18-07-2012, 04:21 PM
Upper limb prosthesis for developing countries
Upper limb prosthesis.pdf (Size: 268.52 KB / Downloads: 32)
Description of the prosthesis
As a main constraint it is asked to produce the hand
without special technical skills or machines. This is a
must requirement for third world application.
By hypothesis, high dexterity is not demanded: this
characteristic would make complex the design of the
hand. In fact, this is acceptable since it is not supposed
to provide the users with a prosthesis for fine
manipulation but with a cheap tool helping in farming
and some other raw tasks.
the hand creation process. The
prosthesis is shaped on a real human hand for a
satisfactory external look. First, the operator wears a
cotton glove (picture 1 in Fig. 2). Then the glove is
immersed in a suspension of water and chalk plaster
(picture 2). The undeformed configuration of the hand
is shaped by holding a cylinder with a suitable
diameter, such as a plastic bottle. The chalky glove is
dried by hot air. The glove is then slipped off (picture
3) and cut in two halves (picture 4). Later it will be
necessary to close the mould again; for this reason
some references are created on the halves borders.
Conclusions
The elastomeric matrix makes it soft to the touch, with
a consistence reminding the one of the natural hand.
The grasp is effective: each finger, while bended,
opposes a strong resistance to an opening force.