Abstract:
In general, currently available 3D printed
transmetacarpal prostheses in the market are being rejected by
amputees due to their lower efficiency caused by the higher
flexion angle and discomfort. One of the abundantly used
process in fabricating prosthesis is by additive manufacturing
technique due to its customizability and low cost. This study
focuses on developing a novel 3D printed solution for
transmetacarpal amputees. A modified version of the
whippletree mechanismwasused to facilitate the adaptive grasp
of the designed prosthesis that provides the ability to grasp
objects of irregular shape. The whippletree mechanism plays an
important role in force distribution to actuate all the fingers
individually. To address the comfort issue, a cover made of
flexible material covered with silicon adhesive was used at
contact points. After fabricating and assembling the designed
prosthesis, the performance of the design was analyzed by
conducting several tests. The studies show that the new design
has reduced the flexion angle nearly half in comparison with
available design. This work concludesthat the novel3D printed
transmetacarpal prosthesis provides improved function with
minimal flexionangle and better comfort.
