Democratizing Prosthetics Through The Power Of 3D Printing


The refinement of prosthetics has been an ongoing challenge since their first creation around the time of ancient Egypt. Although new technological developments have enabled huge improvements to be made, the quest for a prosthetic that can replace the functionality of a missing limb while also being widely available, affordable, and comfortable still eludes even the top design and medical professionals.

A UK start-up wants to change that. Recent recipients of the Disruptor of the Year Award at the London Business Awards, Mitt is looking to reinvent prosthetic design with an eye to also improving access. With only one out of ten people with limb loss currently able to obtain, afford, or comfortably fit a prosthetic, the young team saw an opportunity to use powerful manufacturing tools like 3D printing to revolutionize the way prosthetics are made.
Collaboration As Cornerstone
Unlike many Silicon Valley-style start-ups, Mitt knew they couldn’t succeed by tackling this project alone or thinking they had all the answers. Which is why they’ve integrated collaboration into their principles from the start.
Early in their project, the team was introduced to a user of prosthetics, Alex Lewis. A quadruple amputee, Alex has used prosthetics to incredible achievements, but when he showed the team the kind of product most amputees were given, they were stunned. “This completely changed everything for us,” explains Nate, “meeting somebody who actually wears them and seeing that they’re big bits of plastic that still look like the exact same designs that were made in WWII.”
Not only are these standard prosthetics heavy, making them uncomfortable for most users to wear, they also can be expensive with a single arm costing up to £25,000, just for a basic model.
Learning this completely changed how the team looked to approach the project. Instead of focusing on complicated features such as bringing in sensation or trying to simulate digits, they decided that the best thing they could do would be to try and remove these common barriers and hopefully create a device that was accessible to anyone.

Mitt has made a prosthetic that is 10 times cheaper than traditional ones. Image credit: Mitt ®

Mitt knows that they can truly do more together than apart. By learning from and working with users, clinicians and partners that have been in the industry for decades, they hope to continue to grow in their quest to make a gold-standard prosthetic that can be replicated easily around the world.
So far, it seems to be working. By the time they had their first prototype, Alex’s response was already overwhelmingly positive. “The key thing for us,” explains founder Nate Macabuag, “is to keep listening to the people wearing them.” And it’s this positive approach to feedback that have led Mitt to real innovation in their prosthetic design.
Designing For The User
When the...

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