Additive manufacturing of prosthetic hands: a brief overview

• Published in: International journal on interactive design and manufacturing 2022-09, Vol.16 (3), p.1099-1112
• Main Authors: Aryal, Manish Raj, Pun, Sirjana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3-D printers; Additive manufacturing; Amputation; Body parts; CAE) and Design; Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD; Customization; Electronics and Microelectronics; Engineering; Engineering Design; Industrial Design; Instrumentation; Manufacturing; Mechanical Engineering; Original Paper; Prostheses; Rapid prototyping
• ISSN: 1955-2513; 1955-2505
• DOI: 10.1007/s12008-022-00857-6

The manufacturing process has changed through the years, especially, with changes in the need for better-manufacturing flexibility, customization, and efficiency. The ability of additive manufacturing to develop customized rapid prototypes with complex geometrical configurations has transcended the manufacturing scenarios. Development in additive manufacturing has allowed people of different fields to reap their benefits. Prosthetic manufacturing is a field that has seen a lot of progress with the recent development in additive manufacturing. The review paper focuses on the use of additive manufacturing in the field of prosthetics. The paper compares, correlates, and explains the variation of different manufacturing techniques and processes of prosthetics manufacturing. It dives deeper into the additive scope of manufacturing focusing on each key aspect of the manufacturing system highlighting the ‘fit-to-function’ ability of additive manufacturing. Additionally, a deeper dive is taken into the more common additive manufacturing modality used for prosthetic manufacturing at the current time. The review paper also focuses on the possible incorporation of additive manufacturing to prepare operable prosthetics and performs a brief description highlighting commercial industrial prosthetics manufactured through additive manufacturing. Through extensive review and discussion, it is found that the incorporation of different additive manufacturing techniques allows people who have lost body parts to improve their quality of life and accept prosthetics as part of their own. However, at the current time, it is deemed that prosthetics manufactured through the additive process cannot completely mimic the operation of a real arm and further research in different additive manufacturing technology is required to improve the prosthetic manufacturing industry in the future. Graphical abstract