TIME FOR PEACE GENOVA

time for peace genova

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LOWER LIMB PROSTHESES

The transtibial orthopaedic prostheses project is an undertaking of T.f.P-Genoa in order to improve prosthetic treatment in under-developed nations at acceptable prices. Thousands of amputees must face daily difficulties without the possibility of having access to treatment.

The extensive poverty and the lack of local rehabilitation centers also prevents the adoption of emergency prosthesis or orthosis. This situation forces a person into a total dependency on his or her family for every necessity, to their exclusion from working activities and to their consequent marginalization from society.

Therefore it is necessary to develop a plan in concert with the local community in order to institute assistence centers in the territory and to produce prostheses locally in order to allow the widest access to treatment for the less well-to-do patients. A constructive project plan has been analyzed that would both reduce the costs and promote the use of this technology on the part of communities and non-profit organizations in order to produce prostheses locally. This plan demonstrates in fact that with one small workshop and a little practical experience it is possible to satisfy the most immediate needs for rehabilitation programs and aid to amputees, especially in rural communities.

Look the video about workshop in Bukavu

New upper limb prostheses


The project includes this parts:

1) Foot in polyurethane:
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polyurethane foam has been studied in order to allow the realization of manual foot casting in production molds. This is without the necessity of complicated motorized equipment. Now, in place of wood, keel is made of acetylic resin. This material makes the foot flexible and allows  an improvement in foot progression.

2) Knee:
Version I: compression spring and clutch are embeded in a tube additionally the knee
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Version II: compression spring and clutch are directly inserted in the knee
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planned with 3D software and analyses of the final elements. The knee includes (for more information see assembalge of parts):
  • A compression spring helping knee extension during limb swing phase
  • A clutch system regulating dynamic stance phase

3) Socket:
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the sleeve is the part of the prosthesis that receives the stump and constitutes the support of the living body to the artificial support. Its construction demands a personalized procedure and therefore it must be fitted on site for every single patient. The use of alternative raw materials to those commonly found on the specialistic market allows for notable cost controls. Alternative methods of construction are being tested in order to simplify the technology and to reduce manufacturing times: the first photo shows a study developed with the goal to forge the socket directly on the stump (with resin stratification, or possibly with polyurethane impregnated bandages and water activation) . The white system should wrap the socket, previously covered whit impregnated bandages, and press them in the plastic cone (by pneumatic pump).

4) Tubular supports: tubes in stainless steel or aluminum, 30mm in diameter, cut to measure.

5) Attachments in order to connect tubes to the foot and the socket
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Created by us for molding using acetalic resin (Delrin) and planned so as to allow the necessary adjustments for foot/tube/sleeve.

ASSEMBLAGE OF PARTS AND TESTING

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New version: view largest picture here

 

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TEST

In order to guarantee that the produced prostheses satisfy an adequate level of safety during their normal use, we have planned and constructed, with the cooperation of Ansaldo Ricerche, a section for electropneumatic testing for static and cyclical trials in order to verify that the products satisfy the international norm ISO 10328 (Prosthetics structural testing of lower limb prostheses)

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