Multi-activity 3D printed assistive technology in children: a case study.

Abstract

Congenital limb defects occur when a limb does not develop normally during pregnancy. The quality of each person's everyday life is significantly impacted by any of these defects and there is no concrete treatment. 3D modeling and printing, enables the creation and customization of precise virtual and/or physical models, including models of the human anatomy. These technologies provide a novel method of producing new devices with optimized design and production time, improving adaptability, and incorporating functionality. To this end, we propose a method of designing and producing 3D printed assistive devices and we also present an example of an assistive device, done in the 3D Printing Center for Health, as well as its impact on the patient's daily life. With this device, the patient became able to play the guitar and hold a knife, thus helping on these two activities.