow to produce custom 3D printed prosthetic sockets with flexible inner liners. The organization aims to make the digital process scalable and cost-effective, with the potential to replicate it in other parts of the world to significantly improve the quality of life for amputees in developing countries.
The Challenge
LifeNabled, a non-profit organization, has been providing prosthetic solutions to amputees in northern Guatemala for the past 15 years. The traditional manufacturing process for prosthetics is expertise-intensive and laborious, making it difficult to scale and cost-effective. The organization aimed to digitize the entire workflow to bypass these challenges and make the process scalable and cost-effective. The goal was to improve the quality of life for amputees in developing countries by providing advanced prosthetic and orthotic devices.
The Solution
LifeNabled implemented a fully digital workflow for producing prosthetic devices. The process begins with 3D scanning of the patients, allowing for quick and accurate evaluations. The engineering team then designs each custom prosthetic device and manufactures the sockets using MJF 3D printing. The entire process, from 3D scan to manufacturing-ready STL files, is streamlined and semi-automated using nTopology's software. This approach not only saves valuable engineering time but also ensures higher-quality and error-free results. Additionally, the team opted for washable and low-cost cloth socks and flexible 3D printed foam liners to ensure comfort and hygiene for the patients.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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